Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
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Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Aushiker » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:58 am
Main Roads Western Australia has published two guides for cyclists: this guide on sharing the path and a second guide for cyclists and motorists on sharing the road. The guide, Share the Path: A Guide for Pedestrians and Bicycle Riders is targeted at both cyclists and pedestrians with the aim of informing both users about good practice and the law. All cyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to read the guide.
I have posted a summary of the guide for those interested on my blog.
Andrew
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Ozkaban » Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:18 am
Interesting that one of the pics at the top of the second page looks like cyclists are riding two abreast. Looking closely and the lane markings I think they guy on the right (the one closest to the centre line) is *just* behind the other one. Still, it's an odd choice of a pic for such a brochure...
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby just4tehhalibut » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:16 pm
The style that this is written in doesn't convey well, really this is the sort of literature that I'd generally only read while on the loo, deciding if it should be good toilet paper or not. Probably too glossy.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby redned » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:38 pm
Some common sense finally prevailing?
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby wellington_street » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:50 pm
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby brentono » Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:34 pm
+1redned wrote: A Stirling City councillor has advocated walking facing on-coming traffic on shared paths
(ie on the right side).
Some common sense finally prevailing
Commonsense from an official, seems miraculous.
Cheers
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby toofat » Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:06 pm
my reading of this means that if you hit a pedestrian on these paths, you are at fault,
if that pedestrian dies you are in serious trouble
I think this was brought in following the unfortunate death of an overseas visitor who stepped backwards to take a photo into the path of a cyclist and later died from his injuries
you would think that shared path ment shared risk
on the South perth side and on riverside drive there are now dual paths with symbols painted on them for cyclists and pedestrian respectivly, but the cycle ones are still regularly used by pedestrians but at least there is some recognition that cyclist and pedestrians are not a good mix
many cycle paths in europe are bicycle highways designed to get commuters and travellers from A to B at reasonable speed and are not routed through family barbeque areas (south perth) and kiddies playgrounds (burswood)
It would seem that much of the psp is designed for a family with hybrids and a couple of kids bikes for leisure cycling and that commuters or other cyclists are not catered for here or on the roads
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby wellington_street » Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:13 pm
Just like your roads are not designed exclusively for one type of user. The PSPs are not bicycle freeways.
Just like if you are driving and you come to a shopping precinct or a country town, you need to slow down to ride at a safe speed.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:03 pm
I don't like either option but unfortunately that is all there are. Walking onthe same side is certainly still risky even for a faultless ped. Interspersed with the bulk of riders there are still more than enough idiots riding to put the lie to the "small minority" tag.wellington_street wrote:On some shared paths I prefer to walk to face oncoming cyclists, usually in response to poor cyclist behaviour (i.e. I can see them coming, rather than have them shave me with no warning). The advice to walk on the left is purely etiquette and of course etiquette goes both ways.
This morning the number of single and grouped riders that sliced close to me and to pedestrians and slower riders was quite alarming. I feel that is has got far worse in the last few weeks than it was before or was about the same time last year.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby brentono » Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:49 pm
Totally agree. As Cycling, over recent years, seems to be attracting more than it's fair share of "idiots"On some shared paths I prefer to walk to face oncoming cyclists
Eye prefer to see the enemy and look them straight in the eye (while walking)
(... and you still get the solo idiot looking down, that does not even see you, till the last moment)
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Aushiker » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:19 am
The relevant law you are referring to is the application of culpable driving applying to cyclists. This came into effect on August 1, 2008 when the Criminal Code, Section 284 was amended. The section deals with Culpable Driving of vehicles such as bikes, skateboards, scooters, animals and even shopping trolleys and provides for a penalty of 10 years imprisonment for culpable driving causing death and seven years for causing grievous bodily harm. Culpable Driving includes driving/riding a bike in a manner, including speed, that in the circumstances is dangerous to any person. This offence would apply to a cyclist running down a pedestrian.toofat wrote:I think this was brought in following the unfortunate death of an overseas visitor who stepped backwards to take a photo into the path of a cyclist and later died from his injuries
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Aushiker » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:50 am
Regulation 216 of the Road Traffic Code 2000 states (I have highlighted the pertinent section):just4tehhalibut wrote:Also interesting that yet again they are happy to use the ambiguous phrase about pedestrians having "right of way" without explaining it - this gets used regularly by walkers to mean that they can do what they like and really that cyclists shouldn't be on their DUP - and that they refer to walkers travelling in groups instead of saying that they need to travel in single file.
The penalty is IIRC $50 but should really double check that.216. Shared paths and separated footpaths
(1) The rider of a bicycle who is 12 years of age or older shall not ride on a footpath, that is not a shared path or a separated footpath.
Modified penalty: 1 PU
(2) The rider of a bicycle who is on a separated footpath or a shared path shall give way to a pedestrian who is on, or is crossing, the separated footpath or shared path
Modified penalty: 1 PU
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby redned » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:02 pm
Bit of sharing the path wouldn't go astray there.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby wellington_street » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:09 pm
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Baalzamon » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:19 pm
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby roller » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:53 pm
just change into an easier gear, you will slow down, but your cadence will stay the same.wellington_street wrote:But I can't possibly be expected to slow down - what about my cadence?!?!
win/win.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby toofat » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:56 pm
the only truly safe speed is walking speed which defeats the object of cycling in the first placewellington_street wrote:The PSP is designed to be shared.
yes hence the name, my point was that it is only designed to be shared by slow moving recreational cyclist. despite the massive increase in commuter numbers there are almost no paths or roads being built to cater for one of the fastest growing segments of transportation
"Just like your roads are not designed exclusively for one type of user. The PSPs are not bicycle freeways"
but the roads are designed exclusively for one type of user, motorized vehicles.
Just like if you are driving and you come to a shopping precinct or a country town, you need to slow down to ride at a safe speed.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby wellington_street » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:22 pm
Not true. Plenty of sections of the PSP network are suitable for higher speeds due to alignment and/or low conflicts.toofat wrote:yes hence the name, my point was that it is only designed to be shared by slow moving recreational cyclist.
Again, not true. Heaps of sealed shoulders around Perth - more than any other Australian city.toofat wrote: despite the massive increase in commuter numbers there are almost no paths or roads being built to cater for one of the fastest growing segments of transportation
Of course the expensive bits on approach to the city haven't been built yet because they are, well, expensive.
"motorised vehicles" are not one type of user any more than "cyclists" are one type of user.toofat wrote:but the roads are designed exclusively for one type of user, motorized vehicles.
ok mate.toofat wrote:the only truly safe speed is walking speed which defeats the object of cycling in the first place
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby rollin66 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:04 pm
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Sprocket » Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:17 pm
But isn't this the same problem if there is traffic coming the other way and the pedestrian is walking in the same direction as you on the left?rollin66 wrote:Not a huge fan of pedestrians walking toward me on the left side of the path. If there is traffic coming the other way and the peds are not prepared to move out of your way then you have no option but to come to a complete stop until either the peds walk around you or the path way is clear ahead.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:48 pm
There a few spots wher I signal that I am moving right. But I only sneak the arm away from my body slowly. If I signaled firmly I would take out one of those passers.Baalzamon wrote:This happened to me the other week go past a slower rider and no one was in my mirrors and I indicated anyhow next thing you know ZIPP 3 cyclists go flying past, 1km later what do I see, the pair of them down and they took someone else down as well.
We want a meter from cars? I'd be happy for half a meter from the significant number of idiots riding bikes.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:50 pm
Not really. You open up when you can and you slow down when you should. Much as a motorist should do and mostly do.toofat wrote:the only truly safe speed is walking speed which defeats the object of cycling in the first place
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby BandedRail » Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:02 am
sprocket wrote:But isn't this the same problem if there is traffic coming the other way and the pedestrian is walking in the same direction as you on the left?rollin66 wrote:Not a huge fan of pedestrians walking toward me on the left side of the path. If there is traffic coming the other way and the peds are not prepared to move out of your way then you have no option but to come to a complete stop until either the peds walk around you or the path way is clear ahead.
Well, you don't have to come to complete stop, just slow down to the same speed as the slower cyclist/pedestrian/pram etc until the oncoming traffic has passed (don't we all do that though?). But there is the situation where pedestrians are keeping to the right, cyclists approaching from both directions, cyclist keeping left heading towards the pedestrians stops (as they should as they can't move into the path of an oncoming cyclist) and the pedestrians then step into the path of the cyclist approaching them from behind them without looking. I've seen this several times, some VERY close calls. There is also the situation where 2 (unrelated) groups of pedestrians are occupying both the left and right hand side of the path but heading in the same direction & both parties think they are in the "right" - what do other path users, heading in either direction, do?
I reckon keep it simple, keep left and take care.
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Thoglette » Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:28 am
For once, I have to disagree with you both.brentono wrote:Totally agree.On some shared paths I prefer to walk to face oncoming cyclists
Next you'll be suggesting we ride into oncoming traffic because of the idiot drivers.
The logic does not scale.
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
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Re: Share the Path – A Guide for Cyclists in WA
Postby Sprocket » Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:58 am
Where I grew up most of the roads don't have adjacent footpaths so to walk anywhere you had to walk on the road edge. We had it absolutely drummed into us that you walked against the traffic. In fact it is recommended in this government publication. IMO the same logic applies to the PSPs - though hard when everywhere you look it says "keep left".Thoglette wrote:For once, I have to disagree with you both.brentono wrote:Totally agree.On some shared paths I prefer to walk to face oncoming cyclists
Next you'll be suggesting we ride into oncoming traffic because of the idiot drivers.
The logic does not scale.
On another note, I think the cyclist is always a fault should be waived if it is shown that the pedestrian is plugged into earphones, or texting on a mobile phone!
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