[bikeqld] Coro Drive - oh goody

[Michael Yeates]

Hi all ...

How is the Coro Drive ONE WAY "bikeway" ?

Does it really need to be one way?

Does BCC really need to waste scarce cycling funds on traffic controllers?

Or is the current situation evidence that ...

(i) BCC has been rather vindictive in implementing the ONE WAY 
controlled system and

(ii) wants to "bury" the issue of allegedly substandard provision?

If (ii) is the case, is BCC trying to distract from the real issue 
namely provision of facilities that do (or do not) comply with 
"standards" and "guidelines" in order to avoid public scrutiny and 
investigation as to how the problems (?) with the facility came about?

To date it seems nobody has made public the measured clear minimum 
width ... although 2m has been mentioned.

The problem we face is the fact that cyclists in Brisbane have been 
accepting substandard facilities (both paths and bike lanes) for so 
long ... and almost everywhere across the city ... so most people 
(appear or act as if they) think how good it all is.

For example almost none of the path outside the former ABC Studios at 
Toowong complies. Most of the Sylvan Road "bike lanes" do not comply. 
Clearly for anyone cycling or walking, the inner part of the 
Bicentennial Bikeway (the sections approaching and under Victoria 
Bridge) were arguably never complying ... a cyclist died from 
injuries there as an outcome.

We use them and yes, they are "better than nothing" ... and so we 
have become accepting, begrudgingly tolerant if you like, of very 
poor facilities.

This is likely to continue because any new facilities done properly, 
will show up how bad the previous facilities are.

In fact it might (if BCC chose to be vindictive) mean re-building or 
closing most of the existing network ... especially as numbers of 
users increase as intended. Of course, like the 2000 and 2005 
targets, it is easy for BCC to ensure the targets never get achieved. 
One way is to ensure a constant supply of "barriers" (see below) to 
discourage new users ... and old.

Therefore IF the current temporary bikeway is substandard, might the 
current facility be better used only for inbound cyclists (to avoid 
multiple crossings of Coro Drive) while outbound cyclists use the 
kerb side lane (or footpath if they so choose) on Coro Drive?

At 2m, the existing facility may "work" with care by users ... is 
this the case?

For legal purposes (ie only in the event of an incident between 
cyclists) and to reflect the design speed upon which the facility 
design is based, should we ask Council for a posted 15km/h speed limit?

Or is it suitable ie "fit for purpose" at 20km/h?

We know from guidelines but also from experience eg South Bank, that 
10km/h is too slow.

Should we suggest the controllers be removed and the money saved 
spent on something useful eg at any number of problem sites?

The other "problem" illustrated by those now choosing not to use this 
corridor is the "induced" demand effect well known (by a number of 
different names) to those in the transport and traffic policy area.

By putting in a "barrier" such as this, the numbers (in this case, of 
cyclists and no doubt joggers and walkers and certainly people with 
disabilities) will be reduced sometimes quite dramatically ... some 
change to other modes or to other routes, or simply stop doing the 
activity ... thus reducing the problem.

This use of "barriers" also has the effect of making the new facility 
appear really good (and popular) when it is first opened ... by 
comparison with what was provided ... and will encourage an increase 
over previous use before the barrier was installed hence "induced" 
... but the effect may be temporary, or permanent and often is cyclic 
until people work out their own new personal preferences.

It works .. it exists ... induced demand is widely recognised ... and 
its why BCC suddenly needs so many more buses ... because by 
improving the bus service, many more people have been "induced" to 
use the system ... but the "barriers" remain viz the full buses, 
congestion on the busway/s, buses stuck in traffic congestion because 
there are no bus lanes, etc ... and it is also why the tunnels and 
bridges and new road projects all over the city will "induce" more car use.

Indeed these road projects on completion can be expected to induce a 
shift to the car from those using public transport and some people cycling.

Recently I took an international transport consultant for a tour of 
some of the projects.

For example, its worth considering why the $700m (and, like the bike 
bridge at Toowong and almost all such projects, it will cost far more 
than that) is good value for the Centenary overpass ... when it will 
encourage so much more car traffic in peak hours. No doubt it will 
"necessitate" the BCC tunnel from Toowong to the City Bypass which 
given it already is congested, will presumably no longer be congested 
once the NSBT tunnel is in operation ... and yes, somewhere in all 
that, like the Gold Coast rail line and the billion dollar M1, is a 
rail line probably with insufficient trains.

Like most new roads, these road projects (and the tunnels and 
bridges) will "induce" a lot more car use until it is sufficiently 
congested to again act as a "barrier" and presumably given current 
planning policies, this will again act as a trigger for another round 
of road "improvements" ...!

Of course nobody does accurate counts that are made public (other 
than perhaps academics ... or critics/advocates) so the "induced" 
demand effect goes almost un--noticed ... esp so in the hype and 
euphoria when the new project is finally in operation ... an 
interesting example is the bridge across the freeway at Toowong which 
started life as a way to cross Milton Road.

At the times I choose to travel, the HSL changes on Coro Drive will 
probably make almost no difference and maybe will slightly improve 
for motorists ... until I get to Toowong or to North Quay where any 
additional capacity on Coro Drive will suddenly add to the congestion 
we now have ... but if the car suits ...!

And in peak hours, the majority of cyclists on the "new" bikepath 
along the river will be looking at the adjacent almost empty walking 
path along Coro Drive ... much as motorists (and politicians and the 
vast majority of traffic engineers and some cyclists) look at bus lanes ...!

Some may even realise that the $100m for cycling (but it seems is for 
"shared footpaths") was actually being spent for the benefit of 
motorists and pedestrians esp if more people start cycling and 
walking and that then leads to conditions on Coro Drive that "induce" 
more car traffic ....

I left the following emails because they both make sense in the 
context ... the problem created by Council is perhaps, not the cyclists?

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

At 03:59 PM 5/05/2009, Yani wrote:

>I've seen a few cyclists do things I wouldn't do but they managed 
>them with style and showed skill.
>
>The point more being that cyclists make better drivers and 
>pedestrians when they are in that role.
>
>The group who are the most ignorant are the 'only' people. Only use 
>a car and never walk, only walk and never use a car and just as 
>likely 'only cycle' although that would be one tiny tiny demographic.
>
>Then there is group as in pack mentality. Likely a pack of cyclists 
>is as bad as any pack of anything human.
>
>I can say that as a pedestrian I've never had an issue ever with a 
>cyclist. And the reason??? I give them a bit of space. Nor do I have 
>issues with cyclists when I'm a car driver. If only the reverse was true.
>
>Yani
>
>
>----------
>From: Mick Fanning [mailto:cameraperson at bigpond.com]
>Sent: Sunday, May 03, 2009 11:28 PM
>To: Yani
>Cc: bikeqld
>Subject: Re: [bikeqld] Coro Drive - oh goody
>
>Sorry Yani but I must differ. I only occasionally see bad pedestrian 
>behaviour there but see silly cyclists on that path every day. But I 
>feel that it is mostly just boorish behaviour rather than downright 
>dangerous. You do encounter the odd bloody-minded pedestrian. There 
>are very few actual incidents when you consider how much traffic there is.
>
>Mick Fanning
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