Cycling related signs - good/bad/ugly

[Mr Purple]

And the Metro works continue to darken the bikeways of Brisbane.

So now they've essentially closed the PA Hospital Bikeway heading West. Not officially closed, mind you, but if you wish to take this bikeway West you'll run up against a barrier and be forced to ride the wrong way up a one way street and into a busy intersection with no shoulder before being permitted the safety of the footpath.

And the Sylvan Road works excelled themselves today. Barriers over the entire 3-4m wide shoulder and bike lane leaving about 20cm of bike lane to ride through the highly trafficked area.

The funny thing I've been realising is that construction workers (quite rightly) clearly have well defined workplace safety rules where they will need extra room between themselves and heavy machinery. However cyclists don't seem to. So they'll widen their construction area to give themselves five metres of room, and force us into riding that 20cm space leftover with cars passing us from behind.

Both groups should have safe operating environments, but that's a bit stupid. Pretty sure if you applied workplace safety rules to bikeways they'd all be closed.

[jasonc]

And the Metro works continue to darken the bikeways of Brisbane.

So now they've essentially closed the PA Hospital Bikeway heading West. Not officially closed, mind you, but if you wish to take this bikeway West you'll run up against a barrier and be forced to ride the wrong way up a one way street and into a busy intersection with no shoulder before being permitted the safety of the footpath.

And the Sylvan Road works excelled themselves today. Barriers over the entire 3-4m wide shoulder and bike lane leaving about 20cm of bike lane to ride through the highly trafficked area.

The funny thing I've been realising is that construction workers (quite rightly) clearly have well defined workplace safety rules where they will need extra room between themselves and heavy machinery. However cyclists don't seem to. So they'll widen their construction area to give themselves five metres of room, and force us into riding that 20cm space leftover with cars passing us from behind.

Both groups should have safe operating environments, but that's a bit stupid. Pretty sure if you applied workplace safety rules to bikeways they'd all be closed.

the sylvan rd works are just writing new lows on stupidity every week

[Cyclophiliac]

And the Metro works continue to darken the bikeways of Brisbane.

So now they've essentially closed the PA Hospital Bikeway heading West. Not officially closed, mind you, but if you wish to take this bikeway West you'll run up against a barrier and be forced to ride the wrong way up a one way street and into a busy intersection with no shoulder before being permitted the safety of the footpath.

And the Sylvan Road works excelled themselves today. Barriers over the entire 3-4m wide shoulder and bike lane leaving about 20cm of bike lane to ride through the highly trafficked area.

The funny thing I've been realising is that construction workers (quite rightly) clearly have well defined workplace safety rules where they will need extra room between themselves and heavy machinery. However cyclists don't seem to. So they'll widen their construction area to give themselves five metres of room, and force us into riding that 20cm space leftover with cars passing us from behind.

Both groups should have safe operating environments, but that's a bit stupid. Pretty sure if you applied workplace safety rules to bikeways they'd all be closed.

I don't know how workplace safety rules apply in each state, but aren't they supposed to ensure that not only those working at a site are kept safe, but also anyone passing by? i.e. that should include anyone using the road, regardless of their mode of transport. It shouldn't matter that the cyclists aren't technically within the construction site, because the structures installed by the workers at the site are directly affecting how the cyclists use that section of road.
At least, that's my very non-expert common-sense opinion.

[Mr Purple]

the sylvan rd works are just writing new lows on stupidity every week

My favourite is how they keep diverting cars into the bike lane. Without any warning to either cars or bikes.

Which is hideously dangerous when you're riding in the bike lane because the first indicator that the car lane is half closed is when the car drives into you. Most drivers are sensible about it, but I've seen the occasional one whose thought process is 'my lane is half closed, therefore the bikes in the bike lane have to give way to me'.

Regarding workplace health and safety rules, that is how they 'should' apply. But I can guarantee how they are 'actually' applied is 'everything that occurs outside the workplace is not our problem'. So as long as the cyclist doesn't get mown down by passing traffic on the worksite, it's fine.

It's clearly not, it's stupid. The worst part about Sylvan Road is it's a private development in an apartment tower that is causing the bike lane closures. There doesn't seem to be any risk assessment process in place at all for the rolling bike/road lane closures. At one stage there was a steel plate running the entire width of the bike lane for some reason. It's like they don't care what happens to the through traffic as long as no one is injured on the worksite.

[jasonc]

Had at go at our friends on sylvan Rd. "Oh but we will only be 10 minutes"
I said "how about a lane closed sign?"
Traffic controller throught about it. I broke their brain

[Mr Purple]

That’s the issue, I now realise.

‘We need a lane of width on a road with two car lanes and two bike lanes. Let’s take both the bike lanes’.

Clever.

[jasonc]

That’s the issue, I now realise.

‘We need a lane of width on a road with two car lanes and two bike lanes. Let’s take both the bike lanes’.

Clever.

They just don't see it as a lane, it's just space they can use

[jasonc]

Further down our favourite sylvan Rd (opposite corner Cafe), traffic management had put a road closed for a side road smack bang of the middle of the bike lane. So I stopped, and moved it to the nature strip. Lolly pop person standing at the end of the closed road hurried down and moved it. She did not understand. She said bikes could go around. So I responded so poor it over there (in the normal traffic lane).

[uart]

traffic management had put a road closed for a side road smack bang of the middle of the bike lane.

Reminds my of a ride down to Tuggerah Lake a few years back. Coming home on Wilfred Barrett Dr they had placed road works warning signs smack bang in the middle of the bike/breakdown lane (which otherwise was not actually blocked). And just in case you might have been skillful enough to navigate your bike around the 15 cm of clearance at each end (of the signs), they'd placed extra witches hats there just to be sure that it was fully blocked. Basically they were deliberately forcing every cyclist on that section of road (and there were quite a few) to swerve out into the busy traffic lane. Totally moronic!

Road section is here, which coincidentally in google streetview is also showing roadworks, but at least on this occasion (street view) they've left a gap for bikes. On the day I rode there they had those sign smack bang in the middle of the "bike lane", and with a witches hat either side for good measure. https://bit.ly/3JsMMZr

[Mr Purple]

There was a few weeks last year where constructions sites had placed their six foot mesh fences longitudinally along the bike lanes at Southbank to store them.

Pretty much invisible from end on. Not dangerous at all!

[mikesbytes]

the sylvan rd works are just writing new lows on stupidity every week

My favourite is how they keep diverting cars into the bike lane. Without any warning to either cars or bikes.

Which is hideously dangerous when you're riding in the bike lane because the first indicator that the car lane is half closed is when the car drives into you. Most drivers are sensible about it, but I've seen the occasional one whose thought process is 'my lane is half closed, therefore the bikes in the bike lane have to give way to me'.

Regarding workplace health and safety rules, that is how they 'should' apply. But I can guarantee how they are 'actually' applied is 'everything that occurs outside the workplace is not our problem'. So as long as the cyclist doesn't get mown down by passing traffic on the worksite, it's fine.

It's clearly not, it's stupid. The worst part about Sylvan Road is it's a private development in an apartment tower that is causing the bike lane closures. There doesn't seem to be any risk assessment process in place at all for the rolling bike/road lane closures. At one stage there was a steel plate running the entire width of the bike lane for some reason. It's like they don't care what happens to the through traffic as long as no one is injured on the worksite.

What would happen if you wrote to the council asking for risk assessment which indicates what happens to cyclists while the cycle lane is closed and the associated risk mitigation?

[Mr Purple]

What would happen if you wrote to the council asking for risk assessment which indicates what happens to cyclists while the cycle lane is closed and the associated risk mitigation?

I'm not sure, but given the council is a fan of 'closing the bike lanes indefinitely' being the precursor to any major works I don't think I'll get very far.

The closure of the bike lane on the Green Bridge at UQ for Cross River Rail continues. Apparently it was meant to be three months - seven months and counting now.

[Mr Purple]

The closure of the bike lane on the Green Bridge at UQ for Cross River Rail continues. Apparently it was meant to be three months - seven months and counting now.

The site workers got me today on the Green Bridge.

Came down the hill to use the open side of the bridge to find it surrounded by 'no entry' signs and traffic cones. Actually went through the first layer to see what was actually going on to find a second layer, and assumed that meant the usual side of the bridge was open again. Backtracked a good 500m or so to use the other side, to find that closed as well.

After heading back to the temporary side again I found the multiple layers of 'closed' and 'no entry' signs they'd put up only actually applied to cars. So us cyclists and pedestrians were actually free to use the cyclist, pedestrian and bus bridge. It was like whoever put the signage out didn't even slightly consider the fact that cyclists and pedestrians may choose to use the cyclist and pedestrian bridge, but was worried that cars might.

It's like they don't even consider cyclist and pedestrian traffic. Even when working on and closing cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure. Bizarre.