2 September 2010

The whys of bike path signs

| johnboy
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[First filed: Sep 1, 2010 @ 9:27]

Bike path sign

Aronde sent this one in with a note:

Hi. I have seen a lot of bike signage appearing which is great but I am just wondering how many people standing on Emu Bank looking over Lake Ginninderra would want to know how far it is to the Charnwood Shops? Especially when numerous other suburban shops are closer and Westfield is right behind you!

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Good to see that we are all a tolerant bunch on here who don’t judge people or suburbs of a lower socio-economic class to us.

In defense of the Charnie shops, they have a decent and cheap Chinese takeaway (IMHO at least as good as most of the Chinese in Kingston at half the price), some of the only half-way decent fish and chips in Canberra (still not great for someone who moved here from the coast, but it will do) and a video shop with a surprising amount of variety.

And let’s face it, Charnie is no Lakemba, Woodridge or Footscray.

On a side note, the only time I have ever experienced any aggro in Canberra was on a night out in Kingston and it came from a guy in a very expensive looking suit.

troll-sniffer10:42 am 02 Sep 10

Methinks that the signs are designed for newcomers and the otherwise less knowledgeable riders who are referring to one of the cycleways maps and seeking to establish their location.

Looked at from this rather sensible and staid viewpoint, the wherefores, if tnot the whys, become instantly apparent.

Don’t go that way, NEVER go that way!

A lot of the new shared paths run alongside roads, such as the one that runs up William Slim Drive. On the other hand, the older paths often don’t do that, and that puts a measure of guesswork into navigating them.
Before the new signage was put up, it was possible to arrive at an intersection on the older shared paths in particular (think near Lake Ginninderra or in Kaleen for instance) and have no way of knowing other than trial and error as to where you were gonna wind up.
The new signs solve much of that problem, and as some of the respondents rightly point out, they also serve as a warning: who’d want to cycle or walk all the way to the Carniewood shops?

just stay away from charny anyway………….ya pack of tools

Turn right!

Though UC isn’t that much better than charny..

So much better than the old signs that just said City, without mentioning which City Centre.

I saw another on the other side of the lake with Charnwood shops 5km. I thought it was pretty odd when I saw it.

antycbr said :

The path _through_ the AIS has a sign saying “AIS 0.5” – the presence of large sporting fields, indoor halls and the dome from the Sustain ads in clear line of sight to the bike path must not be enough for some people.

There’s one 0.3 km from the shops in Curtin, too. The shops are straight in front of the sign.

Haha I saw that recently and also wondered what on earth it was doing there. Makes sense if htat’s where the bike path goes though.

The path _through_ the AIS has a sign saying “AIS 0.5” – the presence of large sporting fields, indoor halls and the dome from the Sustain ads in clear line of sight to the bike path must not be enough for some people.

I take that path quite a bit. And it’s rather deflating to think it’s only six kilometres to Charnie shops — it feels to me more like twenty.

The path does end at Charnie shops, although I had to stop and think about it because it comes to a pretty natural-feeling left turn to follow the creek through Latham to Kippax (and beyond?).

Maybe it’s there for those wanting assisted suicide. Ride to Charnwood shops, call the first person you see a wanker and wait to be stabbed to death.

It’s obviously a public safety measure warning other residents.

ConanOfCooma11:29 am 01 Sep 10

So the path stops at Charnwood shops?

Here, there’s no path. No path, Chopper.

Yeah they are at the end of that path.

NickD said :

Are Charnwood Shops at the end of that bike path?

Dunlop, Fraser and MacGregor come to mind.

Are Charnwood Shops at the end of that bike path?

Maybe the really simple answer is: ‘That’s where the bike paths go.’

ConanOfCooma10:46 am 01 Sep 10

The junkies need to know how to get home when they have just gotten on, and I think it’s rather noble that the authorities have aknowledged this minority that requires special assistance to make it home.

Hells_Bells7410:23 am 01 Sep 10

I just saw the picture *slaps head* lol

Holden Caulfield9:59 am 01 Sep 10

Haha, that’s brilliant!

Hells_Bells749:58 am 01 Sep 10

If I head down the razorback road (Kuringa Drive) it only takes a few short minutes from my place to Charnwood. No lights that way though and I don’t imagine it takes much longer to head out onto Ginninderra Drive and up to Charny. My daughters have lived there a few years now, it doesn’t ever seem far from here for me.

I suppose looking at a map would tell you how many km’s from shop to shop? Depending on which way you go.

There is a similar sign like this on the other side of the lake near the intersection of Ginninderra Drive and William Webb Drive, the arrow is pointing more towards Evatt hinting that Charny shops is only 6km’s away. (Pssst Evatt shops is actually a good 2km’s from that sign by road, I doubt Charny is only 6km’s away)

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