Having gone OTB on RTW day a few years back when a workmate got blown onto a dodgy
road shoulder
here, I can't exactly deny that there's
a potential for danger.
The google view was taken a couple of years ago. Since then, heavy vehicle traffic has
increased hugely due to opening of a Coles cold storage depot, and a DHL depot. There
is now a semi-trailer (typically a b-double) every 20 to 30 seconds on the road,
throughout the day. The road is barely wide enough for 2 b-doubles to pass, in opposite
directions, and the shoulder is treacherous.
Developers are arguing/being sued over who agreed to pay for the road to be upgraded to suit the
traffic levels their developments generate; in the meantime, nobody fixes it.
Yamba Rd and Henderson Drive looks like a walk in
the park in comparison with my last 3 km to the office.
We have a number of hardy commuters who do battle up this stretch alone a couple of times
a week (or all 5 days in some cases). But there's quite a few more workers on our site who'd commute
if a safer environment were provided.
We demonstrate this by promoting RTW day and getting a larger group of riders to meet at the start
of the dangerous road (just off the M7 cycleway). Another colleague then drives
a vehicle behind the group as an escort (lights flashing etc.,.), so everyone can have a
relaxed ride up the hill.
That's makes a better positive point than telling everyone its too unsafe for them and giving up.
Cheers
