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Government ministers are failing the people and putting lives at risk
This should be of interest to everybody, not just those who ride to work in the city.
Ministers Gay and Constance today announced the demolition of the College St cycleway.
Their antipathy to cyclists is now on open display, on a day when, sadly, a fellow rider has lost their life after being run over from behind by an earthmoving truck and trailer in the eastern suburbs.
Chapeau to Ray Rice from BNSW for calling out this bloody-mindedness for what it is.
http://bicyclensw.org.au/government-ministers-ar...
“Their decision to abandon the Sydney City Centre Access Strategy contradicts the Government commitment to double the mode share of cycling in Sydney by 2016 as outlined in the Sydney’s Cycling Future3, ironically titled ‘Cycling for everyday transport’. The Minister’s announcement seriously puts people’s lives at risk by forcing bicycle riders onto congested roads with a culture unprepared for sharing with cyclists. The decision is bad for transport, bad for health and bad for business”, says Ray Rice.
We challenge Minister Constance’s statement that “Today is about providing businesses plenty of time to prepare and plan well ahead of major construction activity.” The Access Strategy was released in December 2013 and businesses have been preparing for the planned infrastructure that promised to serve active transport and relieve our choking roads. Businesses have been significantly investing in end of trip facilities for bicycle riders however the Government is not going to provide the on-road facilities essential to safe commuter cycling. It is the Government that is unprepared and the Ministers who have failed to plan ahead.
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Why are they doing this? There's no wonder people are unwilling to ride their bike to work, the roads are scary enough without taking away what few cycle lanes there are. And to back track on previous strategies is just plain ridiculous.
Very sad about the guy killed on New South Head Rd this morning, it's a road I know well and cycle often. It's also ripe for putting a cycle lane in but I doubt the councils will.
Stay safe out there.
Gay has expressed irritation with cyclists and since first taking office has been looking for an excuse to get rid of the College St Cycleway. As a self-confessed petrolhead his behaviour should not surprise.
This announcement combined with his desire to license cyclists is clearly designed to discourage the rapid growth in cycling in Sydney.
The absolutely stupid thing is that cycleways are proven to be better for business, by quietening the road environment, and encouraging greater numbers of people who are more exposed to the retail offerings by virtue of not being insulated behind a shield of glass and steel.
Here's an extract from his joint press release:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-a...
I'd love to see how they propose to license cyclists, I for one will never pay for it.
As someone who uses the College Street Cycleway to get to work I find it pretty scary that that they are planning on shutting it down.
The Strava Heat Map shows the College Street Cycleway is ridiculously busy.
On the way home I ride the Kent Street cycleway. Kent Street is LORD OF THE FLIES .. it's frickin mental. Not a day goes by where I don't yell at a pedestrian who walks out in front of a car or cyclist. Then there's the crazy crap like this that doesn't help.
From what I can work out they are going to re-route everyone down Liverpool Street and onto Kent Street. My God.
Kent Street will be as congested with cyclists as it is with cars and numb-nut pedestrians.
end rant.
Aren't they shutting down the whole of George Street for cars for 3 years and then forever though? I would expect all user groups are inconvenienced by that. But I would assume the whole plan is ultimately for the greater good. I would still rather ride to work than drive, or bus for that matter, or train or light rail, or ...........
the communication has been shit, with zero mention of it.
Duncan Gay has been moaning about the College St cycleway pretty much since his first day in office.
His justification - see highlighted section in the middle photo in the link on the original post - has been to prioritise motor vehicle users over everyone else, and he has billed himself repeatedly as the government's biggest bike lane sceptic.
What do you get when you put those pieces together? Certainly not a pretty picture, that's for sure.
This government's opposition to bike lanes is ideological, not even remotely evidence based.