Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade begins

[beauyboy]

Evening all

I am just informing all members the Bicentenial Bikeway Upgrade Stage 1, to a segragated facility has begun. The extent of the upgrade is covered in the sticky thread "state Government grants" above this thread.

Currently a short detour in effect around the work site. For more info on this see www.bq.org.au

Currently the detour is enforcing a dismount order. Due to the fact that this is the stage 1 with two further stages over the next 2 years are also to come. This Dismount order is simply stupid and unacceptable. You would not ask a motorist to get out and push so why should a cyclist have to get off and push.

I will be inspecting the detour and taking photos on the weekend.

If you have any comments regarding your experience with this detour please tell me.

Donald

this is the Bicentenial Bikeway upgrade I am talking about here not the Hale St Bridge detour.

[winona_rider]

WT??
this is appalling.
will investigate too..

[elantra]

Groan. Dont get me wrong, an upgrade is probably a good thing, BUT.....
Remember about 2 or 3 yrs ago when they were doing the sewerage work and installation of the doomed contra-flow traffic stuff on Coro drive?
Then there was a 100 metre "walking zone" which was totally unnecessary and caused all sorts of angst until the order to walk it was officially repealed after a lot of effort from a few people.
Before the change i had got off to walk it a few times till it became obvious that it was something akin to a practical joke, and then the first time i kept on riding, a self-righteous pedestrian menaced me because i had chosen not to dismount.
Presumably the engineers responsible for this latest decree were still in nappies then.
What do they say about history?..... ignore it and repeat the mistakes of the past i think.

[beauyboy]

Ok there has been changes.

A more sensible option has been enacted.

Cyclists have been diected along the gantry structure and Pedestrians are being directed along coronation drive footpath.

I have to say a far more sensible options.

Donald

[elantra]

Thanks Donald.
Maybe this is the smart state. Good outcome. Hope this was acheived without too much of the old "elephants mating" scenario
I followed a friend through this area this morning, it feels like one of those boat rides at seaworld where you go up and down and round and about, quite good fun at 7 am on a fine morning, probably not so fun dodging peds/ dogs /other cyclists at evening peak hour
Steve

[beauyboy]

I am not quite sure how this was achived. During the CBD BUG meeting we aired are disgust quite loadly at the poor council rep. I know the BQ rep was quite surprised about it at the time.

I am not sure if the BUG had sent a email Council or BQ has done all the work.

Which ever way it is an improvement.

Donald

[Pax]

Great to see some listenning going on

[beauyboy]

the tipical Courier Mail bet up with a leading question for the comments bit

www.couriermail.com.au

Traffic controllers to restore safety for cyclists, pedestrians on bikeway
Bruce McMahon
May 04, 2009 12:00am

A SERIES of brushes between cyclists and pedestrians has forced a stop-go rule on the Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade alongside the Brisbane River.

Brisbane City Council has suspended pedestrian access on a 400m section at Milton, in the city's inner-west, sending pedestrians on to a narrow footpath along Coronation Drive.

Down below, cyclists - managed by traffic controllers from 5am to 8pm - travel on a temporary construction boardwalk, one direction at a time.
Your Say: Are cyclists on the Bicentennial Bikeway out of control?

"Most people realise it's for their safety," traffic controller Kerry Otter said.

"It's a busy little path, but it's all been good."

Council's Public and Active chairwoman Jane Prentice said the diversion was a temporary measure that would last six weeks.

But more riding restrictions may follow if cyclists continue to speed along the bikeway. A recent police blitz near the Hale Street Link project saw a caution handed out every 30 seconds.

The bikeway project, part of the council's $100 million spend on shared cycle paths, will deliver two 400m-long separated pedestrian and cycle paths to make the section between Cribb St and Park Rd safer.

[beauyboy]

I'm just waiting for the Dead S**T comments to start coming in to the Courier Mail

Donald

[winona_rider]

i learnt long ago not to read courier-mail comments. it is like looking into the sun.

anyway: i rode through here yesterday and it was silly. i was stopped. and then the stop/go man got a call that a bike rider was coming. then he got a call that said bike rider had dismounted halfway thru - probably responding to signage on that path.

so here i was waiting minutes for this guy to stroll through. then the stop/go person said i could go and while i went thru the other end had let riders through so it was two way traffic. and it was all sweet.... but this was contrary to the rules.

this stuff is so stupid. still chaotic, still counter-intuitive, still counter-productive. i say again: "appalling"

[beauyboy]

Yes I also generally avoid reading the Courier Mail comments. I generally get the feeling that our population never passed year 1 when i do.

Yes the one way thing was new to me as well.
I rode through there as 2 way. While it was not overly comfortable and my other half was very uncomfortable with it. It did work as 2 way just as long as cyclists keep to a reasonable speed.

Yes those dismount signs need to be removed!

Donald

[beauyboy]

A media RElease from the lord Mayors office
www.campbellnewman.com.au

Council diverts pedestrians from bikeway
Written on the 02 May, 2009

Brisbane City Council has temporarily suspended pedestrian access on a segment of the Bicentennial Bikeway, after a series of near misses with cyclists.

Public and Active Chairman Jane Prentice today said the path area between Cribb St and Park Rd Milton would be cyclists only.

The Bicentennial Bikeway Upgrade project is part of the Lord Mayor’s $100 million investment in shared cycle paths for Brisbane – a quadrupling of funding in the area over four years.

The project was fast-tracked to deliver two 400m long, separated pedestrian and cycle paths to make the area safer for the public.

Cr Prentice said pedestrians would now be diverted onto the footpath and cyclists to travel through the boardwalk at one direction at a time, managed by “stop/go” traffic controllers.

“This is a temporary measure that will last six weeks,” she said.

“There may still be a slight delay for cyclists at either end to allow safe passage through the boardwalk structure.”

Cr Prentice said the detour for pedestrians was available along the Coronation Drive footpath, accessed at the Cribb Street Underpass and the off ramp to Graham/Park Rd, Milton.

Further riding restrictions might apply near the Hale Street Link project.

Queensland Police reported that 35 per cent of cyclists observed riding through the section near the construction zone were not doing so in a safe manner.

A recent blitz saw 228 warning notices issued – an average of one caution every 30 seconds.

“We really need cyclists to slow down near this area for their own safety, as well as that of construction workers and the public.”

[Ends] May 2, 2009

[elantra]

Incredible - one way at a time !
I will have to go down there and see it to believe it.
Remember - this is the "SMART STATE"
If some people have their way one day cyclists will be given the opportunity to have dicky little rego plates hanging from our bums with the caption on it "Queensland - smart state"

[der Ungar]

I know this is a late post, but I'm just back from a month OS, so am catching up!

Started back on the bike this week, doing the River Loop from 5.30am. Did the bikeway once before quickly deciding that heading outbound on Coro Drive itself at that time of day is far safer than the shambles in the dark going on below.

It's an accident waiting to happen...

[beauyboy]

yes it is a bit of a nighmare down there.

Careful going along Coro, there has been several "bicycle and car accidents" this past week that the radio has reported in the morning.

Donald

[winona_rider]

rolled through on saturday and it seems two way traffic is back.

[beauyboy]

JUST to inform everyone.
Stage one of the Corination Bikeway is complete
400m of segragated bikeway is now in operation!

Donald

[benfer]

Speed Bumps? I have seen people getting some nice hang time.

[beauyboy]

I am yet to ride it.
Are the speed bumps where the path changes from seperated and shared at both ends?

Donald

[hillclimber]

Today, whilst travelling south over the northern speed bump, I t-boned a small child on his bike. The kid had gone ahead of his dad, who was on roller blades in the pedestrian lane and then turned around to return to his dad.Once he reached his dad, who was travelling in the opposite direction, he decided to turn again... which is when I hit him. Unfortunately I didn't know that the two were together at the time.

The kid was fine, apart from the tears induced by his screaming american father. I told him to be thankful as the kid wouldn't do it again.

Members of the one group using different lanes seems to be trouble. Also I think the blue pedestrian guide at the end of the path will probably cause problems as well.

And yes, the speed bumps are at the ends. Although they are barely noticeable.

[beauyboy]

How high are these speed bumps?
If they are more than 4 inches high they do not meet Australian road standards and why should we expect and less for a bikeway.

What I never understand with the corro bikeway is why do people take children and dogs and such down there. It drives me insane. I understand that it is legal but surely they understand that it is a transportation corridor.

Donald

[hillclimber]

How high are these speed bumps?
If they are more than 4 inches high they do not meet Australian road standards and why should we expect and less for a bikeway.

What I never understand with the corro bikeway is why do people take children and dogs and such down there. It drives me insane. I understand that it is legal but surely they understand that it is a transportation corridor.

Donald

Hi Donald,

I don't think they are 4 inches high.... although.... they wouldn't be far off. I'll check tomorrow.

[elantra]

How high are these speed bumps?
If they are more than 4 inches high they do not meet Australian road standards and why should we expect and less for a bikeway.

What I never understand with the corro bikeway is why do people take children and dogs and such down there. It drives me insane. I understand that it is legal but surely they understand that it is a transportation corridor.

Donald

Agree it amazes me why anyone would walk a dog along there when there are many more suitable areas to do this not far away.

My dog prefers Mt Coot-tha to go for a walk. Or the beach. (but it is too far to go to Shornecliffe every day)

Having said that IMHO pesky dogs are well and truly outnumbered by clueless peds (usually with IPODS in situ) and bike ninjas.

[NMX516]

The so called speed bumps aren't going to slow too many cyclists down, if that is the aim. They're easily "bunny hopped" Wait until some mindless pedestrian trips on them, that will put the BCC boffins into a spin!

[Crawf]

Might already be stating the obvious to some, but if you regularly ride along Coro you will need to take some major diverts as of next Tuesday (14/6/2011) for 6 MONTHS!

MAP