[bikeqld] Things that make you go hmmmm.....

[kim]

With not even the police willing to keep pedestrians off the Western 
Freeway Bikeway, I think MR is rubbing salt into the wound with their 
latest faux pas; they placed 'Pedestrians Watch Your Step' signs on the 
bikeway adjacent to some trench works off the side.

Further in..... Miskin St now has a colourful crossing point for 
cyclists to and from the Western Freeway bikeway and a slightly wider 
refuge. I don't know what to make of the thin green line through the bus 
way yet as it is still unfinished but notably the dog leg at the Miskin 
end looks uninviting and I think many cyclists will continue straight 
across Miskin St from the green area.

A little further in, Sylvan Rd got a bit of a makeover and they 
addressed some of the cyclists' concerns. They say the symbols will all 
be redone soon as part of it. Yet to see if they fix that concrete spoon 
drain you ride over near the rail overpass, it was mentioned. Not happy 
about how they patch the failed sections and created the join right bang 
in the middle of the bike lane so that if there is any subsidence or 
degradation, it creates an in-line lip right where you ride, which is 
bad news for cyclists. A few of the very ancient service covers in the 
bike lane are not likely to get replaced with more bicycle friendly 
ones, but it was mentioned.

And now a little more of a dig at the Bicentennial upgrade: Is it just 
me, or does anyone else see that the design of the retaining wall using 
jagged sharp split face blocks presents a risk for cyclists riding near 
to the left of the track? Not only is it a knuckle and pinky grater but 
more seriously it would be a nasty place for the side of a kid's face to 
land if he or she struck the wall. It would seem that some sort of 
aesthetic has triumphed over common sense bicycle friendly design. 
Surely a smooth wall would make more safety sense? That split face 
detail is horrendous for graffiti removal too. Do these designs get 
reviewed to ensure they are fit for purpose? Does BQ get consulted 
before the design is given the okay to ensure someone has taken the 
cyclist perspective on it? Or is that too much to expect?

http://www.bikeqld.org.au/wiki/Image:Rough_Wall_Feature.JPG

k




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