SOP Safety Alert Thread

[tubby74]

bike lane is closed on part of benelong parkway today. They're working on some trees beside the road, so the pathway is diverted to the bike lane and bike lane closed. Not a long length and it's a section you'd be traveling along quite fast but worth being aware of

[tez001]

Part of the Armoury path between the restaurant and ferry wharf will be closed wile asbestos removal works are being carried out.

http://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/for_business ... ton_armory" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SheikYerbouti]

Part of the Armoury path between the restaurant and ferry wharf will be closed wile asbestos removal works are being carried out.

http://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/for_business ... ton_armory" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that info, that's the route I take a couple of times a week. The document mentions a detour - anyone know where that'll be and if it'll be ride-able?

[thomashouseman]

More details with a map:

Sydney Olympic Park Authority will temporarily close part of the River Walk to allow for essential maintenance works from Monday 31 March – Friday 4 April and again on Monday 7 April – Thursday 10 April.

During these closures a detour will be in place, particularly to allow cyclists to continue their bike rides and pedestrians their walk or run.

http://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/__data/asset ... Detour.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SheikYerbouti]

Easter Show road closures have started: http://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/for_business ... d_closures" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[wombatK]

The pathway along the western side of Blaxland Road has been complete - although signs etc.,. not yet painted to indicate if its a shared path (expect it will be).

If so, it provides a safer way for road-shy riders to connect between SOP and the Meadowbank side of Parramatta River. Will be even better for the kiddies etc.,. when the traffic lights get completed at Blaxland Rd/Leeds Rd intersection.

[Hergest]

It's also worth mentioning that there's a new footbridge just down by the boat ramp that allows you to walk up to the bike path across the railway bridge by wheeling your bike as there's a indentation in the middle of the steps.

[thomashouseman]

Any cyclists witness this yesterday? If so the police would like your statement:

http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/lates ... w9MQ%3D%3D" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

T.

[SmellyTofu]

It's also worth mentioning that there's a new footbridge just down by the boat ramp that allows you to walk up to the bike path across the railway bridge by wheeling your bike as there's a indentation in the middle of the steps.

This set of stairs is pretty much useless for those with kids (or panniers) in the back seat/rack as the steepness of the stairs and those wheel tracks makes it next to impossible to slowly walk down the bike safely. Ideally it should have been a series of S bends so that the gradient wouldn't be as steep for the uninitiated.

I did try use the new cyclepath on Blaxland Rd however, at the non existent traffic light, it is very very unsafe to cross the road down to the boat ramp. It was certainly something my wife had troubles with and we ended up going under the railway bridge to then continue down the road a bit to then U turn so we could rejoin the cyclepath.

Incidentally on the way back, it was very difficult to get onto this new path on Blaxland Rd to get back onto the entrance to the bridge to go back north, so I had to ride on the road and being very very slow noting when to pop in and out of parked cars, I still had to deal with this a stupid car in a blue Nissan Dualis come very close to me whilst carrying my son when the driver had all the room in the world to create a buffer.

If I didn't need to deal with a nephew who couldn't ride much further than our destination at SOP, I would have chosen to go over the Silverwater Bridge instead.

[Hergest]

They were working on the new lights last week so fingers crossed they will be activated this coming week. I certainly hope so as they will make a world of difference at that horrible junction.

[SheikYerbouti]

Is that at Blaxland & Leeds? I hate that spot, you think it's clear and head across the road and someone screams around the corner under the railway bridge and it's not pleasant. Haven't ridden there for 2 weeks, will try the SOP/Silverwater Br/Rhodes circuit on Tues early before work.

[wombatK]

Lots of progress on lights today. Road markings, including turning lane, loop detectors installed, warning lights installed in Walker St. Local cafe owner says theres been one to two stacks every month, mainly cars turning under bridge from walker st too fast. Lights should fix it.

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[SmellyTofu]

Lots of progress on lights today. Road markings, including turning lane, loop detectors installed, warning lights installed in Walker St. Local cafe owner says theres been one to two stacks every month, mainly cars turning under bridge from walker st too fast. Lights should fix it.

Sent from my Galacy Tab with Crpaatalk

So will rumble strips which should be applied in both directions on the western side of Walker St all the way to under the bridge.

[Hergest]

Not a safety issue but if you ride the external loop of Olympic Park makes sure you do it anti clockwise. The lights at the corner of Sarah Durack Ave and Edwin Flack Ave outside the hockey centre have been changed to default to green for those coming down the rise even though nobody goes straight on when there's no hockey event on and the wait for them to change is a very long one. If you ride anti clockwise and come down the rise from the stadium direction then you nearly always have the green arrow so you can keep going.

Crossing over Australia Avenue from Bennelong Parkway is a right pain too going clockwise as those lights struggle to recognise a bike and it isn't the kind of intersection you can ride through safely on red. Most traffic there turns left as well so the straight on light doesn't get triggered.

[SheikYerbouti]

They were working on the new lights last week so fingers crossed they will be activated this coming week. I certainly hope so as they will make a world of difference at that horrible junction.

They are up and running now - might have been on for a couple of days, but today was my first SOP ride in a week. The lights have certainly reduced my anxiety when riding down from the Rhodes bridge to the waterfront path back towards Olympic Park.

[SmellyTofu]

Hallelujah!!


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[tubby74]

Not a safety issue but if you ride the external loop of Olympic Park makes sure you do it anti clockwise. The lights at the corner of Sarah Durack Ave and Edwin Flack Ave outside the hockey centre have been changed to default to green for those coming down the rise even though nobody goes straight on when there's no hockey event on and the wait for them to change is a very long one. If you ride anti clockwise and come down the rise from the stadium direction then you nearly always have the green arrow so you can keep going.

Crossing over Australia Avenue from Bennelong Parkway is a right pain too going clockwise as those lights struggle to recognise a bike and it isn't the kind of intersection you can ride through safely on red. Most traffic there turns left as well so the straight on light doesn't get triggered.

Had a meeting with council this morning. The lights near the railway bridge have been fixed to they don't default to the carpark entry. I also raised the sensors at Australia Ave never picking up bikes, SOPA will look into it.

[tubby74]

for riders going through the swamp path in bicentennial park they've recently put up gates at either end for high waters. Must admit it's been freaky in the past going through there at night with water lapping at the path on both sides so this was probably overdue.

[ab012]

Just outdo side SOP and bicentennial park - the swooper (butcher bird?) at the tunnel next to concord west station is now up and active. Never hit me from my experience, butt since that section is slow he will get a few close passes in....

[tubby74]

got a fairly hard hit on the helmet from a bird this morning going down Australia ave, about 100 m past the station turn. was the only lap I took that shortcut so don't know if I was lucky or the bird is particularly aggressive

[ab012]

On Australia Avenue .. its going to be busy...

[Hergest]

Not a safety issue but of interest is that i was riding around Homebush Bay at Rhodes this morning and on the path are some new (to me) surveyor markings that say 'Temp bridge line' and directly across the bay is the old timber jetty so it looks like the bridge is going ahead.

[vince]

Further to tubby74's magpie warning for australia ave, a magpie (possibly the same one he mentioned) had five shots at me this morning...........the bird let the two riders ahead of me go but had five shots at me, gbetting the helmet twice. i was riding solo so he picks his targets. On the upside, I never knew i was a sprinter

[tubby74]

setup for the v8's seems to be underway. on Australia avenue headed west cycle lane plus one traffic lane was blocked off this morning where they setup the pits, just past the railway station turn off

[tubby74]

driving past the same area today watched a cyclist get repeatedly bombed by that magpie. he was moving fast, had the zip ties on the helmet and was bobbing like a boxer and the bird still took at least half a dozen goes at him. Add in the narrow road, witches hats and fences it could easily be a dangerous spot right no