Roads plan raises new truck route fears

NEW laws that would see some Melbourne roads prioritised for tram, bus, bicycle, pedestrian or freight use have alarmed local councils, who see them as an attempt to ram through new heavy truck routes.

- Truck highways fears
- Trams, buses, bikes to get priority
- Move to unblock public transport routes

The changes would give the State Government power to prioritise transport types on all public roads across the state.

A new VicRoads register would be established, listing how roads had been prioritised and the laws could mean new bus or bike lanes on a local road or the sudden appearance of massive freight trucks.

The local government sector is concerned about a lack of detail in the new laws and the potential for new truck highways through suburbs.

The proposed laws before the State Parliament would give Roads Minister Tim Pallas the power to prioritise bicycle, pedestrian and freight roads. The Roads Minister and Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky would have the power to prioritise roads for trams and buses.

The only check would be that if the public road were a municipal road there must be consultation with the Local Government Minister. There is no mention of the local council.

Municipal Association of Victoria chief executive Rob Spence has written to Mr Pallas requesting more details on the laws.

"We are talking about heavy vehicles, that is the real tension point in our sector," he said. "There has been no discussion with us on the detail of this at all."...

Read the whole article at TheAge.com.au

On your bikes, says Brumby

COMMUTERS will be asked to leave their cars at home, share the drive to work, get on motorcycles and scooters or take to their bikes in a sweeping package of reforms to be unveiled as part of the State Government's transport blueprint this week.

But the Brumby Government's plan to upgrade bike paths — believed to amount to $100 million over 12 years — is likely to disappoint cyclists, adding only $800,000 to existing annual funding statewide.

"They have made the time scale very long," Bicycle Victoria chief executive Harry Barber said. "With this commitment, they are clearly not moving quickly enough to turn car trips into bike trips to relieve congestion."

Premier John Brumby yesterday confirmed that his much-anticipated transport plan will be released this week, possibly as early as tomorrow.

The Sunday Age believes the plan's road-building focus, which reportedly includes the Frankston bypass, a port to CityLink freeway and possibly an outer ring road, will be offset by a large campaign to convince people to stop driving their cars to work.

Part of the campaign will be a push to make motorcycles and scooters safer, increasing their appeal to commuters as low-emission alternatives to cars.

The Sunday Age believes the Government will also aim to set a carbon emission target for its vehicle fleet. This is likely to mean state bureaucrats will in future be driving more hybrid Camrys and locally made small cars, such as the Ford Focus, instead of the traditional six-cylinder Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons that dominate the fleet now.

It is understood the transport plan will closely match the Government's ambitions to create newly designated business centres at Broadmeadows, Box Hill, Dandenong, Frankston, Footscray and Ringwood. Significant transport projects are likely to be focused around these areas in a "decentralisation" of Melbourne's transport strategy.

In his recommendations to the Government, Sir Rod Eddington said $60 million worth of new east-west bike tracks should be built in Melbourne. The transport plan's bike funding will commit $100 million over 12 years across Victoria, replacing the previous commitment of $75 million from 2006 to 2016. Cycling advocates were hoping for a much bigger investment. A new statewide bike strategy is expected next year, with upgrades to existing bike paths, new and extended paths, priority traffic signals for cyclists and better separation of cyclists and cars...

Read the entire article at TheAge.com.au

So... what bicycle will you be riding Mr Brumby!? (Don't worry... I'll escort you on the one I ride every single day, if you like. I'll even give you some tips!)

Events will re-visit ghosts of freeways past - bikeportland.org

Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on October 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am

This defunct freeway ramp serves
as a reminder of Portland’s freeway-fighting past.
(Photo:
John Russell)

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
–philosopher George Santayana

Much of the why Portland is a city where bikes, pedestrians, and transit can flourish, is because we have taken a stand against freeways. Two events coming up in November will educate a new generation about Portland’s proud history of freeway fighting and removal.

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, plans for the Mt. Hood Freeway (that would have run through the heart of Southeast Portland) were canceled after neighborhoods revolted and city planners threatened a lawsuit.

Bikes enjoy a ride in Waterfront Park,
perhaps unaware that it used to be
a freeway.
(Photo © J. Maus)

In 1974, a piece of the 99W freeway (known as Harbor Drive) along the western shore of the Willamette River in downtown Portland was removed. In its place was put Tom McCall Waterfront Park, which stretches from the Steel Bridge to the Riverplace Marina — and Portland became the first major U.S. city to remove an existing freeway.

It’s important to note that both of these areas (Southeast Portland and the Waterfront) now see some of the highest levels of bike and pedestrian activity anywhere in the city...

Read the rest of the article at bikeportland.org

Cyclists defend Holland Park

If you were in Kensington at around 7:30pm on Friday, you may have witnessed close to a hundred cyclists descend upon MacAuley Road.

Meeting at the State Library, the eclectic mob headed north to Fitzroy, and followed the path where the tunnel has been planned.

They viewed the parkland in Royal Park, and then via the Moonee Ponds creek bike path, on to JJ Holland Park, to see what was at stake. Various riders spoke up about the issues at hand.

In some ways, it was quite apt that a group of cyclists did this, as bicycles provide a viable alternative to inner-city transport. There was also a cheer at Macaulay Road, when a train went past.

Photos courtesy of flickr.com and http://www.moz.net.nz/.

Riders at Holland Park, learn about the potential destruction of the park and the resulting loss of a number of junior sporting clubs, amongst other things.

Cyclists' view 'blocked' - The Age

Road transport comes first, it seems...

Reid Sexton
August 10, 2008

A NEW section of bike path on Footscray Road is the most dangerous in Melbourne because oncoming traffic cannot be seen by riders until they are just metres from an intersection, a bicycle group claims.

The contentious section is part of the Footscray Road Bike Path, used by about 260 people an hour during peak times. It was reopened two weeks ago after being raised as part of the construction of an adjacent bridge.

Bicycle Victoria says a new safety wall blocks cyclists' sight, forcing them to cross the intersection of Footscray and Appleton Dock roads without knowing how close the traffic is on the 60 km/h bridge.

The pathway is the main route used by cyclists from the inner-west to reach the city and its rate of use is growing faster than any other bike path in the state, with a 40% jump in users in the past year.

Jason den Hollander, from Bicycle Victoria, said it was only a matter of time before a rider was hit trying to negotiate the blind-spot intersection — often used by trucks turning into the docks. "Cyclists cannot see the cars until they are a few seconds away," he said.

Groups of up to 30 cyclists were crossing the intersection when they thought there was a break in traffic. "If … a car is coming, it's going to be catastrophic," he said.

Bicycle Victoria wants signals installed immediately to ensure cyclists can cross safely.

The Department of Transport refuses because only 190 trucks and cars cross the intersection each hour during the peak time; 600 are needed to qualify for a signal.

"This is just ridiculous," Mr den Hollander said, adding that a button-operated signalling system could be installed for about $200,000.

Industrial relations adviser Chris Harris, who uses the path to get from his Footscray home to his office in East Melbourne, said his commute meant he had to take a gamble on there being no oncoming cars when he crossed the intersection.

"It's hard to believe they would design a bit of new bike infrastructure this poorly," he said.

A Transport Department spokesman said the possibility of installing signals was being investigated.

Read the original article at TheAge.com.au

Have bike, will travel ... on a bus

BUREAUCRATS want bike racks on buses to ease a lack of public transport in the suburbs, a leaked cabinet submission shows.

The submission, from the Department of Transport to a subcommittee led by Premier John Brumby, outlines a plan to put bicycle racks on the front of the Government's showcase SmartBuses.

The $660 million SmartBus program provides an "orbital" bus service to the city's outer suburbs, which are poorly served by rail and trams. The submission says commuters who use these buses would benefit from the racks, each holding about three bikes.

But the Opposition said yesterday the Government should be building new rail lines to the outer suburbs, not offering bike racks.

"There are 35,000 residents in Rowville, 45,000 in Doncaster and 12,000 and growing in South Morang who want heavy rail lines that can carry up to 20,000 passengers an hour," transport spokesman Terry Mulder said.

"Bike racks on buses are no substitute."

Religious leaders from the Baptist, Anglican, Uniting and Catholic churches, and the Hillview Community Church and Rowville Salvation Army have all written to Transport Minister Lynne Kosky begging for a railway line to Rowville. The line they want built was first promised in a 1969 transport plan.

Governments since have promised to evaluate a rail link, from Huntingdale station to Rowville.

"We've been waiting too long for this train," Rowville Baptist Church Pastor David Devine said.

In the 1999 election campaign, Labor promised a feasibility study into building a train line to Rowville.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu this week reiterated his party's support for rail lines to South Morang and Cranbourne East, and a light rail line to Doncaster. But he stumbled when quizzed on how much these projects would cost.

Ms Kosky said it was ironic that the Opposition was calling for new train lines.

"We remember that it was them who closed so many," her spokesman, Stephen Moynihan, said.

"This Government has taken action to ensure every Melburnian has access to train, tram and bus services."

The cabinet submission has been made to a special transport subcommittee that includes Ms Kosky, Roads Minister Tim Pallas, Treasurer John Lenders and Planning Minister Justin Madden. It is working on a Melbourne-wide transport plan, to be released in November.

It will be the third "long-term", multibillion-dollar transport strategy produced by the Government since 2004.

Read the original article at TheAge.com.au

Putting bike racks on every bus is a great idea, in my humble opinion. Of course... I don't see it as an either/or deal... more a both/and. Yes, build the new railway lines, but please put bike racks on the busses as well!