Long road to Belconnen bikeway begins

Keran Niquet cycling is not for the Lycra brigade but for everyone.! Ever ridden a bike lately?

Motorists always obey rules? The difference is motorists who speeds, drink drive and break other rules kill and maim cyclists pedestrians and each other. This is about protecting cyclists from the road user that is doing the harm: the driver.

Ian McLeod .I repeat. I have yet to see ANY cyclist in Canberra follow the road rules. I have lived here since 1979.

Traffic congestion is largely caused by other cars. Cycle commuting reduces car congestion. Some cyclists prefer the faster on road trip and on most arterial roads there is a wide edge. This will give a safer faster alternative into the mall which is difficult without riding on the street.

Ian McLeod This happened years ago and was posted at the time. Do you want me to post some photos of the most recent crashes where motorists have killed people? There was one a couple of days ago near where I live. Time to move on from petty issues years old that have nothing to do with this post.

You obviously don’t understand cycleways. Bicycles are legal road vehicles with EXACTLY the same rights to be used on roads as motor vehicles. Acquaint yourself with road rule 15(b):
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_reg/rsrr2017208/s15.html

Garrin Ross I know the rules… doesn’t mean I have to agree with them

Garrin Ross Ricky has made a valid point. If the bike paths were used they would be worthwhile. They are underused, so why build them?

Ricky Toms so what other road rules don’t you agree with? Or are you just a bigoted cyclist hater?

Ricky Toms
Disused road and bikes only. Wasn’t that clear?

Margaret Freemantle
Sure aren’t ‘underused’ in our area

Ian McLeod if those cyclists are riding within the Cycling Road Rules then how can you complain?

That means riding two abreast no more than 1.5 metres apart, or three abreast while overtaking.

Most motorists are normal sane people with a modest understanding of legal road users.

His comment is nonsense. Some people ride on roads because they are faster and because the paths are in poor condition,require users to give way crossing streets, and have poor separation from pedestrians, and pets. Others do not like riding with traffic. Cycle infrastructure is cheap, more than pays for itself in savings on road use and health benefits. This is a low cost way to get cyclists into and through Belco safely.

Ian McLeod Again you are going over the same diatribe about an incident you posted years ago and it’s not relevant to this post. Move on.

Ricky Toms It is not a rule at all. Cycles are and always have been vehicles : they were using the roads before cars and lobbying by cyclists made the modern road system possible. Cyclists pay for the roads they use through rates and most adult cyclists pay rego – I pay for two cars for my own use. Unless specifically prohibited cycles are as entitled to use them as any other vehicle.

Ian McLeod But all motorists who drive on them take up the roads that were originally built for cycles after lobbying by cyclists, paid for by their rates. Only a small number of motorists though kill and maim other people but that is why we build separate infrastructure for those who do not want to risk sharing the roads with some motorists.

Margaret Freemantle What data do you have that shows cycle paths are underused. I ride have been riding around Belconnen for 30 years and am not aware of any such path.

Jenny McGregor all the mla’s in that picture are Northside representatives, if people in your area want better bike paths you need to tell your local reps to make things start happening.

Jenny McGregor
It’s using a disused road.

Chris Steele is shown in the image and he ‘s a southside Southside MLA. However , like all Labor MLAs, hes only interested in infrastructure in Canberra’s north. Roll on the election!

I am a pensioners who rides a bike with friends, many of whom are pensioners Cycle infrastructure is much cheaper than other roads and provides a safe environment for our transport and recreational needs.

Peter Hatfield doesnt help those with hip or knee issues.But unless you can ride a bike your voice isnt heard.

Andrew Dudley not listening to what im saying.The elderly need transport to get them out to appointments, shopping and give them autonomy. Why can’t people see that this is hamtying the elderly!

Andrew Dudley still not listening!

Peter Hatfield lucky you still have your mobility.I am a nurse who is seeing the results of these restrictive measures.At least 2 fractured hips in elderly trying to walk further to bus stops,exhausted and tripping!They then have months in hospital ,rehab etc.Why are we not looking at the big picture??

Jenny McGregor This is not paid for from the public transport vote.. This is low cost infrastructure that can and is be used by people from eight to 88. Cycle, mobility device and pedestrian infrastructure done well reduces traffic and so outlays on roads. Some people put effort into maintaining their health and we should not be hamstrung doing so because some others are not able or believe they are not able to use cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

Peter Hatfield good on your forbears for having some great genes.What about those that are not so fortunate, are are they supposed to just rot in a hospital somewhere out of the Beautiful people’s sight!

You haven’t given us any good reason to listen to your bleating.

Widya Santoso our elderly care is bleating??As long as you are ok ,someone else can look after the interests and care of our not so capable people

Stephen Page-Murray your missing the point I’m making

Andrew Dudley not on about bike paths.But they do seem to take pecidence over other more pressing issues don’t they!!

Andrew Dudley Don’t want more ,most go unused as the bikes are on the road.Our elderly can’t get out their front doors and are trapped by not having services

Jenny McGregor What nonsense. Every budget has provision for health, transport and recreational spending. Spending on preventative infrastructure delivers greater health benefits than spending on treatment. Spending on cycle infrastructure reduces car use and associated high road costs. That I enjoy good health is in part because I cycle most local trips and recreationaly every week. That’s reduced costs for your hospitals and roads freeing up funds for public transport. Far from taking precedence, spending on cycle infrastructure is a fraction of that on roads for cars and less than other OECD countries. It is quite unfair to blame underspending on other areas on spending that saves money, and improves health and the environment (I am being polite – Greta would have opened with “…how dare you”.

Jenny McGregor… also what evidence do you have that supports your comment “most go unused as the bikes are on the road “. That’s like suggesting the streets are empty because there are cars on Gininderra Dive. Some cyclists use the road as they are entitled to do. Some only will ride on paths,especially families, females and older riders. Your care for older people is admirable but that is not a reason to underspend on needed cycling infrastructure.

Correct. It needs a safe marked way form the end of the old busway to the bike park area. The linkages between Coulter Drive bike lanes and nearby paths and quiet streets are poor – better links would make the busway section much more useful.

Peter Hatfield try getting to nettlefold and oatley crt area from Florey on a bike. Disaster unless you go over through Page. There does seem to be some possible path construction happening on Coulter dve though. Fingers crossed

Elspeth Shannon Rollason The ACT websites shows more of what is planned, including a path from John Cleland. It also needs a link form the bike path that runs under Coulter near there to the south bound bike lane on Coulter Drive.

Links are also needed between the Coulter’s Rd bike lanes and the underpass under Coulter Drive that leads into the Nettlefiold Oatley precinct.

https://www.tccs.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1425980/Belconnen-Bikeway-Presentation-Drawings-27-09-19.pdf

Pedal Power has a Belconnen working group that can take up these issues. I used to be on it but now I live more in Ballina than I do in Belconnen.

Peter Hatfield on road cycling on Emu Bank? That road is so busy, parked cars, many driveways. Perfectly good bike path already exists around the lake. Should just link to that and maintain it. No way would I ride on Emu bank road

Elspeth Shannon Rollason I wouldn’t say the Lake path it was perfectly good. But with properly engineered separate bike and cycle paths it might have been be a better alternative to Emu Bank which crosses the entrance to very busy car parks.

Anne Marie it won’t. It uses it the old bus line form the mall

Karl Hock Thanks -I suspected as much. Getting to UC from the Southside is a bit tricky, but not impossible…maybe one day.

Bus To Beco then ride to UC?

Karl Hock I ride from Weston, but have to cycle on a very horrid footpath along Bindubi St to avoid cycling on the road (perhaps there’s a better way to go?)

Anne I agree that stretch around cook/Aranda is hairy and if you go via the footpath it’s slow. I think the idea is that you stay on the bike path past the horse paddocks through into cook eventually heading towards the Jamison pool direction. Then you have to cross Belconnen Way and divert back through Bruce (still on bike paths) to UC and Radford. Not very direct but at least all bike path.

Sally Greenaway Thanks, I will try this.