Bike lanes or parking lanes?

TRC marks out bike lanes but allows them to fill with parked vehicles for most of the day, all night and throughout the weekends.

This makes it unsafe for cyclists who either have to move in and out of the traffic, a recognised danger, or continue to ride in the main traffic lane, thus upsetting vehicle drivers and adding to illegal road rage on the part of drivers who are impatient and or unaware.

Toowoomba Police have informed TBUG they have neither the staff nor the inclination to book illegally parked drivers, and TRC parking officers seem to be unaware of the problem.

Drayton Road: bikes filtered into car parking bay

At the top of Drayton Road

Cyclists are filtered through a very narrow funnel, into a car parking bay, and around a roundabout. But what hapens to the bike rider who wants or needs to negotiate the roundabout to get down to Mitre Ten at Platz Street?

There are no BAZ signs on the approach to the roundabout. No traffic treatment at all, in fact, except to provide a clear space for motor vehicles.

Nelson Street bike lane

Is this bike lane complete?

Should there be a sign at the rear of the trailer warning of the 'end of bike lane' and a sign at the front to show the 'start of bike lane'?

We have written to each of our councillors and the CEO to see what they say, and we will post a TRC response here as soon as we get one.

Ride To Work Day: Wednesday 12 October 2011

This year the annual Ride To Work Day, held on Wednesday 12 October, is to be in a new format.

TBUG has been aware that by holding a city centre breakfast as the main even many potential riders have been cut out of attending because the city centre is not on, or anywhere near, their cycle-to-work route.

So, this year we are urging workplaces to take charge and run their own events for the day, either with a breakfast or a lunchtime BBQ, whatever suits the workplace best.

All over Toowoomba, workplaces are doing just that, and it looks as if this year we will have even more riders on the day prepared to register and join others in a social event in their own workplaces.

Time to ponder the provision of safe routes to your workplace, quality bike racks and secure parking when you get there, and to discuss it with others over a coffee and breakfast.

Please register as a rider on this page:
http://www.bv.com.au/general/ride-to-work/93176/

The registration allows our peak cycle bodies to collate information and advise all levels of government on the need for better cycle facilities.

Also, register as a workplace convenor and keep a tally of your workplace numbers.

Send that information to TBUG by email or sms and attend the end of day judging and prize giving at the Oxygen Cafe - meeting from 4.45 pm- (free coffee-tea and simple snacks).

As the Town Hall clock strikes 5.00 pm, TBUG judges will start awarding prizes to the winners of the day.

The coveted Freewheelers Challenge Trophy is up for grabs again but last years winners, Disability Services Queensland, say they do not intend to give it up without a fight:
http://toowoombabug.blogspot.com/2011/09/ride-to-work-tbug-freewheelers.html

So, register yourself now, get a workplace convenor, organise a breakfast or lunchtime BBQ, and make sure someone gets to the Oxygen Cafe by 5.00 pm to see who the 2011 winners of the Trophy will be.

12 Oct. results contacts:
TBUG email: toowoombabug@gmail.com
sms to David: 0408 726 038

Interested, Concerned and Cycling in Traffic

So what is it that gets people cycling? It’s not perfect facilities – Oxford is far from perfect. But by removing car parking, making good public transport easily available and by slowing down motor traffic, other cities could follow the example set by Oxford in removing would-be cyclists’ concerns and turning interest into action.

When planning for cyclists, Portland, in the US, divides its population into four groups: strong and fearless (a group which makes up less than 1%); enthused and confident (7%); interested but concerned (60%); and no way no how (33%).

The first two groups already cycle on a regular basis, but the city is having trouble getting those in the largest segment, the interested but concerned, to use bikes regularly.

It is difficult persuading potential cyclists if the roads are busy with motor traffic, and there aren’t European-style segregated cycle tracks.

In Oxford, in the UK, we’ve got many people cycling on main roads who definitely wouldn’t rate as enthused and confident. Across the whole city, more than 10% of journeys made are by bicycle, even in the outermost wards. About 16% of commuters in the city cycle to work. Most cyclists ride in ordinary clothes. They’re not particularly fast and they’re not particularly proficient. Oxford is a smaller city than Portland, but employment locations are spread around the city.

Oxford certainly doesn’t have lots of European-style segregated cycle tracks. There is a network of quiet routes on backstreets and paths, but they are generally indirect and not really good enough for people trying to get from A to B. They are mostly used by children going to school, and for leisure.

Instead, the majority of Oxford’s cyclists use the ordinary main roads. More than half of these main roads have painted cycle lanes (or bus lanes), but there’s no real separation from the traffic.

What is it that persuades cyclists to mix with the traffic in Oxford?

Partly, it’s the lack of car parking, especially in the city centre. Since the 1970s, businesses have not had permission to provide new car parking for their staff or customers; instead, they have to contribute to park and ride car parks on the edge of the city. Charges at public car parks are high, and they’re almost never full. More than 40% of journeys into central Oxford are by bus. This shortage of car parking makes many people try cycling who, elsewhere, wouldn’t even consider it.

Another reason is that no-one drives very fast in Oxford. It’s rare that anyone does more than 30mph. The side streets and shopping areas on main roads all have 20mph limits. If the residents had their way, there’d be 20mph limits on all of the main roads too.

So much space has been dedicated to bus lanes and cycle lanes that there’s not enough room for the traffic to go fast, even if the speed limits were increased. In 2000, the last two gyratory junctions were removed – they were clogged solid with traffic anyway. All the inner ring road junctions have 20mph limits, and they are much less scary than the norm.

So what is it that gets people cycling? It’s not perfect facilities – Oxford is far from perfect. But by removing car parking, making good public transport easily available and by slowing down motor traffic, other cities could follow the example set by Oxford in removing would-be cyclists’ concerns and turning interest into action.
http://www.cyclingmobility.com/interested-concerned-and-cycling-in-traffic/

EU adopts 30kph recommendation for residential areas

by Carlton Reid
Tuesday, September 27th 2011 at 1:18PM

Earlier today the European Parliament adopted a resolution to encourage lower urban speed limits across Europe

The EU can't force banana growers to produce straight fruit (it never did); and it won't be able to force EU countries to impose lower speed limits in towns but a vote by European parliament politicians will make it easier for localities to push for more 30kph zones (20mph in the UK).

"Today marks a decisive day in making a 30 kmh speed limit an accepted practice throughout Europe," said a statement from the European Cyclists' Federation.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution in which it “strongly recommends the responsible authorities to introduce speed limits of 30kph in all residential areas and on single-lane roads in urban areas which have no separate cycle lanes.”

This resolution - a vote on recommendations put forward by the Koch Report on transport - is part of a wide range of measures to halve Europe’s 31,000 annual road fatalities by 2020.

The Koch Report was written by Dieter-Lebrecht Koch MEP of Germany.

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/eu-adopts-30kmh-recommendation-for-residential-areas/011958

And another take on the same story. The question has to be asked, 'why don't our Queensland politicians have the foresight and courage to follow these leaders?

“This move by the EU, it’s all about personal liberty,” comments Fabian Küster, a policy officer at the ECF. “It’s about politicians creating cities for living in rather than thoroughfares for vehicles. And it’s about reclaiming streets and neighborhoods for people and cyclists”.
http://www.cyclingmobility.com/europe-slows-down-to-30kph/

Can pigs fly?

Council voting vital for cyclists — candidate

Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:20 AM PDT

Source:http://btawa.org.au/

Having people on council that supported people riding bicycles could make a big difference to getting improvements for cyclists, Bassendean Town Council candidate and BTA chief executive Heinrich Benz said today.

“I encourage all people who ride bicycles to ask the people standing for office in the coming local government elections what they will do for cyclists,” he said.

“And equally importantly, make sure you go and cast your vote.

“Having people on council that support people riding bicycles can make a difference to projects, funding and pressure on the State Government to deliver a network of safe roads and shared paths,” he said.

And how's this one too?

Bicycles integral to city transport — mayoral candidate
By Robert Hunt
Published: September 30, 2011

Bicycle facilities and cycleways should be integrated into transport policies for Perth City, Lord Mayoral candidate Anne Bontempo said today.

She would support proposals for secure bicycle parking because one person had complained about a new bicycle being stolen in Adelaide Terrace while he attended a conference – it was the first day that he had used it.

Perth City Council wanted cars in the city because it owned 32 parking stations and wanted the maximum revenue from them.

She would support a proposal for bike racks in existing carparks.

Parking for bicycles and cars could be improved in the longer term by adopting the system of stacking used in Tokyo, she said.

Other systems and techniques for a range of programs that worked in other cities around the world could be adopted relatively quickly because there was no need for exhaustive inquiries into their feasibility.

All that was needed was to put the proposal out for public comment.

She wanted people and organisations to bring their ideas and solutions to the council, which then could go out for public comment.

Various groups already had identified issues and submitted proposals for solutions to the Perth City Council but the submissions had been ignored.

Renowned Danish architect and city planner Jan Gehl had been commissioned by the council and State Government in 2009 to do a plan for public space in the city.

(The Gehl plan – Public Spaces Public Life – said cycling infrastructure was needed in the city and provided detailed maps of where it should go.)

The council had ignored all the Gehl plan, Ms Bontempo said.


Will we see Mayor Peter Taylor take up riding a bike? Or any of the other TRC elected councillors? Probably not, but if riders take the time to email them all, there is a faint chance some of them will start to understand just how 'not quite right' the Toowoomba cycle infrastructure really is.