Northern Cycleway & National Ride to work day

Yesterday was National Ride 2 Work Day. By all accounts it was a great success. There are currently two ride to work days each year in Queensland now, BQ's Ride to Work Day and Bicycle Networks "National Ride 2 Work" day. The national day has the advantage of getting people onto bikes just after the winter chill. While not as big as BQ's even in Queensland yet, it is building. There was certainly more people out on bikes and that was consensus from all over Brisbane. One person said that there were strings of bikes on the Western Bikeway.

As always National Ride 2 Work day is the perfect time to bring to light issues facing people that wish to use the bicycle as a form of transport. This year thanks to the CBD BUG and one of it's members the need for the Northern Cycleway was brought to light again. While the online article is quite lite in detail and need for the cycleway, it is still good that it is getting coverage. What is also encouraging is the fact that both BQ and the local councillors both backed up the calls. This was better then hearing the current councillor that heads active transport sprouting on about how the council is spending money on bikeways, leaving out the fact they have used the same line for the past decade and how there is still no safe way for people of Brisbane's North to access the CBD safely.

There was also an article comparing 4 different commutes from the North. All are of a similar distance. What is most telling is they are all of a similar duration. Now conventional wisdom is that riding the bike would be the standout taking the most time but once again conventional wisdom is flawed when comparing travel times and bikes.

I will leave it this time with a You Tube clip by Bicycle Network on Ride to work day 2012, footage is from Melbourne

Brisbanes Next Big Project - article

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/is-brisbanes-next-big-project-a-bicycle-superhighway-20120809-23wtg.html


This is the title of an article in the Brisbane Times about increasing bicycle trips in Brisbane. I have to say it is an interesting article. It also points to the reason why I read fairfax media over murdock media.  Points raised in it include

• segregating bicycle riders from cars
• the need for the Northern Cycleway, (see previous post)
• Investing in bicycle infrastructure over Car Infrastructure
• Concept of normalising riding a bike.

I have to say these are all points I fully agree on.
What I have to say I found interesting is the concept of more floating walkways/bikeways using old plastic. Considering the former floating walkway floated away during the floods of 2011 I would question the long levity of such a piece of infrastructure, mind you if placed further down river on a wider part maybe it would be suitable.

The concept of normalising cycling that is raised is one I just wish would occur a bit faster and like the article says it needs segregated facilities. To often in Brisbane people assume you where Lycra , umm no. On that not I will leave with a photo linked from the Internet from the recent style over speed ride.

Oh I will add that this is how this bloke normally rides on the same bike, I have seen him a fair bit on the bikeways.

Samford Rd, Wardell St Intersection Upgrade

On Tuesday Afternoon the State government released the plan for the upgraded Samford Rd Wardell St intersection at Enoggera. Some might say big deal but within this design shows some worrying developments in what the Queensland State Government have in store for cycling in the next three years.

Lets first look at the intersection. Samford Road is the main corridor for people from the North West to access the city. Wardell Street is a main North - South suburban road and as such is very busy. While neither road is partitually attractive they are very import as corridors. While most people do avoid these roads some people do and making them safe and allowing for growth of cycling is crucial for encouraging more people to ride bikes.

As I said in a past post the cycling policy that was brought in under the pervious Goverment was now under review according to the Brisbane Times. By the Looks of the new plans for the interection that review may of already happened. Plans can be found here.

While the proposal is an improvement on July 2011 it is certainly not up to a standard that one would wish for people to begin riding a bike. As I understand the policy cycling provision has to be actively included inside the project unless it could be provided along another corridor that is in close proximity. This means bike lanes need to be provided for the full lenght of the project!

The first thing I note is there is no bike lane provided along Wardell street at all. Not even inside the intersection. This is extemely strange as this has been common practice for some time now and it is very common such as other intersection upgrades on Samford Road. To my great surprise there is not even Bike Boxes to allow bike to legally filter through the traffic and get a jump on queueing vehicles. While in most cases I am not a fan of filtering it will be happening and it is legal so it makes the most sense to cater for it. This is very disappointing.

That all said Samford Road has faired a little better. At all the intersections bikelanes have been provided even though some look as short as ten meters or so (see Imbros St). The outbound along Samford has also been provided with a lane for the uphill climb from Wardell St at least just not all the way to the crest of the climb forcing any cyclist back in to gerenal traffic which has already reached road speed (60kmph). Parelling that bike lane is one in the inbound direction. This is welcome as it will allow a person on a bike to skip 20 queued cars. The only problem with this is the lane finishes 30 after Wardell street on an uphill climb. Once again vehicles have reached road speed (60kmph) by the time bikes have to remerge back in with general traffic. What is also of concern is that the bike lanes stop line are not ahead of the general traffic stop lines. Placing Bike stop lines ahead at intersections is about making a bike rider visible. Then there is the combined left turn/straight ahead lanes, these are never a comfortable place to be. This is where a bike box comes in handy as it allow the person on a bike to be easily seen but it also allows them to get ahead if a vehicle that is indeed turning.

Samford Road as part of the upgrade at ferny Grove recieved bike lanes what about this one! All in all the intersection is an improvement on the preivous plans but still not something that should be crowwed about.

Importance of Northern Bikeway

The Northern Bikeway is probably the most important bikeway project in Brisbane that is yet to be committed to. It has the potential to bring north siders in on an equal footing to the west and the south. Coming from the North there is no real quite road - safe offroad route with which a beginner /ordinary rider would be comfortable that is reasonably direct.

I should state that the maps I am about to show were generated on a website called http://www.mapmyrun.com/

The other day I had to go to Lutwyche which as the map shows is a mear 3.5kms from where the ICB goes under Bowen Bridge Road.

Naturally this is very direct.

Now to avoid putting my life at risk due to the direct route being a fast arterial I had to use quite back roads and some very short bikeways.

All of a sudden to find a safe route my travel distance has blown out from a mear 3.5kms to over 7kms. As can be seen I had to double up alot just to stay safe and comfortable.

Now if the first stage of the Northern Bikewy was to be installed this is the result

As you can see the trip distance has increased by a mear 1km to around 4.5kms. This route is far more acceptable to the everyday rider that wishs to get somewhere safely and not to be harassed by impatient drivers.

So what is required to make this route work that is currently under reconstruction (airport link destroyed alot) and construction.

1. open the bowen bridge road Underpass at the RNA and allow cycling through a small section of the RNA grounds.
2. Route cycling through Bowen Park or use some of the RNA ground through to O'connell Terrace
3. Install a refuge island in O'connell Terrace for safer crossing.
4. opening of bikeways currently under construction in the spaghetti bowel that is now ICB/Clem 7/Airport Link interchange. A disgusting scar on the Inner North
5. The construction of the new Path between Federation St and Gennon St that avoids the old path that is prone to submergence during high tides

Now some may look at the route I took and say why did I not just ride along the footpath and keep to riding just the 3.5kms instead. Well first off I have tried this before and it is a terrible idea. Because you are on the foot path you a not much faster then a pedestrian and the 3kms becomes a 30min ride. Honestly without lights I can walk that fast.
Why not use the road others would say. Like I said it is a fast arterial and I have no death wish. While some may ride on it I am NOT a "BATTLE HARDENED LYCRA WARRIOR" and nor should someone expected to be. People want a pleasant journey not to be constantly worrying if the next vehicle to pass will leave enough gap so not to be driven into the gutter.

The fact is for people to ride there needs to be safe corridors into the city. The North currently doesn't have one but the beginnings of one could be opened quite quickly. Inner city suburbs should have easy bicycle access into the CBD something the North is sadly lacking.
The sooner this is built the better as the Inner suburbs is where cycling will take off first and it will then spread out.

Downfall Creek Bikeway - non announcement

It has been announced by the Lord Mayor that the Downfall Creek Bikeway will be completed where is passes under Sandgate Road and North Coast Line. The thing is this is not an announcement but a reannouncement of a project that was cut after the floods. Now you may say so what the flood were bad. I agree the floods were bad and many parts of Brisbane were badly damaged but according to the Brisbane times the council only came out of budget by $100 000. This was due to the state and Federal funds that were channelled towards the council. Yes that is right $100 000 dollars short is the reason why an important link between Binda and Vaginia Station was not made. Now there is no doubt that this link will cost more than $100 000 but there are other projects (mainly road) that still proceeded. There was also new projects that were announced eg $2 million for WiFi in parks.
Now what is going to have a longer lasting good for the people of Brisbane, a connected network of bikeways or David being able to see what John had for breakfast on facebook?

Just to prove that they used the floods as the reason here is a screen dump from the councils website as of 14.01.2012

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/north/final-stage-of-bikepath-underway/story-fn8m0rl4-1226243737629

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/councils-flood-cost-sparks-political-brawl-20110913-1k7m0.html