WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

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Cheesewheel
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WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Cheesewheel » Sat Mar 10, 2018 1:25 pm

Not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-0 ... fmredir=sm

A council in the south-west of WA could become the first in the state to ban cyclists from a road because of new rules that require motorists to give riders a 1-metre buffer when overtaking.

The laws are designed to keep cyclists safe, but there has been criticism regional roads are not wide enough for the 1-metre rule, forcing trucks and road trains off the bitumen and onto gravel as they overtake riders.

....

The Dardanup Shire Council is proposing to stop cyclists from using a narrow section of Harris Road, a busy one-lane road used by trucks

....

The council has already approached Main Roads about the legality of closing the road to cyclists.

In a statement Main Roads said a local government did have the authority to close a road to vehicles of any class, including cyclists if it deemed it necessary.
....
The proposal is open for public comment, but if it does go ahead the council is aware it would be difficult to enforce.

Cr Bennett said the council would not have rangers policing the road.


Sounds like a council approved punishment pass zone.
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Thoglette
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Thoglette » Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:13 pm

Fine if they're going to build a PSP next to the road.
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g-boaf
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby g-boaf » Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:21 pm

Thoglette wrote:Fine if they're going to build a PSP next to the road.
Perhaps the council needs to be disbanded and the councillors can go find new jobs. Maybe the road (if it is the one I think it is) could have a shoulder added on either side. That would be a simple solution.

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Cycleops70 » Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:25 pm

If the road is not wide enough to accommodate bicycles, then why are they allowing cars & trucks?

If this succeeds, then I suspect there will be more of this to come.

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby eldavo » Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:35 pm

Trying to outdo NSW for stupidest anti-cycling measures in the world.

Go country ingenuity! Aussie Aussie Aussie!!

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Thoglette
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Thoglette » Sat Mar 10, 2018 6:08 pm

Cycleops70 wrote:If the road is not wide enough to accommodate bicycles,
According to the ABC article, the road is 15m wide, which is a standard road width.

The complaint is that truckies might have to obey the law and cross the white lines in the middle. (You know that flames leap from the road and the sky boils black and red when you do that)

This is a slap-down, nothing more, nothing less.
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby hiflange » Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:30 am

It looks like the State Govt. has a close eye on this, and I'm sure there will be plenty of local pushback. It is truly dumb, hopefully it gets knocked for six.

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Tequestra
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Tequestra » Sun Mar 11, 2018 10:19 am

Happy Sunday All! It is quite an undulated, hilly country around the Dardanup area, particularly off the South-West Highway to the east. This means less road-length for passing, and getting past a slow log truck in a car is a lot more trouble than getting past a slow bicycle in a log truck. All in all, the most logical solution for all road users would be to ban vehicles wider than 1.8m and longer than 10m to suit the natural lay of the roads between the crests of the foothills. Put it this way: It is the TRUCKS' fault, not the bicycles'. They're too big.
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby eeksll » Sun Mar 11, 2018 2:41 pm

I dont get it, how can it be too narrow. Won't the truck have the entire opposite lane to use as well?

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Tequestra » Sun Mar 11, 2018 3:01 pm

eeksll wrote:I dont get it, how can it be too narrow. Won't the truck have the entire opposite lane to use as well?
I guess except up hills or around corners that follow the contours of the hills where practicable to reduce the gradients ... for overloaded, underpowered log trucks! ;-)
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby AUbicycles » Sun Mar 11, 2018 8:22 pm

Unfortunately a ban would be an easy fix for the council, but it also stupid.

I get it that it appears to be a stretch of road where it is harder to pass legally with the effect that traffic is backed up. I would also assume that that as a result there are ongoing a very long delays to motor vehicle.

If bike riders are using this route, there is obviously demand so the council should respond by providing a solution... and there are many of these that will save them from stupidity.
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby DavidS » Sun Mar 11, 2018 10:14 pm

Fine, ban bikes from the road. Bicycles are road vehicles, roads are made for the use of road vehicles, if the road is not fit for bicycles then bicycles shouldn't use the road. But, if the road is not fit for the use of road vehicles then surely no road vehicles should be able to use it. Since the road is clearly not fit for purpose, surely no road vehicles should be allowed to use it.

Simple solution: if the road is not fit for one type of road vehicle, then close it for all.

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Cheesewheel
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Cheesewheel » Sun Mar 11, 2018 11:49 pm

If this by-law is passed through, I wonder what would be the legal consequences of a vehicle striking a cyclist in the no go zone.
I recall an incident a few years ago on the M1 near the Qld/Nsw border, where a driver killed a cyclist. Even though bicycles are prohibited on that stretch (by Qld state govt I believe), the forensics closed down the whole part for quite a few hours (part of the schmozzle was that because it happened a few 100m into Nsw, so they had to fly in a forensic team from Sydney) while they determined how events played out and who was at fault (iirc, the fact that the cyclist was in a place where he shouldn't have been didn't influence the legal findings .... apparently it was pretty cut and dry, with the cyclist veering out into 100km/hr traffic).
If push comes to shove (or pass comes to crunch?), I wonder to what degree this council ruling would determine legal outcones?
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby human909 » Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:31 am

There are countless places on countless roads in Australia where it impossible to pass another motor vehicle whether it is oncoming or heading in the same direction. Yet motor vehicles are still allowed on these roads.

Another example of the systemic intolerance of cyclists in Australia. This one another egregious example of our government doing so, not only failing to protect vulnerable citizens but suggesting that it is their fault if somebody else does harm to them.

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby NASHIE » Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:05 am

Know the area but not particularly the road. This area is dead flat, but looking at google maps i can see this road would be the preferred route for Bunbury cyclist to head out into the Furgeson valley etc for some very nice hills riding. It appears the issue is it begins in an industrial area with a few transport depots, road trains etc. Apart from these arriving and departing the road would only be used for a few local farmers as it really is a secondary road. Maybe short term solution would be to temp curfew cyclist times weekdays while as suggested winden or install PSP for the western section that transport companys use. Cant really see the reason for trucks heading east on the road and this section could limit truck lengths ie road trains as there are a few other major routes they could use.

The council approved the industrial subdivision on what appears to be a quite rural backroad so have full responsibility of ensure its safe to use for all forms of transport. Obviously the horse has bolted in making it a condition the developers upgrade the road and now lays fully in their lap to fix for all users.

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Bob_Hornsby » Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:09 pm

Well, in NSW on the Pacific Highway in peak hours they should definitely ban trailers.
At the same hours, it would help immensely to cyclists if the left lane is T3.

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby queequeg » Tue Mar 13, 2018 5:27 pm

This whole ban proposal is almost like when the govt introduced the "No Smoking in Outdoor Dining Areas" at cafes and pubs, and the cafes and pubs responded by installing "No Eating" signs in all the Outdoor Areas where smokers were permitted.

IN the context of this particular proposal is that it is not safe to pass a cyclist on these roads, then it must logically follow that there is insufficient space to pass a car or a truck, and the entire stretch of road should be made no overtaking or passing at any time. I am sure if they did that, there would be howls of protest from motorists saying what rubbish that was, and that there is plenty of room to pass.
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby wicksey » Mon May 14, 2018 11:16 am

Outcome has been reached -

Please be advised that the above matter was considered by Council at its meeting held on , whereby it was resolved: -

OFFICER RECOMMENDED RESOLUTION & COUNCIL RESOLUTION 120-18

MOVED -Cr. P S Robinson
SECONDED -Cr. C N Boyce

THAT Council:
1. Does not proceed with the proposed closure of Harris Road to cyclists.

2. Acknowledges that the upgrade of Harris Road is being progressed through the Regional Road Group and the Shire’s Forward Capital Works Programs.

3. As an interim safety measure, installs shared road use signs on Harris Road similar in style to those installed on Ferguson Road, to be installed at the Shire Boundary and at the Martin Pelusey Road intersection.

4. Request Main Roads WA to review the speed limit on Harris Road.

5. Request that cyclists ride single file on Harris Road.

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Thoglette » Mon May 14, 2018 11:36 am

wicksey wrote:Outcome has been reached -
Thanks !
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BrisBoy
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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby BrisBoy » Mon May 14, 2018 12:56 pm

Surprised (pleasantly) that the outcome reads like movement in a more reasonable direction. That's great!

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Re: WA proposal to ban cyclists in response to safe passing laws

Postby Cyclophiliac » Tue May 15, 2018 8:12 am

wicksey wrote:Outcome has been reached -

Please be advised that the above matter was considered by Council at its meeting held on , whereby it was resolved: -

OFFICER RECOMMENDED RESOLUTION & COUNCIL RESOLUTION 120-18

MOVED -Cr. P S Robinson
SECONDED -Cr. C N Boyce

THAT Council:
1. Does not proceed with the proposed closure of Harris Road to cyclists.

2. Acknowledges that the upgrade of Harris Road is being progressed through the Regional Road Group and the Shire’s Forward Capital Works Programs.

3. As an interim safety measure, installs shared road use signs on Harris Road similar in style to those installed on Ferguson Road, to be installed at the Shire Boundary and at the Martin Pelusey Road intersection.

4. Request Main Roads WA to review the speed limit on Harris Road.

5. Request that cyclists ride single file on Harris Road.
The last bit is a bit of a worry, though. You can guarantee that as soon as the council or state roads body (I can't recall what it's called in W.A, too long since I lived there) installs a "Cyclists [please] ride single file" (or something similar) sign on this road, motorists will demand that cyclists ride single file, even though the sign will have no legal force.

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