Bikeways closed - minor Brisbane flooding

http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65389/IDQ65389.540198.plt.shtml

Many of Brisbanes Bikeways are currently closed due to Minor flooding of the Brisbane River. The most notable of the bikeways is the Bicentennial which always goes down even during king tides.

That said the real concern is north of Brisbane, in the cities of Bundaberg, Gladstone & Rockhapton & the towns of Gympie & Maryborough. Some of the these locations are receiving there worst flooding ever!

Bicentennial - Stage 3 begins

Image sourced from biking brisbane

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/plan-to-satisfy-hungry-thirsty-cyclists-20130121-2d23a.html

Construction on Stage 3 of the Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade has finally begun and it is to be welcomed. While it will mean 6 months of construction and slight inconvenience the results will be worth it.

Stage 3 is no doubt the trickiest part of the upgrade so far. At this point the bikeway runs between Coronation drive and the former Drift Restaurant on the river. This makes what is already a very narrow corridor to upgrade at the narrowest point into a contemporary Active Transport arterial even more challenging. To make it possible part of the bank supporting Coronation Drive is going to be partly dug into and the pedestrian path will go hard up against the former restaurant. As well as this the notorious bridge just before the restaurant is going to be duplicated so that each mode has it's own bridge. Then there is the ground which is terribly unstable, so much so that is to be stabilised with piling work so it doesn't fall into the river. All in all it is alot of very tricky work for a mear 520meters of upgrade but I can honestly see where the $8 million is going.

Stage 3 is sandwiched in between stage 1 & stage 2. This has currently resulted in the confusing situation of the path going from segregated to shared and back to segregated. At the moment it is the bottle neck on the corridor with the notorious bridge being the pinch point. After the works are completed Brisbane will finally have a Active Transport arterial that will extend from Land St Toowong into the CBD. While this will mean only 3 kms has been built to contemporary standards it is an important 3kms. It will mean the thousand plus bicycle movements coming from the Western Freeway Bikeway will be catered for with no need for mixing it up with pedestrian movements.

Since the upgrades to the Bicentennial Bikeway began back in 2009 use has jumped from over 4000 bicycle/pedestrian movements to now over 5500 movements a day. This is indeed an impressive figure as it shows that there has been a 30% jump in just 3 years. This has to be put down to the upgrades, as figures I have sighted showed before the upgrades begun Bicentennial had reached a plato where use had dropped in 2005 only to bounce back in 2006 with the opening of the Western Freeway path to Jindalee. Once Stage 3 is completed further increases in usage will surly occur due to the removal on the main pinch point. It will be interesting what the patronage of  Bicentennial will be this time Next Year.

Once Stage 3 is finished bring on the final Stage, Stage 4.

Sexism? Bicycle Infrastructure

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/sexism-behind-overinvestment-in-cycling-infrastructure-report-20130111-2cl7q.html
According to a article that was published on the weekend on Brisbane Times cycling infrastructure can be seen as sexist. The validation of this claim is due to the fact that the majority 75-80% of all cyclists are male just like the majority of elected officials. I have to say while I do not agree with the statement I can understand the premise of the argument.

There is no doubt that men out number women on bikes but I like many believe this is due to the type infrastructure that is being provided not cycling itself. Naturally this relies on some assumptions based on the behaviour of the different sexes. The (generalised) fact is men are more risk taking and have less of concern of personal safety. Then there is the (generalised) fact that men see many activities as a competition, women may not have this opinion. While this is a generalisation the two sexes behaviours do differ and as such women are more likely to ride flat bar bikes designed more for comfort on there commutes then drop bar bikes (see upcoming bikeways count post). This means what some male policy makers may see as good will be scene in more of a discerning image by a female.

A good example of good and moderate to bad on the same corridor (western) is the Bicentennial Bikeway and the Sylvan Rd Bike lanes. These two pieces of infrastraure link the Western Freeway Bikeway to the Brisbane CBD and form the Western Cycling Corridor.

The Bicentennial Bikeway is separated segregated Bicycle Arterial that allows anyone riding along it to ride at there own pace in complete safety without fear of a oncoming car or random car door carelessly slung open in front of you.

This is in contrast with Sylvan Rd (that is still part of the main corridor) which has bikelanes that sometimes are hard up against cars and have cars turning across the bikelanes at the lighted intersection. On this Bikelane you can not ride at your own pace you feel like you have to go flat out as there is not space for another bike rider to overtake you without them having it to mix it up with motor vehicle traffic. This need naturally leads people desiring to ride a faster type of bike, not the kind of bike (flat bar) that is favoured by females.

The fact is cycling is not sexist but the infrastructure does needs to be more designed around people being able to ride at the speed they wish to travel at. This means on major corridors segregation is the key to getting more females in the saddle. The former Floating walkway was an excellent example of separated (from cars), encouraging females on to bikes. Basic observations would guess that women made up far more than 20% of people riding along it. This is because it allowed anyone to ride at a speed that they felt was comfortable. It also meant that the bike shop serving the area has next to no drop bar bikes in the store but is populated by flat bar and city bikes.

So why is the existing separated infrastructure not performing better. For this just look to the example I gave, an arterial is as only as good as the feeder/link. Without this link/feed relationship it stands out and the potential effect is limited. This does not mean each feeder route needs to be to the same standard as the arterial but it does mean treatments such as traffic calming that make the feeders safer and more comfortable to on ride be installed. Arterial and feeder system is how motor vehicle artierals work and so it should be for bicycle infrastructure.

Stereotypes, Thanks Courier Mail

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/theres-a-definite-pecking-order-among-bicycle-riders-around-brisbane/story-e6freon6-1226549812826

Why oh why is it when you ride a bike you have to be stereotyped. I have previously written about how I hate being stereotyped just because I ride a bicycle and the Courier (trash) Mail did it again this morning. It is written by a so called "Michael Scammell is a bike-riding freelance writer". The way he has written his opinion piece as left some in the Brisbane cycling community questioning that fact.

According to this so called "bike riding freelance writer" there are four types of people that ride bikes.

• Lycra wearing aspirationalists with $1000 bikes that do the Sunday morning thing
• Beer drinking "McBikes" with $2000 bike that want a McMansion that don't ride it
• Utilitarian masses that get a $200 supermarket special bike as a toy to use with the kids in a park
• and then the "Car hating" "Mobile Vegetarianism" "Political Statement Making" "Cycling True believers" who don't even seam to ride because they enjoy it.

Oh great so I am one of four types of people. Mind you I find these grouping kind of weird and confused. First off the first two seam rather muddled up. From my casual observations I would say it is the "aspirationals" that have the $2000 bike out on the morning ride more than the people out in McMansions. Honestly I watch bikes when they go by and most group riders have a bike worth over $2000. So that means his first two groupings are in my opinion are wrong & confused!

Lets try the next grouping "utilitarian". Well according to the Australian Macquarie Dictionary the dictionary of Australia, definition point two and I quote

having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentality
 

and the definition of "utility"

the state of character of being useful
 

Some how I do not see how having a bike as a toy can really be described as utilitarian as I have never hear of a toy as a utilitarian object before. The fact is $200 supermarket bikes are mostly ridden for recreational purposes as that is what riding around a park with the kids is, it is recreation. While in dead these bikes can be used for useful purposes the majority are recreational devices that in most cases are lucky if they get ridden twice a year. That makes his third group description invalid.

Then there is the final group which I guess I must fit under.  Mind you I am NOT a vegetarian, I am not Car Hating nor Political Statement Making. Well on that last one maybe just a little well ok alot. But I don't ride because I want to make a Political Statement, I ride because I want to go somewhere. I ride because I enjoy being out in the open and being active. I ride because I like being independent of having to worry about public transport fares or fuel costs. I ride because it is fun.
I RIDE BECAUSE I CAN.
and that when it come down to it is why people ride, because we can. It is not about being part of a stereotype, it is about getting somewhere or doing something because we can.

The fact is this was piece of mindless dribble that could not even correctly describe the stereotypes that do exist and when he tried to describe people that ride in normal clothes, because they can he basically called them all hippies because riding "because you can" seams foreign to him. For someone that claims to be a "bike-riding freelance writer" he knows very little. I would say someone is a bit insecure about there social status!

oh and here is the stereotyped bikes he described

 

Citycycle & Christmas Shopping

Time to look back on how I did the Christmas Shop his year.
So it is that time again. I have to say I hate being in crowds, It is never pleasant thing for me. I will flat out make the male stereotype comment and say I HATE shopping and Christmas shopping is no different.

Just like last year I did it with the help of CityCycle. While I could of done it with my own bike the idea of lunging around a great big backpack around the CBD was not appealing. You also get strange looks when a twenty something walks into a store with a massive bag. Nor is it comfortable with the constant worry that the said backpack may knock over some expensive item in a shop. CityCycle it was.

Summer has hit Brisbane and I can safely say riding without a backpack was very much needed if you intend on walking about in crowds in the heat & humidity. After the slow trundle into the city the bike was docked & the pain began. After shopping for an hour I was done and thankfully that was all I could do. Looking at my fabric shopping bag everything only barely fitted in. This load would of been very uncomfortable if it had been in a backpack memories of TAFE come flooding back. Getting back to the bike it only barely fitted in the basket (see attached photo). Trundling home all I could think was "It's good I don't have a backpack on" The heat of the day was going no where.

As usual my otherhalf was surprised at how much I got home, with the why not use the BUZ. "I like to ride"
While this post is a bit of a rant the point is I did most of my Christmas shopping on a bike. Now if only more people could learn the same thing!

OH photo will be loaded when blog services works properly again!

Sydney Cycleways - Getting busier

The City of Sydney via a media release has once again confirmed that cycling in Sydney is increasing. This is inspit of the fact that no further segments of the planned network have opened in the last six months. It has to be said that this very encouraging and also not much of a surprise. It is quite common for peoples travel patterns to change slowly as they get use to a new service or facility. The same thing happens on any new road or Bus/rail service.
Some commentators point out that the counts have been paid for by the City of Sydney. There is no real difference between the City of Sydney paying for it or a State Government counting cars on a new road it has just built. Both have an interest in promoting what they have just built. It certainly has less self interest then a motoring body releasing figures on car usage.
The standout figure in my mind is these ones

Taylor Square, Oxford Street and Bourke Street intersection (1,923 trips up from 1,728 in March); and

Liverpool Street, College Street and Oxford Street (1,876 trips up from 1,795 in March).

Oxford street is one nasty street, for a lack of a better term, yet more people are crossing and riding down it. It is also where two of the cycleways hit, the Bourke St Cycleway & the Collage St Cycleway. Increasing numbers hitting this road show more people would like to be able to a ride a bike, there just needs to be the safe infrastructure.

Here is the channel 10 news report on it.

Gold Coast Bulleton - Stupidity from the South Coast

In an opinion piece that was published yesterday in the Gold Coast Bulletin it would appear that one of there so called Senior Journalists Danial Meers has no sence of the law or the facts. This piece of trash writing is a follow on from another equally ignorant piece he wrote about the Gold Linq Light Rail project that is currently under construction. So to do give a rebuff I thought I would pick some inanely stupid bits out and tear it to shreads.

THE time has come to declare war on cyclists.

Oh yes like being a cyclists is like being a soldier that is now means we are at war. What does this mean? Does he propose that a person riding a bike should be run down and killed. Should a five year old child should be now considered the enemy and have a target placed upon them? What a stupid remark to start with.

Book them when they hog half the road and motorists can't get past. Book them when they cut motorists off at roundabouts. Book them if they are outside the bike lanes and book them for having a pack mentality.

This shows a clear lack of understanding of the Road rules. First off we are allowed to occupy a lane if required. We can be fined if you ride outside a bike lane if it is free of obstruction. And what Book us for what, Pack mentality oh yes because a small group of people riding there bikes is so much more of a threat to the peace then a group of drunken men yelling and screaming at the general public as they walk from one pub to another

Police and the State Government love giving themselves pats on the back for statewide traffic operations. Stopping speeding and drink-driving and lowering the road toll, but nobody ever mentions a word about cyclists.

Obviously this man is ignorant of the blitz that Queensland police do on the bikeways of Brisbane each winter!

Nobody, I repeat, nobody shares the arrogance that cyclists have.

All I can say to the this one is if I am arrogance it is nothing compared to your ignorance of the law and/or the facts!

 Each morning I go running. OK, some of the power walkers overtake me running, but I still run.
I meet a friend at her place every morning which is about a 3km drive from my home.
It takes me a good five minutes to get there.

 Why exactly are you driving to go for a run? That is as about as smart as driving to go to the gym to jump on a treadmill. Oh what ever happened to common sence?

Because at 5am the streets of Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise are filled with cyclists. They ride in packs, big packs of 20 and they take up the whole road in their lycra gear.
I'm stuck sitting on 30km while they ride.

First up it's 5am when would you prefer them to ride in groups, during peak hour perhaps! Second, I am yet to find a group that is not able to exceed 30kmph, more likely they are riding at 40kmph and you despise the fact that you have to drive a whopping 10km less than the speed limit.

They know I'm behind them, yet they make no attempt to move.

Perhaps because it is not safe, or that they are possibly travelling alot faster then you disclose and you have an inferiority complex about being behind a person on a bike compared with your ultimate is display of Australian masculinity your car?

There's a rogue peloton of cyclists abusing fellow road users and screaming to wake sleeping residents as it barrels through Surfers Paradise every morning at 5.
Woken residents who return fire with yells of "shadup!" are subjected to tirades of abuse from riders as they blast along narrow Garfield Terrace.

There is no way that I condone noise at that hour. If they can't talk at a reasonable level indeed shut up but wait "Barrels Through" I thought you said they were only doing "I'm stuck sitting on 30km while they ride." Questions time?

Now, the cyclists will argue there aren't enough bike lanes on the Gold Coast. Council and government don't provide them with the facilities to ride.
There's a reason for that -- you wouldn't use them anyway.
It would be a waste of money building more cycling lanes because cyclists think they should be running the roads.

First off bike lanes are generally designed for single file destination riding not group training rides. Next, last time I checked bike lanes were on the road, fool!

Bicycles are just as big a danger to road safety as some of the other driving crimes which contribute to serious accidents.

Oh yes because how many cyclists have killed people compared with drink driving? What a load of rot.

Enough is enough. Motorists need to start manning up and being vocal about the issue.

Yes because people riding bikes don't already yet verbally abused and threatened with physically violence already!

Roads are for cars, not bikes.

Once again ignorant of the road rules

Make some noise people, win the roads back before something really bad happens.

And believe me, it will.

 Because the hundreds that die on Australian roads each year because they are forced to drive through poor bicycle infrastructure and poor public transport services is not already bad enough.

Honestly how is it that people with so little knowledge of the Law and of simple facts can get a job as a reporter!
No wonder Journalism students on ther first day in eithics classes get told they wont need them in most firms!