Cyclist dies in bus crash in Mt Lawley

[Aushiker]

A cyclist has been killed after she was hit by a bus while riding in Mt Lawley.

Police said the cyclist had been riding along Beaufort St when she was struck by the bus at 2.25pm on Wednesday.

Source: WA Today

Andrew

[nachoman]

Northbound on Beaufort St just after the Chelmsford Rd intersection. The bus was TP3027, an artic on the #67 route. Roadworks are currently ongoing here at night for the bus lanes.

[Aushiker]

Northbound on Beaufort St just after the Chelmsford Rd intersection. The bus was TP3027, an artic on the #67 route. Roadworks are currently ongoing here at night for the bus lanes.

Thanks for the details.

Andrew

[find_bruce]

Sad to lose a velosister

[Red Rider]

Massive tragedy

I wasn't aware bus lane works were being undertaken at this location.

[nachoman]

I wasn't aware bus lane works were being undertaken at this location.

My apologies, it could just be resurfacing then. A google search shows the Vincent council approved the bus lanes in April.

[dmwill]

I drive down Beaufort street on a daily basis. It's resurfacing and what looks to be a slight extension of the bus lanes in parts where they were not previously.

[Aushiker]

From Perth Now...





These photos seem to raise more questions than answer them.

Andrew

[Robinho]

WA police reported that the cyclist was riding on the pavement and rode onto the road into the side of the bus. Sou ds similar to the incident in Sydney the other week. Judging from the bike and footwear of the cyclist I would feel safe in assuming she was not an experienced or regular cyclist, not that in any way diminishes the incident.

[roller]

Terrible news.

There is a photo in the paper today of where this occurred, just after Chelmsford which is across the road from Lawley's.

[archetuthus]

WA police reported that the cyclist was riding on the pavement and rode onto the road into the side of the bus. Sou ds similar to the incident in Sydney the other week. Judging from the bike and footwear of the cyclist I would feel safe in assuming she was not an experienced or regular cyclist, not that in any way diminishes the incident.

was just about to post that aswell. WA Police have written on their facebook:
Western Australia Police
Fatal Crash – Mt Lawley - About 2:20pm yesterday, 15 May 2014, a bus was travelling along Beaufort Street near Walcott Street in Mt Lawley. A female cyclist rode off the footpath onto the road, colliding with the side of a Transperth bus.

The 43 year old woman from Bayswater received serious injuries and was conveyed to Royal Perth Hospital. She died a short time later as a result of her injuries.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the crash, or the bus or woman prior to the crash. Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

[Aushiker]

was just about to post that aswell. WA Police have written on their facebook:

Thanks for the update and source. Very sad indeed. A silly mistake and it is all over

Andrew

[BrownBike]

Wow that's really sad. It can be really dangerous there as cars stop in the queue for a long time in the right lane, making you think you can cross, then vehicles can dart up the left lane. Such a heavy pedestrian area too. Looks like the left lane will now be a bus lane so hopefully some safety measures come out of this.

[wellington_street]

Wow that's really sad. It can be really dangerous there as cars stop in the queue for a long time in the right lane, making you think you can cross, then vehicles can dart up the left lane. Such a heavy pedestrian area too. Looks like the left lane will now be a bus lane so hopefully some safety measures come out of this.

Judging by the stupidity displayed by the Councils and Main Roads at the existing bus lanes in CoP and CoV, cyclists will be prohibited from using the left lane and must ride in the right lane with traffic.

[Red Rider]

I wasn't aware bus lane works were being undertaken at this location.

My apologies, it could just be resurfacing then. A google search shows the Vincent council approved the bus lanes in April.

I think you're right. It's only been a week since I last went along here, it has already changed.

I wonder what she was thinking in moving onto the road. Had she ridden this road before? Why was she riding on the pavement to start with? It seems a coincidence that the road conditions have only just changed, is this a contributing factor?

You're right wellington_street, not being able to ride in the bus lane in these areas means cyclists are in more danger, some motorists get angry. In fact, at the Wellington Street intersection a little while ago a car behind me beeped his horn at me because I was 'obstructing' him riding in the middle of the bus lane!! So I would have liked to have seen what he would have done had I been in the right lane. P.S. there was a car ahead parked in the bus lane anyway so we all had to go in the right lane, buses included.

[Mediocratus]

Beaufort St has always been busy and dangerous. When I lived round there I used to cycle on the back streets but never on Beaufort St. Being an older suburb there are back streets running parallel to the main road which are quiet and much safer. Mind you regardless of how quiet the street is you have to expect trouble if you go right off the footpath into the path of a vehicle. I feel very sorry for the poor woman but also for the bus driver who must be distraught about this.

[wellington_street]

If these new bus lanes go in without the signs allowing bicycles to ride in them, BWA or BTA or similar should organise a week of AM and/or PM Peak group rides along Beaufort Street, in single file, in the right lane.

[Grev]

I agree with Mediocratus, let's also spare a thought for the bus driver.

[riverride]

Regardless of the circumstances, Beaufort St doesn't really provide a safe route for cyclists. I take Lawry lane when I can - you just have to watch out for cars with the same idea and adjacent parking lots.

[softy]

Although it is illegal, people feel safer riding at low speeds on the footpath.
Mt lawley is a cosmopolitan centre and should have better access to bicycles. Although the lady shouldn't of rode out of the foorpath, there is really no safe place to ride
I personal avoid this part of beaufort street on my pushy as it is unsettling to ride there.
I do believe cyclist should be able to ride on footpaths as long as speeds are kept below a set limit. This would make it feel safer for the casual riders.

[Sinner]

Riding in bus lanes is not just an issue here but in the UK as well.

If you want cyclists in them, they have to be widened to allow buses to safely pass. There just isn't the width available without taking footpath, so it's easier not to sign for cyclists.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Although it is illegal, people feel safer riding at low speeds on the footpath.
Mt lawley is a cosmopolitan centre and should have better access to bicycles. Although the lady shouldn't of rode out of the foorpath, there is really no safe place to ride
I personal avoid this part of beaufort street on my pushy as it is unsettling to ride there.
I do believe cyclist should be able to ride on footpaths as long as speeds are kept below a set limit. This would make it feel safer for the casual riders.

I agree entirely. And it's that cosmopolitan aspect where everything spills onto the paths that contributes to the danger.

As a result there is no safe speed on a bike on that segment. On that section I can readily see the circumstances in which a cyclist would, with no warning, be involuntarily shunted onto the road (though I do not know if that is what happened in this tragic case).

It has tables and chairs and coffee patrons along with barely a metre from the road curbing that is shared by all those moving. There are business entrances opening onto it including a busy local super market. And even the limited space there is is is punctuated by the ubiquitous paid-ticket stations, retro-placed bike stands, those freestanding fold out business signs (should be outlawed by councils), traffic signs on poles and rubbish bins a foot or so off the curb. Add to that plenty of people focused on doing their business wandering about and...

I have ridden exactly that section a hundred times before. It is not a safe place to take a bike at ANY speed except on foot. But then I don't know that there are a lot of safe options in the area. The only way to safely accommodate cyclists may be to reduce it down to a single lane. And then we get into the whole chicken-and-egg situation of having enough cycling demand to justify doing so.

[wellington_street]

Riding in bus lanes is not just an issue here but in the UK as well.

If you want cyclists in them, they have to be widened to allow buses to safely pass. There just isn't the width available without taking footpath, so it's easier not to sign for cyclists.

I disagree. We are talking about accommodating confident cyclists who ride in mixed traffic.

Cyclists are permitted to cycle in bus lanes in NSW despite many of these lanes having much narrower lane widths than PTA will accept in Perth. The recent Beaufort Street widening works would not have occurred in NSW - the red road would have been laid out and signs go up and that's it. If you are interested, check out Victoria Road bus lanes through Ermington / Gladesville / Rozelle or Parramatta Road, Spit Road etc.

If cyclists are not permitted to ride in the bus lane, this means that they must ride in the right lane in mixed traffic. Is this a safer option? Is it better for traffic flow? A protest ride would make it very clear, very quickly that this is not an acceptable outcome for all road users.

In addition, the bus lanes on Hampton Road through South Fremantle are in the vicinity of 3.3-3.5m wide and are signed for use by cyclists. How does a bus safely pass a cyclist within a 3.5m wide lane?

[wellington_street]

I agree entirely. And it's that cosmopolitan aspect where everything spills onto the paths that contributes to the danger.

As a result there is no safe speed on a bike on that segment. On that section I can readily see the circumstances in which a cyclist would, with no warning, be involuntarily shunted onto the road (though I do not know if that is what happened in this tragic case).

It has tables and chairs and coffee patrons along with barely a metre from the road curbing that is shared by all those moving. There are business entrances opening onto it including a busy local super market. And even the limited space there is is is punctuated by the ubiquitous paid-ticket stations, retro-placed bike stands, those freestanding fold out business signs (should be outlawed by councils), traffic signs on poles and rubbish bins a foot or so off the curb. Add to that plenty of people focused on doing their business wandering about and...

I have ridden exactly that section a hundred times before. It is not a safe place to take a bike at ANY speed except on foot. But then I don't know that there are a lot of safe options in the area. The only way to safely accommodate cyclists may be to reduce it down to a single lane. And then we get into the whole chicken-and-egg situation of having enough cycling demand to justify doing so.

It's not really a place where you 'ride' a bicycle, moreso just sit on it and roll at walking pace. It's still 'riding' technically but it is as safe as, and takes up much less room than, walking the bicycle.

[ball bearing]

Small world. My wife shared a house with her, years ago. She used to cycle to Scarborough and back in thongs.