[bikeqld] Cycling across crossings enforcement

[kim]

I find it pretty amazing that that particular crossing on one of 
Brisbane's most utilised bikeways, still has no ride-over facility. Main 
Roads don't seem  to have bought into that philosophy at all. Even BCC 
has started making some ride-over facilities at pedestrian crossings. 
That particular crossing of Moggill Rd is really a bit of a no-man's 
land for pedestrians. You would probably count 100 cyclists crossing 
there for every one pedestrian and even if there were more pedestrians, 
there is gobs of room for both to do so safely. Heading outbound there 
is even a sign for cyclists to dismount to cross the now defunct slip 
lane. In my view MR could easily install a ride-over facility for 
cyclists to improve their own bikeway.

What are our thoughts on this bikeway becoming a shared path?

Main Roads seems quite content with the idea and makes no effort to warn 
pedestrians off the bikeway (certainly not on the older section). I have 
noticed an increase in the number of pedestrians using the bikeway, 
particularly after daylight hours, which can be dangerous. I have 
mentioned this to the local police in the past and I find it pretty 
ironic (although not so surprising) that the police are actually 
targeting the cyclists for using the pedestrian facilities.

I will ask MR if indeed they are encouraging me, or would prefer me, to 
use the road  rather than this bikeway as it seems that they prefer to 
avail the facility to pedestrians as well as discontinuing the bikeway 
across moggill rd and making cyclists walk across. It should be noted 
that the Western Freeway is able to be legally used by cyclists and has 
mostly adequate shoulders. Perhaps MR might review their design if 
cyclists started using the road along there.

kim

ps Ian, you must be pretty quick with your camera to catch that one in 
town. It's a wonder they did not hassle you about taking the picture and 
jail you on some terrorism charge :) I too have seen the bike police, 
(bobbies on bicycles two by two) but they seem to confine themselves to 
just the inner city paths. I have never seen any as far out as the 
Western Freeway on their bikes, only in cars on the bike track. I 
actually had some OH&S concerns when I have seen them. I am not sure 
that having all the gear strapped around their waist including 
presumably loaded weapons, could be such a good thing in the event of an 
accident or fall. I see them riding motorcycles with even heftier belts 
and short sleeved office shirts and as a former motorcyclist myself, I 
cringe.



 Ian Lister wrote:
> This morning at the Ride to Work Day breakfast I heard from another 
> cyclist that on Tuesday morning the police were issuing written 
> warnings to cyclists cycling across the crossing of Moggill Rd on the 
> Western Freeway. Did anybody here witness that? Given that crossing 
> actually has lean bars on it I had assumed that amounted to tacit 
> approval of cycling across there (what else are they for?!) even 
> though it is of course a violation of section 248 of the road rules.
>
> Imagine my further surprise (OK, so I'm naive) when, at the end of the 
> breakfast, three bike cops happily cycled across the marked foot 
> crossing on North Quay:
>
>     http://www.bikeqld.org.au/wiki/Image:Police_on_crossing.jpg
>
> Seems like some pretty mixed messages?
>
> Ian
>
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