[Eureka!]

As cycling is growing in modal share and is being encouraged by planners due to its health, environmental and traffic flow benefits, I thought I'd start a thread looking at bike lanes across Australian and New Zealander cities.

With a lot of new infrastructure currently under way or proposed it would be interesting to look at the strategies of different cities and the types of lanes being implemented.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[Eureka!]

With an estimated 11% of CBD traffic in Melbourne being cyclists, there a several projects under construction or being investigated.

The most notable would be the complete removal of vehicles from Swanston Street from Flinders Street to La Trobe street, improving Australia's busiest bike route.

First stage between Melbourne Central and the State Library:

^ Yeah, what was up with that?! They were so annoying!

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Par...oads/SwanstonStreet/Pages/SwanstonStreet.aspx

Some photos from Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanbicyclist/6422654453/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanbicyclist/6422658399/

And the Flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanbicyclist/sets/72157628199852127/with/6422658399/

The MCC voted unanimously on Tuesday to support the construction of segregated bike lanes on La Trobe Street; a key east-west route identified in the Principal Bicycle Network. Four types of lanes are being considered ranging in price from a few hundred thousand dollars to several million. The lane would link key routes such as Rathdowne Street, Swanston Street, William Street and Harbour Esplanade. Given constraints on other main east-west CBD streets (Flinders - traffic, Collins - too narrow, Bourke - the mall, Lonsdale - bus lanes), it's the only viable cross town option.

The options being considered:

http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/media/vanilla/file/La Trobe Street MCC report.pdf

 

[Maroon Grown]

Bicentennial Bikeway in Brisbane is pretty schmick. It is almost fully upgraded and has segregated two way cycle lanes and pedestrian path. It is easily Brisbane's most utilised cycling corridor and links to the Western Freeway bikeway via the just completed upgraded on-road treatments on Sylvan Rd. You can cycle from 25km into the CBD and only spend 1km on quality on-road cycle lanes, the rest is bikeway.

Other than that, Brisbane is pretty crap for commuter cycling routes. recreational paths are pretty good, but are empty on weekdays and are clog jammed with cyclists on weekends. Brisbane's topography and lack of good commuter routes is probably why the cycling mode share is only 4% in Brisbane, despite the presence of a strong recreational cycling community. Fortunately, better cycling commuter routes are actually being used a political carrots in our local govt elections at the moment - unbelievable!

 

[Macca-GC]

Great idea for a thread topic.

Brisbane does have a few other major cycleways.
The Western Freeway cycleway is signed as the V5 veloway
There's also the partially completed V1 alongside the Pacific Motorway. When completed, it will include dedicated cycleways from the City to Eight Mile Plains, 16km to the southeast. At present, roughly two thirds of this has been completed with the latest stage currently under construction through Greenslopes. The entire route should be complete by 2016. There are even plans to eventually extend the cycleway through Logan (with the section of motorway currently under reconstruction including an adjacent cycleway).

The next major cycleway for Brisbane will be the Northern Cycleway, extending at least from the city to Kedron Brook.

I think in the past, Brisbane has focused its high quality, segregated cycleways in short sections such as the Normanby cycleway, Kurilpa Bridge, etc. Only recently have they started to appreciate the importance of continuous long distance segregated cycleways.

 

[Gazza2]

The western one is actually not too bad, its nice how at least the bit along Sylvan Rd in Toowong has bike lanes to Bridge the Gap from the Western Freeway bridge to the Bicentenial Cycleway.
I rode along it one afternoon and found it a pleasant surprise how continuous it was.

 

[redbaron_012]

There seems to be controversy where bikes fit on roadways with cars, parked cars and pedestrians. In Melbournes case trams as well. In Albert St East Melbourne they have had a trial of moving the parked cars out from the curb leaving a bike lane between the footpath and row for parked cars then traffic up the middle of the road. Cars look like they are parked way out from the curb in the roadway ? If this system is to work I think the grade level of the bike lane needs to be separated above the roadway...so guess that means using Albert St as the example the footpath and bike lane share first level, a curb then roadway. The roadwidth is reduced yet having a designated bike lane gives the same dimensions. Also if the bike lane was at the same level as the footpath at peak hours the car parking lane can be made a clearway giving an extra car lane without encroaching on the bike lane. I drive north on Spencer st most days and if travelling in the curbside lane find it dangerous for bikes with cars cutting in and out of that lane when passing bikes.......... not an easy solution.

 

[mute123]

Separate cycle ways, segregated is a great idea, should be more of them. Get the cyclist off the roads. And would of course be much better than what Clover Moore did to the Sydney CBD with its bike lanes...

 

[bribri]

There seems to be controversy where bikes fit on roadways with cars, parked cars and pedestrians. In Melbournes case trams as well. In Albert St East Melbourne they have had a trial of moving the parked cars out from the curb leaving a bike lane between the footpath and row for parked cars then traffic up the middle of the road. Cars look like they are parked way out from the curb in the roadway ? If this system is to work I think the grade level of the bike lane needs to be separated above the roadway...so guess that means using Albert St as the example the footpath and bike lane share first level, a curb then roadway. The roadwidth is reduced yet having a designated bike lane gives the same dimensions. Also if the bike lane was at the same level as the footpath at peak hours the car parking lane can be made a clearway giving an extra car lane without encroaching on the bike lane. I drive north on Spencer st most days and if travelling in the curbside lane find it dangerous for bikes with cars cutting in and out of that lane when passing bikes.......... not an easy solution.

In New York they have quite a lot of removing a lane of traffic, moving parked cars out one lane and having the wide cycle paths up against the curve.

 

[BrizzyChris]

There is already a thread on bikes/bikeways. I will try and find it then merge threads.

 

[cjb287]

There are a couple of areas around inner Melbourne with separated or semi-seperated bicycle lanes.

Albert Street in East Melbourne. There is a through lane and then a lane of parking protecting the bicycle lane to the right. This generated a fair bit of media attention and controversy.

Photo by urbanbicyclist

Swanston Street in Carlton is probably the best outcome possible for cyclists and general safety. There is a raised curb separating bikes from cars and it's wide enough to prevent doorings too.

Photo by avlxyz

 

[fish.01]

As others have said the Bicentennial Bikeway is Brisbane's largest bikeway. It heads out into the Western suburbs to connect with the Western Freeway bikeway.

Go Between Bridge, Brisbane - Underpass by stephenk1977, on Flickr

 

[fish.01]

Western Freeway Bikeway, Brisbane. This connects the outer western suburbs with the Bicentennial Bikeway.

 

[fish.01]

West End/Hill End/Highgate Hill commuters exit the city along the George St and then Tank St copenhagen bike lanes, across the Kurilpa Bridge and then travel along the river bikeway:

(Source: http://wellingtoncycleways.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/australia-trip-2010-brisbane-35.jpg)

(Source: http://brisurbane.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/copenhagen_bike_lane1.jpg?w=645&h=484)

(http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/kurilpa-bridge-brisbane.jpg)

(Source: http://wellingtoncycleways.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/australia-trip-2010-brisbane-19.jpg)

 

[fish.01]

Southern Brisbane commuters exit the city across the Goodwill Bridge, along the South Bank/Lower River Tce bikeway and then down the South East Freeway bikeway out to around 12km:

(Source: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UM1JKhy74ZA/0.jpg)

(Source: http://pricetags.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/goodwill.jpg)


Untitled by fish.2, on Flickr

(Source: http://d3lxg0xjfziwvk.cloudfront.net/br/brisbane-18-oct-08-kf_005.jpg)

 

[Eureka!]

Glad to see some of the first class infrastructure in the region.

Melbourne City Council is seeking input into its plans for separated La Trobe Street bike lanes in this short survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WYP93FR

 

[John_Proctor]

Great stuff happening all over Australia in bike space provision.


there was an article on the Albert Street lanes in the paper in the last 3-4 days.

basically double the number of cyclists using ALbert Street since the lanes were installed with an INCREASE in traffic on the route - albeit with slight delays mainly in the hour after the peak hour clearways end.

I've used the Albert Street lanes half a dozen tiems nad never had any issues there - I like them and prefer them. (same situation with the Swanston ones north of the CBD... haven't ridden on Swanston since the new tram stop was completed so can't really comment on that).

Red - the issue with making the bike lane level the same as the footpath level is that it then encourages the same 'interaction' issues as between bikes/cars in the old set up between bikes/pedestrians. unfortuantely we are all just a selfish bunch and don't follow the 'space' rules set out in front of us.

This is very evident from the many 'shared user paths' in Melbourne where walkers/joggers/family riders/commuter cyclists/dog walkers often mix and match (with the occasional sporting pursuit on adjoining grounds adding to the fun) and noone ever really being happy with the way the others treat the space. Personally I've given up and just ride on street everywhere.


One of the more interesting things re: cycling recently in Melbourne has been the suggestion the main yarra trail is 'congested' and needs to be upgraded! our first two lane each direction bike path?

 

[Eureka!]

Cycling has been abandoned in this year's budget with new funding halted at $0. This government is pathetic. As the article says, bicycle infrastructure funding constitutes a minuscule component of transport infrastructure funding. This mode of transport is supposed to be encouraged. Public transport and bikes will battle congestion Ballieu, not more roads.


Baillieu turns the dial to zero

2 May 2012

The 2012 budget papers show that the government has made a deliberate decision to slam the door on Victoria's bike riders.

The foundation of the State's bike infrastructure investment, the VicRoads Bicycle Program, has been slashed to zero. (Some commitments from previous budgets are still trickling through.)

None of the high priority infrastructure projects which were planned for next year have been funded.

Desperately needed lanes, signals, intersections and other urgent safety improvements have been dropped.

"We never expected that the Ballieu government would reverse 20 years of gradual progress by both both sides of politics and shut down one of the most popular and effective programs in the government," said Bicycle Network CEO, Harry Barber.

"The 1.1 million Victorians who ride a bike each week will feel bewildered and abandoned.

"This decision is clearly not the result of a careful and measured budget reduction process—it is a deliberate policy decision to do nothing," Mr Barber said.

The one year shutdown of the bike infrastructure program rips more than $20 million away from bike facilities investment.

While this will be a massive loss for bike riders, it is totally insignificant in the context of the $41 billion infrastructure budget.

More at:
http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/change-the-world/93685/

 

[Maroon Grown]

^^^ Disgraceful. Active transport costs governments zero in operational costs. I seriously don't understand why governments slash active transport infrastructure funding.

I'm hopeful that at least in Brisbane, decent improvements are made to the cycle network as it was made out to be a political football during the recent local govt elections. BETTER COMMUTER PATHS TO THE CBD POLLIES!!!!! BETTER COMMUTER PATHS!!!!! Stop pandering to familes wanting to ride their kids 1km down the park and back!!!!!!!!

 

[Svartmetall]

^^ Absolutely! I, for one, enjoy cycling through the city and often do it at night now that the weather is good to get to the train station I want just as a pleasurable way of travelling home rather than taking the metro all the way. Helps break the journey.

 

[predestrian]

^^

Its an absolute disgrace that the Bailleu government would end a rising pattern of improving the safety for cyclists along with continuing to mould Melbourne into a city renowned for bicycle culture and high quality infrastructure. Cycling should be an activity encouraged by governments not abandoned. I am utterly bewildered at the decision.