Commuters

Comment

Comment by Paul Martin on November 6, 2010 at 2:06pm

...and by mainstream I mean bicycles being used for those 40% of trips that are less than 5km in Brisbane (Council Figures from 2007).

I don't mean mainstream in the sense that everyone owns a bike... somewhere in the shed.

(but I know you know that's what I meant)

Comment by Paul Martin on November 6, 2010 at 2:04pm

It is mind-boggling, John. I agree.

The targets for the plan are way off (in fact, their current figures are off!) and they will never meet them. The same can be said of The Australian National Cycling Strategy 2005-2010 which was full of waffle and nothing concrete.

The updated version of this document, The Australian National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016, is updated in not only its name but in the colour and the font - little else is different. The authorities should be forced to explain this farce.

The UK (and I'm sure the USA) has made similar empty promises.

Until cycling is mainstream we will continue to be treated like 'mewling infants' (so well put I might add). The only way to make cycling mainstream, in my opinion, is to do what the Dutch did in the 1970s and that is to make driving less convenient (and not even Bicycle Queensland would dare support such a crazy idea...) so we can achieve a proper target.

Expensive oil may well force everyone's hand but it would be lovely if we could prepare a bit before it gets that bad!

Now, I'm off to teach my parents some bicycle handling skills while this fabulous weather continues! Happy cycling!

Comment by John Nightingale on November 6, 2010 at 1:47pm

It's amazing, isn't it? The highway engineers design to high flows and with max speed criteria, and then the regulators tell us what we 'should' do. This applies to cars, too, though we don't really care too much about that. When it comes to bicycles the extent of the nannying is multiplied 10 fold. All varieties of politician and bureaucrats patronise us as though we were mewling infants. My contempt for the tops of the bureaucratic and political trees is hard to measure when it comes to ex cathedra statements about what's good for cycling.

By the way, the draft integrated transport plan recently released is full of dopey targets that will never be achieved (and plans mostly never to be carried through). Let's face it, no plan, state or BCC, has achieved 10% of its active transport targets and no one has ever asked why! I have suggested to BCC that they ought to ask why, and the suggestion was taken as very new and radical… Let's hope they do try to discover why. It will be the first time. But the Transport & Main Roads people seem too busy beavering away at their maps to take the time to stop for serious questioning. Because the answers might be political dynamite for car interests.

Comment by Paul Martin on November 5, 2010 at 9:00pm

RE: New Centenary Highway Section

I see they've also removed the weeds that had grown between the concrete slabs!

I'm glad it's finally open - it takes 5 minutes off my ride to work and makes it much safer - however it is very disappointing to see this 'bikeway' (it is more like a service road for the 'proper road' with all the access covers, signposts/poles, fences, emergency vehicle access points, etc.) finally open almost a YEAR after the adjacent 6 lane, smooth bitumen road was opened. I've emailed them many times over the past year.

IMO, a tunnel under Sumner's Road would have made much more sense than that awkward crossing (which is sure to annoy impatient drivers). It would have been one of the few worthwhile tunnels to be built in Brisbane.

It was also advertised as a 'highspeed bikeway' in all the PR propaganda and yet they've slapped 20km/h 'advisory' speed limit signs everywhere. I can do about 50km/h down there on my Dutch Bike without trying!

On another note, I've noticed the 'quality' surface on the Go-Between Bridge cycleway is peeling off the underlying ?steel base. The bitumen on the road part of the bridge appears to be in good condition which is great news for motorists...

Apologies for being slightly irritated but why can't we build better than this...? It's only a tiny part of the road and they still mess it up!

Comment by John Nightingale on November 5, 2010 at 8:36pm

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 3:27 PM
Subject: Ipswich Motorway Upgrade: Wacol to Darra project - bikeways accessible
To:
Cc: wacol2darra@tmr.qld.gov.au


Dear Sir/Madam

As part of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade: Wacol to Darra, some 2.7 kilometres of a dedicated cycleway, 3.4 kilometres of shared path (pedestrian and cycle path) and 3.5 kilometres of on road bike lanes were constructed - see map.

The bikeway crossing at Sumners Road was commissioned by Brisbane City Council last week and Transport and Main Roads are pleased to announce that the project's bikeways are open and accessible.

These cycleways connect to the Brisbane City Council (BCC) network at Toowong and will also connect to the evolving cycleway facilities of the adjoining projects such as Darra to Springfield Transport Corridor, Logan Motorway Interchange and Dinmore to Goodna section of the Ipswich Motorway as they also come online.

We are in the process of developing more detailed maps of all bikeways in the Western Corridor and will contact you again when these maps are finalised.

Thank you for your patience.


Kind Regards




Kelly Bentson
Principal Communications Officer | Main Roads Projects
Major Infrastructure Projects Office | Department of Transport and Main Roads


Comment by Paul Martin on October 6, 2010 at 6:06am

Hi Teo,

The route is easy (see here), as has been pointed out, and most of it is on the bikeway with only a small section through the backstreets of St Lucia. These streets are quiet generally and residents expect to see plenty of bicycles & runners here.

That route is just on 4km - very short - so you should be able to do it, without breaking a sweat in 20 minutes... or about 10 minutes if you want to sweat it! :)

Comment by Andrew Rasmussen on October 5, 2010 at 9:57pm

Good point Steve. Don't settle for anything less than a decent D lock for Uni parking if you are fond of your bike.

Of course the experts on riding to UQ should be the UQ BUG: http://www.uq.edu.au/uqbug/

Comment by Andrew Rasmussen on October 5, 2010 at 9:52pm

Hi Teo,
This summarises the two main routes:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/QUT-to-UQ-and-back-again
You'll need a bell for the Coro drive option. Commuting to UQ from CBD by bike makes a lot of sense. I started cycle commuting to UQ last century and I'm still riding to work.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Comment by Big Steve on October 5, 2010 at 9:50pm

I've ridden along there and it's bike path most of the way. It's an easy and picturesque ride :)

I'd be more worried about securing my bike at UQ than getting there.

Comment by Katy Cassidy on June 1, 2010 at 7:39pm

Have explored a lot of these maps. Played and toured around with them enough now, and now I feel that I know my way around enough to avoid too many hills. I am proud to say that I've taken my bike from Norman Park to Auchenflower (via Goodwill) to Sherwood (via St Lucia) back to St Lucia over the Green Bridge, back to Norman Park via W'gabba. I was running errands and visiting people. I walked only 31 paces (at the top of hill by the golf club). I am on a 3-speed, so hills make me herniate. This was my first trip without consulting the maps. So I thank you.

It's been great fun exploring (and getting lost).

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