[bikeqld] Toowong roundabout

[Michael Yeates]

Hi Mick ...

Perhaps somebody (Cr Prentice perhaps?) has been advised eg by the 
bus drivers that the crossing is/was in the wrong place?

So having spent all the money on the related work, probably best 
politically to simply remove the red coloured crossing identification?

It is in the wrong place for a number of reasons ... which would have 
been obvious to anyone with "planning" experience.

These include ...

1. buses leaving the "Bus Lane" and which have to turn left (they are 
not allowed to turn right here) then have to cross the bike crossing 
but it surely must be known to the BCC "designers" that bus drivers 
(as with truck drivers) have very poor visibility down the left side 
... especially of cyclists ... and in this case made worse if the bus 
has started to change direction and is beginning to turn left.

2. the "bus lane" and "green lane" now appears to require cyclists to 
cross in front of the buses several times yet this was not necessary 
... so why was it done?

3. there is a high speed "Bus Lane" which could so easily be a 
"shared zone" with speed limit of say 10km/h instead of the "Bus 
Lane" ... but this would still 'require' cyclists cross over the bus 
path and in addition to that, also across other traffic at the Dean 
Street end.

It seems as if there was some particular reason for not relocating 
the refuge and northern kerb ramp on Miskin ... but given it would 
move the crossing further from that really dangerous two into one 
lane merge on the exit from the roundabout, and that would be a major 
benefit, I would be interested to hear what it is.

If the refuge had been moved up Miskin so the crossing "fed" straight 
across Miskin onto the "green bike lane" and if necessary, the "green 
lane" was wider and two way then there would be "wins" all round ... 
specifically for cyclists, peds, and bus drivers but also for all 
users of Miskin Street  ... rather than as "designed" (?) at present.

Buses would not be turning across the bike crossing, cyclists would 
not be crossing the bus paths several times and the whole facility 
would have cost heaps less ...

Alternatively, and using the "yellow BIKE" symbols instead of the 
"Bus Lane", surely the buses could be required to travel that short 
distance at say, 10km/h ...?

At present there are (or were) no speed limit signs, so it appears 
the buses may be entitled to travel at 50km/h on the "Bus Lane" yet 
this connection between Miskin and Dean Streets is really something 
that should be part of the bus depot internal road network.

Or if it MUST be outside, then it should be treated as a quiet street 
in a park rather than allowing an internal connecting road in what 
was originally better suited as a "park" than a high speed bus lane.

I understand BQ was consulted ... but was anybody else?

Perhaps the question should be asked as to who specifically was 
consulted at BQ?

In other words is this a design BQ agreed ... with BCC?

A cynic has asked whether the "red" crossing remained only until 
AFTER the opening celebrations for the bridge (Frasers Folly?) on the weekend.

Perhaps since that bridge is the result of asking for a road crossing 
of Milton Road, we should be asking Mr Fraser for a crossing of Miskin Street?

MY.........................

At 12:47 PM 19/08/2009, Mick Fanning wrote:

>What is going on at the Toowong cemetary roundabout? That lovely new
>red crossing they put in a couple of weeks ago has been dug up and
>replaced with asphalt. I wonder if the cycling budget paid for that?
>
>Mick Fanning
>
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