17 April 2012

Proposed plan for the Yarralumla Creek cycle path

| kepayne
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A media statement released by the Territory and Municipal Services today discusses the proposed plan for the Yarralumla Creek cycle path.

The Yarralumla Creek cycle bridge was washed away in December 2011 and is beyond repair. Currently a detour is set up that sends cyclists to Carruthers and then back to Yarra Glen.

Tony Gill outlines the new plan, which is expected to be completed by October 2012.

“Following an analysis of the damage, the ACT Government has chosen a preferred solution which redirects cyclists along the traffic bridge over Yarralumla Creek, adjacent to the Yarra Glen/Melrose Drive/Yamba Drive roundabout.” “This option would involve the construction of a 42 metre long cycle lane to connect Melrose Drive with the adjacent off-road cycle path.”

If you’re a cycling enthusiast around that area, the ACT Government is currently seeking feedback on the proposed plan before 28 May. You can either call Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 or visit www.timetotalk.act.gov.au for more information.

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Its what I was hoping for. The bridge had the downside of encouraging some to ride the wrong way in the bike lane – its a road lane people!
Any closer and they’d need to bridge the storm channel you can see in the satellite photo.
I agree with Brandi too, the devil is in the detail.
If they provide ample space at each intersection it could work well, if not, aaargh.

thatsnotme said :

This looks like a perfectly sensible solution, that costs a lot less than the alternative, and will be completed far sooner.

Agreed.

Why not build a new bridge that looks like a piece of artwork?

stormboy said :

“For the motorists out there, compare this to directing a 50kph suburban lane onto the Tuggernong Parkway with a perpendicular T-intersection – the speed differential creates a hazard, even with give-way signage.”

Ridiculous comparison! More like turning off a quite country road onto a highway where the motorist needs to take care. Yes there is a speed differential but volumes and spacings are vastly different. Motorists AND cyclists all need to take a bit of responsibility for their own actions.

I was going to say “build a bridge and get over your poor inconvenienced me attitude” but the f#cking thing would probably wash away.

+1 It’s not like there’s limited visibility in that area – it’s wide and open, and cyclists both already on the cycle lane, plus those needing to enter it, have excellent visibility of each other.

I actually think it’s a heap safer than the old arrangement, where the path meeting the road had a lot of trees in the vicinity, before it entered at an angle – meaning riders would need to look over their shoulder to see if they needed to give way, and could maintain higher speeds – so if they failed to give way, you’d have two bikes travelling at speed coming together.

This looks like a perfectly sensible solution, that costs a lot less than the alternative, and will be completed far sooner.

johnboy said :

that’s a different stretch of bike path

Hard to keep up with all the paths washing away.

So they’re not going to use the old red bridge from belconnen mall then?

that’s a different stretch of bike path

“For the motorists out there, compare this to directing a 50kph suburban lane onto the Tuggernong Parkway with a perpendicular T-intersection – the speed differential creates a hazard, even with give-way signage.”

Ridiculous comparison! More like turning off a quite country road onto a highway where the motorist needs to take care. Yes there is a speed differential but volumes and spacings are vastly different. Motorists AND cyclists all need to take a bit of responsibility for their own actions.

I was going to say “build a bridge and get over your poor inconvenienced me attitude” but the f#cking thing would probably wash away.

pikiran_keruh said :

Cheap option much…., why not rebuild the bridge?

Might get washed away again?

Riders from the other shared path (-35.335705,149.086154) will have to double back a short distance to use the bridge at the new location.

Road cyclists are doing speeds of 30-40kph, sometimes up to 57kph, on that stretch of the Melrose Drive/Yarra Glen bike lane. Inserting slow-moving cyclists from the path at that point, without a suitable merge lane to the left, would be a crash hazard. And with a bus lane to the right there is potential for fatal collisions, especially during morning rush hour.

For the motorists out there, compare this to directing a 50kph suburban lane onto the Tuggernong Parkway with a perpendicular T-intersection – the speed differential creates a hazard, even with give-way signage.

Poor design, wrong location. This is one worth responding to.

pikiran_keruh11:48 am 17 Apr 12

Cheap option much…., why not rebuild the bridge?

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