Cycling in Brisbane Australia
Various Infrastructure Annoyances
This junction at the corner of Herschel Street & North Quay (a key entry point to the bikeway) has been a joke for years but the recent 'upgrade' has made it worse.
Council had MONTHS to fix this and they only started on it just prior to the bikeway reopening recently. It's disgusting.
- The pole is almost in the MIDDLE of the pathway, making the turn for cyclists very, very tight if they want to go left (of course there is no point going straight as the footpath ends so I'm not sure why they spent money on that pedestrian crossing...)
- The surface is loose gravel which is bumpy and very dangerous when wet
- The access cover is sticking out of the ground
It has been like this for a few months now. Flashy, visible bikeways are all well and good but when they can't even get the BASICS right, what hope is there?
My suggestions to improve this:
- Remove the pole with the crossing button and relocate it to where the pole with the 'Bicentennial Bikeway' sign sits (on the right, slightly thinner pole)
- Get rid of the crossing which goes straight ahead and put a bike box there instead
- Fix the surface and enlarge & smooth the drop off
- And for God's sake, do not put those stupid bloody slippery plastic 'tactile buttons' on the surface. They have got to be the dumbest invention (and I know some visually impaired people that agree... they slip on them too!)
Also, here is another photo illustrating the general disregard for pedestrians in this city.
(Corner of Hamilton Place & O'Connell Terrace, Bowen Hills)
That large box (I think) is part of the traffic control system for the new (fugly) overpass which ends just near the Courier Mail building in Bowen Hills. WTF does it have to be THERE? WHY?
As you can see, not only is the footpath surface nice and smooth for the elderly & wheelchairs but they have numerous 'traffic calming' devices to slow them down. We can't give those freeloaders quality now can we? Meanwhile the road is smooth & unobstructed.
If anyone from council reads this, can you people please do a proper job? It's like nobody really gives a $#!t and that's really making me angry, very angry.
This makes me want to earn less, pay less tax and tax deduct every thing I possibly can... I don't do this currently because I think taxes are important. However, when Governments show flagrant disregard for citizens (and the money earned from them) it makes me think twice, it really does.
Does one have to slip and sue Council to see anything change? If so, that can be arranged.
Tags: crap, cyclists, footpath, infrastructure, joke, kill, me, now, obstacle, pedestrians, More…
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Shaun Moran on -
Yep - the Herschel St bike path entrance is a joke. I cant believe Bicycle Qld was happy to promote and get on TV telling people how great the new bike path extension was without raising how crap the entrance is.
I submitted another 'Fix o Gram' this arvo on this issue. Hopefully something will be done.
-
Permalink Reply by Paul Martin on -
It's like having a motorway with on-ramps that require a 4WD!
-
Permalink Reply by Raymond on -
Actually, going by the latest sales figures, it seems that SUVs *are* required for all our new wide open motorways - anything more efficient would be a waste now, wouldn't it?
-
Permalink Reply by Raymond on
-
I'm always careful - if we look at figures on the population level and the way most large cars are actually used here, it's a painfully obvious problem. We already know that many cyclists also drive, and that it's the only way to take bikes out to trails, out bush or even to the "local" bikeway, so I'm not talking about or criticising the minority who most would like to ignore.
Our future: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034420/Chaotic-scenes-Birm...
-
Permalink Reply by Paul Martin on
-
It's an indictment on our world when people have to drive somewhere so they can ride a bicycle safely. I see this every single day in my area.
I don't mind proper 4WDs that are used for what they were intended. I have some friends that fit in this category. They'd *never* use the 4WD for the school run... but will take it to Fraser once in a blue moon.
The reality is that most SUVs are actually utter rubbish (mostly 'cars on stilts'). They can't go off-road even if you try.
They are the car of choice for people who can't make a firm commitment ("Oh, we *might* go to Fraser/Mt Hotham/Lake Eyre/Uluru/The Moon or we might have to transport 7 people...") and so on... and don't get me started on the 'Well if I have an accident we'll be better off' argument.
Cars are getting bigger, heavier (and more powerful to cope) and only slightly more efficient - just compare the current MINI to the 'new' one from 2001. They're loaded with 'safety features' that do nothing to protect those not contained within them. 'Stability Control' (just like ABS) allows people to drive closer to the edge (easily observed when the roads are wet) and have their bacon saved before their stupidity is made nice and public.
I don't expect to buy another car... ever. That fact makes me very happy indeed. If I need a ute, I'll rent one. If I need a 4WD, I'll rent one. If I want to have some fun in a Ferrari, I'll rent one. If someone stole our 1.5 cars I wouldn't replace them.
If all private cars vanished overnight I don't think I'd really give a toss. Might drive some positive change. My neighbourhood was almost like that when the floods hit... and you know what? It was *very* pleasant (apart from the river in my house, that is).
Why people can write off many facets of their motor vehicle as a tax deduction while I cannot do the same for my bicycle is an absolute disgrace. When you travel the world (even if via the Internet) & see how various countries do things differently you quickly realise how wrong we have so many things.
-
Permalink Reply by Raymond on
-
"Oh, we *might* go to Fraser/Mt Hotham/Lake Eyre/Uluru/The Moon or we might have to transport 7 people..."
First I laughed, but then I realised with the way the industry is set up and marketed, they really do make people believe this sort of claptrap:
http://www.nationofchange.org/creeps-and-weirdos-auto-industry-agen...
-
Permalink Reply by Paul Martin on
-
...and some more excellent films.
-
Permalink Reply by Raymond on
-
Whoops that's the one I intended to link.
How obvious does it need to be? No rational (or irrational) individual could argue against these same points raised across the multitudes of sources. Oh that's right, people no longer watch where they're going and don't like to observe what's happening around them.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Lyn Stern on
-
yaaayy!! I've thought about doing the maths..is it cheaper to ditch all owned cars and
a) hire one when needed
b) get a cab
Wouldn't be much in it.
-
Permalink Reply by Big Steve on -
Well we have two cars now (the third one doesn't count - long story). Anyway, at the first practical juncture we'll be converting two to one. I think it would be really difficult to get by with kids without at least one car in the environment that we have now.
We worked out that the savings will put one kid through private school. The other one will have to work in the salt mines. :D
-
Permalink Reply by Shaun Moran on
-
I for one dream of a carless (or more likely a much car reduced) world...
© 2012 Created by DamianM.
