Cycleways vs shared use paths.

[nezumi]

I hear mention of cycleways on occasion.

My understanding is that these are intended to be used by cyclists exclusively, or at least overwhelmingly.

As a predominantly commuter cyclist, riding ~20ks each way, this sort of thing would be a boon.

Are there any maps around which make the distinction clear between cycleways and shared use paths?

[Xplora]

There is no such thing in Sydney that I am aware of that is worth mentioning. I find google maps to be quite good and if you are missing useful parts in your area, just add em in. The clover lanes might be bike only but that won't help you as the car or ped charges onto it. The m7 cycle way is a share path, the river walk out of parra is a shared path. These are the main ones near me. I preferred to take the road, cars are more predictable than pEDs at 40kmh.

[BastardSheep]

Accidental double post, hopefully this is the one that stays and not the other.

Open Cycle Maps, look for light blue highlight with blue dashed line.

http://www.opencyclemap.org/?zoom=13&la ... ayers=B000" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dashed blue line alone or dashed blue line with dark blue highlight are the different types of shared paths.

[wombatK]

Cycleways are part of the road infrastructure, and their legal status is established by the Australian Road Rules, as amended in various states.
There is very little difference between the states that relates to cycling.

The only place cyclists have "exclusive access" is a bicycle path - Rule 239 defines a Bicycle Path.

(4) In the Australian Road Rules:
bicycle path means a length of path beginning at a bicycle
path sign or bicycle path road marking, and ending at the
nearest of the following:
(a) an end bicycle path sign or end bicycle path road
marking;
(b) a separated footpath sign or separated footpath road
marking;
(c) a road (except a road-related area);
(d) the end of the path.
Note Road-related area is defined in rule 13.
bicycle path road marking means a road marking on a path,
consisting of a bicycle symbol, the words ‘bicycles only’, or
both the bicycle symbol and the word ‘only’.
Note Bicycle symbol is defined in the dictionary.
end bicycle path road marking means a bicycle path road
marking with the word ‘end’.
end separated footpath road marking means

Don't know about Melbourne, but there are very very few in Sydney (I can think of only one, the Harbour Bridge cycleway). So
few of them that there probably isn't much point to having a map of them.

Strictly, the RMS would need to have a record of where it has defined them, but it doesn't show it on any of its maps or its
cyclemap finder at http://www.bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au/maps/ ... inder.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[wombatK]

Open Cycle Maps, look for light blue highlight with blue dashed line.

http://www.opencyclemap.org/?zoom=13&la ... ayers=B000" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dashed blue line alone or dashed blue line with dark blue highlight are the different types of shared paths.

Don't think so - see the opencyclemap legend http://www.opencyclemap.org/docs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. There is no sub-classifications
of cycleways - the highlighting you mention has a different meaning

If you look at your map, you will see the Harbour Bridge Cycleway has the same markings as the Anzac Bridge
Cycleway. The former is a bicycle path (i.e. bike only), the latter is a shared path.

Cheers

[VRE]

Melbourne has very few, and the pedestrians can't stay off them anyway, so they're of limited use. One is along the Port Melbourne / St Kilda / Brighton foreshore. Another is along part of Yarra Blvd in Yarra Bend Park.

[Xplora]

Op wants a tool to search routes. OSM does a good job but ultimately a ride is something that needs some forward planning and I would not want to have a crack at a new route without some forward planning.

[antigee]

Don't know about Melbourne

not lived here that long but pretty sure 99% are shared use - there are some sections parallel to Beach rd where pedestrian volume is high and some cycle and skate only sections are posted not that the signs really have a significant impact just means less people wander around as have an alternative with better views - there are lots of cross paths and car park entrances and exits so not really a place for any speed

[RonK]

Op wants a tool to search routes.

That would be Ride the City, also available as a smartphone app for iPhone and Android.

[simonn]

Op wants a tool to search routes.

That would be Ride the City, also available as a smartphone app for iPhone and Android.

I wouldn't rely on it. Has given me some worrying routes. Research still required, as Xplora wrote.

[RonK]

Op wants a tool to search routes.

That would be Ride the City, also available as a smartphone app for iPhone and Android.

I wouldn't rely on it. Has given me some worrying routes. Research still required, as Xplora wrote.

Yep - Ride the City tries to join marked bike lanes and paths. This sometimes results in quite convoluted routes, particularly if you choose safe or safer over direct.

About as much as you could expect really.

[Xplora]

It depends HEAVILY on how far a field you want to go. I got some great help from ridethecity, but found the failure of Open Street Maps to provide meaningful info to be just appalling sometimes - GoogleMaps in western Sydney seems to be very very very solid, and their directions algorithms are strong too. I had issues with Google though on a couple things as well.

OP, the challenge you face is that the miracle of the bike, to mount kerbs and squeeze through bollards, makes it really hard to sate a desire for info like a street directory because it requires community work to fill those gaps. In reality, councils should be filling in the information but I think we'll die waiting for that to happen.

[Mulger bill]

Signs or markings aren't worth a damn, peds will meander wherever they damn well please sound in the knoweledge that YOU have to make allowances AND give way at all times.

Harbour Esplanade in Melbs has a well signed bike only path all the way from Dudley St to the Webb Bridge (Part of the Capital City Trail) with acres of pedestrian space to the west. Proceed cautiously at all times.

[il padrone]

Cycleways are part of the road infrastructure, and their legal status is established.....
......Don't know about Melbourne, but there are very very few in Sydney

In Melbourne the only ones that I am aware of are the bike path along a section of Beaconsfield Parade, where there is a parallel pedestrian footpath (mostly the pedestrians and rollerbladers are pretty erratic about which path they choose to use); and the path alongside Horbour Esplanade through Docklands - again a pedestrian footpath nearby and a fair bit of grief from peds walikng on the bike path.

Enforcement of these rules is negligable.

[Mulger bill]

Enforcement of these rules is non existent.

FTFY *sigh*

[il padrone]

Ignorance, arrogance and "just don't f#*&in care" are the modern disease factors that afflict our (mostly-motor vehicle driving) pedestrians. It seems to be an ever-increasing epidemic.

[Mulger bill]

You mean the type that stroll up to a low traffic, lit crossing, hammer the button then head across before the green man, stopping traffic unnecessarily?
A huge dose of B/ need to be administered but chances are they are immune to the stuff anyway