I have attached an article from last weekend's Sydney Morning Herald
"Drive" section. I apologise that I couldn't find a link, as it come
from a supplement, and articles published in supplements are usually no
available as links on news sites
I originally hid the article from my wife, who has just starte
commuting locally, as there was an editorial comment in blue inserte
into the article which ran : I]Triathlete clubs discourage members wit
families from riding on Sydney roads. Didn't want her to worry furthe
about traffic issues which shouldn't effect her in the 'burbs, and are
daily issue commuting into the city
The article raises a few issues, but also points to some positives an
touches on topics very near and dear to several sites on this forum
For your enlightenment if you missed it, or are from other areas
Colour photo 5 col x 11 cm depicted scene of lone rider - curbside b
about 20cms of tarmac, dwarfed by peak-hour 3x3 lanes - probabl
Paramatta Rd, (near Sydney Uni) but still with a fairly large safet
zone around him and the following car indicating a lane change to pass
regard
SteveDe
("I ride to work, but I work to ride".
Chain reaction Author: By Peter McKay. Date: 07/02/2004 Words: 116
Source: SMH Publication: Sydney Morning Herald Section: Motoring Page:
The odds are stacked against cyclists in Sydney, but more people tha
ever are using bikes to get around the city
The L-plater went past a cyclist on a Sydney street and accelerate
dramatically while mouthing obscenities. When something similar happene
a little later in the lesson, driver trainer Jeff McDougall pulled hi
over for a serious chat. "It turned out that he loathed bike riders,
said McDougall, who is the state president of the Australian Drive
Trainers Association. "As a kid, he had accompanied his father in hi
truck and his dad hated cyclists. He routinely cursed them and,
gathered, also intimidated them. This father had, perhaps unwittingly
passed on his own overly aggressive, dangerous habits to his son.
Motorists' attitudes to cyclists here are, at best, ambivalent
McDougall notes a widespread ignorance among drivers about how to dea
with moving past bike riders safely. He teaches new drivers to, wher
possible, change lanes rather than squeeze past cyclists: "Driver
should be aware that cyclists occasionally hit potholes or objects o
the road, which can unseat them. They also can be blown sideways by win
gusts." While he accepts that some rogue cyclists test drivers' patienc
and sense of fair play when they ride through red lights, or weav
between cars stopped in traffic, McDougall says bike riders have ever
right to be on the road (it is illegal for adults to ride on footpaths
and that it is legal for cyclists to pass stationary vehicles on th
left. "I know some people believe cyclists should be subjected to a for
of licensing, but perhaps motorists should accept that pushbikes ar
healthy zero-emissions transport for some. And, in a small way, the
help ease the peak-traffic congestion and parking problems," McDougal
said. Our attitudes to cycling and cyclists contrast starkly with thos
in Europe where, in Amsterdam and other cycle-friendly cities, two
wheelers are treated with respect. It's uncool to scare or threaten road
users who are so patently vulnerable. In the Netherlands, where traffi
volume is similar to that of Sydney, there is high emphasis on saf
cycle networks. As cold as it can be in that country, there are 14 time
as many trips by bicycle and eight times more bicycle kilometres ridde
than in Australia. Crash statistics from the Australian Transport Safet
Bureau suggest that, while fewer bike riders are being killed on ou
roads now than 15 years ago, there are still plenty of bad years. Loca
triathlete clubs discourage members with families from riding on Sydne
roads. While riding a bike in Australia's largest city is not exactl
akin to going off to war, it is nevertheless a risky business. Australi
was the first country to introduce compulsory bicycle helmet legislatio
(1990-92). Helmet-wearing rates soared with the introduction of
compulsory use, but bike use declined in the years following the
legislation. While some people dislike donning helmets, adult helmet-
wearing compliance has remained high since; children's less so. But
compulsory helmet-wearing can send a mixed message, says Neil Tonkin,
the chief executive of Australia's largest cycling organisation, Bicycle
NSW. "Governments cite health issues like heart disease and obesity in
the community to encourage people to ride more," Tonkin said. "Yet, by
insisting that riders must wear helmets, they suggest that cycling is
inherently dangerous. The road safety view may be hurting the health
message." Tonkin reminds parents that children below the age of 12 are
allowed to ride on footpaths, along with accompanying adults. But bike
use has fundamentally changed over the past generation. Kids today
rarely cycle to school; parents are worried about the dangers. This
wasn't the case a few decades ago, when traffic volume was far lower
than today's levels. "A whole generation of Sydneysiders hasn't ridden
bikes; some people think cyclists are some kind of vermin," Tonkin said.
But 1.1 million cycles were imported into Australia during the last
financial year. More bikes were sold than new motor vehicles. The RTA of
NSW says that 1.15 million Sydney households have a cycle - that's a
jump of 41 per cent since 1991. More Sydneysiders than ever are riding,
although Sydney is not a perfect city for cycling because of the
terrain, narrow roads and dearth of a comprehensive network of safe
cycleways that connect commercial centres, public transport terminals,
schools and civic areas. There are also limited facilities to park and
secure bicycles. But Tonkin is encouraged by the commitment by the State
Government to BikePlan 2010, which has $251 million allocated to bike
infrastructure over 10 years. State Roads Minister Carl Scully has a
personal interest in the project: he is a cyclist. Most of the money is
being spent in Sydney's west. It's more open and easier to construct a
bike network there than in congested inner-city areas, where to take
precious road space for bikes would be to commit political suicide. A
coastal cycleway is also planned, giving people along the Pacific the
opportunity to ride to nearby towns rather than drive. "The most cycle-
friendly cities in the world are also the most liveable cities," said
Rosemary Speidel, of the Cycle Promotion Fund. Cycling is a viable
transport option for people who live within a 3-5km radius of the CBD.
Trips into the city by cyclists have more than doubled since 1991,
though bike riders remain a tiny proportion of commuters. There are
proposals to encourage cycling within Central Sydney with marked bicycle
routes through the city, a recreational foreshore route from Pyrmont to
Woolloomooloo and other measures, including the provision of additional
bicycle parking facilities. Bikes are permitted on trains and ferries in
Sydney, although sometimes a small charge applies. Secure bicycle
lockers are also provided for medium-term rental at selected railway
stations and ferry wharves. "If people realised how inefficient the
motor vehicle is, they'd understand why we are so determined to get road
space for cycles," said Tonkin, who is encouraged by research revealing
that 70 per cent of Sydneysiders favour "active" transport -
interconnecting walkways, cycleways and public transport - over more
urban freeways. He insists that it shouldn't be hard for people to
occasionally leave their motor vehicles at home and take the bike out
instead - 55 per cent of car trips are shorter than 5km; 33 per cent are
shorter than 3km.
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