Cyclists and walkers can co-exist … sometimes. Photo: David Murtagh.
I remember a number of years ago doing talkback on the ABC. There was always a certain amount of trepidation when you opened up the lines on one particular topic.
It wasn’t the state of the city’s healthcare or the lack of sports facilities that created a virtual tsunami of hatred from talkback callers. No, it was a simple suggestion that Canberra’s drivers needed to be more considerate of cyclists, an issue close to my heart at the time as I was then an avid cyclist.
The decision to open up the issue on talkback wasn’t made on the spur of the moment but followed a number of incidents on the city’s roads and in popular cycling areas, such as the Cotter.
Cycling is a major part of our city, but not all people are happy with cyclists on the roads, alongside roads or on cycleways. Photo: File.
An overwhelming number of callers were critical of cyclists, saying they didn’t obey road roads, and there was a lack of courtesy from cyclists on walking/cycling paths around the Lake, especially on weekends when the ‘warriors’ hopped on their bikes.
Other callers said cyclists shouldn’t be on the roads because they don’t pay registration fees.
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Callers also conflated their views on cyclists with electric scooters. Anger was aimed at the behaviour of those on scooters. This added to the general ‘pile on’ towards anybody not in a car, ute or truck, or walking in the specified spaces.
Yes, even the behaviour of runners on footpaths fell under the same umbrella as cyclists and scooter riders.
And this is the dilemma. It’s so easy to become distracted by related issues such as scooters rather than focusing on respect for cyclists on the city’s roads.
So I raise this issue again with a certain amount of trepidation after coming across a rally on the weekend calling for one of three lanes on Northbourne Avenue to be devoted to cyclists.
Probably not a good time to open talkback lines!
While I can see the merit, I can also see it as a lightning rod towards cyclists, the majority of whom are simply riding to work, using a bike for transport, or engaging in riding as a healthy lifestyle choice.
I can imagine the callers now.
“There were hardly any cyclists in the dedicated cycling lane when I went down Northbourne.”
“Why should cyclists have a dedicated lane? They don’t pay registration fees.”
Or “It’s dangerous having too many cyclists on the roads. They should stick to footpaths.”
I’ve got to say, I’m not a fan of scooter riders on footpaths either, especially on crowded footpaths.
When discussing push bikes, scooters seem to always enter into the conversation. Photo: Supplied.
I remember naively suggesting that while cyclists don’t pay registration fees, many own cars and pay taxes, and the impact on the road surface from a push bike is minimal. It helps reduce the impact of climate change by keeping more cars off the road, and because cyclists are generally healthier, it has a beneficial effect on the public health care system.
It did little to placate our callers. If anything, it appeared to intensify their hatred towards cyclists on our roads.
The backlash against cyclists in Canberra still surprises me. In a progressive city where a healthy lifestyle is a selling point, cycling, and cycling paths should be seen as part of our city’s attributes.
It probably shouldn’t surprise me, though, as I’ve experienced rubbish being thrown at me while cycling and vehicles running me off the road.
It’s probably why I don’t do it as much today.
It also shows we still have a long way to go before we can declare ourselves a cycle-friendly city.
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