Save Mona DH shuttle access. Submissions close 28 Aug

Save Mona DH Access! Submissions close Aug 28th

Hi all

We need urgent help making a submission for the Mona Vale Road widening. Emails need to be sent no later than Aug 28th COB.

There is a real risk of losing shuttle access.

Please ask RMS to work with riders to allow a drop of bay as agreed in 2013. This is to manage road safety so Council can formalise the track.

Their proposal for the widening Mona Vale Road does not consider shuttle access. However while impacting on the previously agreed location it may create a better alternative right at the existing drop of point at the Laurel Rd East firetrail. Please let them know by emailing [email protected].

http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-north/...

My submission and some history is below.

Simon

To whom it may concern,

Trail Care Inc represents around 200 mountain bike riders who use the downhill mountain bike track at Ingleside Reserve. We also provide a voice for 20,000 mountain bike riders in northern Sydney. Downhill tracks and bikes may only be ridden in the downhill direction. This track is used by locals for training for State, National and World Cup events. It is visited by a number of world champions when they visit Australia who ride professionally. These visits are highly valued by local racers and the other 95% of riders who are recreational.

We were previously on the Mona Vale Road Upgrade community stakeholder list but have not been contacted since August 2013. We have provided significant feedback previously and are now surprised that we were not contacted to contribute to the recent 2014 consultation or on the REF.

It appears the current design has not considered prior feedback and discussion with RMS. A few of the prior emails are attached. Here is a summary of prior discussion and feedback to RMS through John Begley and Peter Styles. Maps have been provided previously to RMS.

The bike track runs in the descending direction only and riders are currently dropped off on Mona Vale Rd at the Laurel Road East firetrail. Riders are picked up near Mater Maria School.

TrailCare has been working on this track with Pittwater Council since 2012. Council has amended the Ingleside Reserve Plan of Management, completed an REF and a trail design audit of the track.

TrailCare facilitated discussion with RMS and Department of Lands for Pittwater Council and local riders via Premier Mike Baird through the ministerial process (ML12/07526 and M12/14324 respectively).

The outcome with regards to Mona Vale Road was an inspection of the road near Ingleside Road on 3 December 2013 and support from RMS for Council to move the bollards to accommodate a new drop off bay for vehicles shuttling bikes and riders. This resolved road safety issues with the current drop off point at Laurel Road East at the exit to the current road cutting. Riders could then use an existing but overgrown access track that runs on the southern side of Mona Vale Road to Laurel Road East in the RMS road easement. Vehicles then continue west on Manor Vale Road, turning left into Manor Road to turn around and head east to the bottom of the bike track.

The progress by Council in arranging this access has slowed while the Ingleside land release is finalised following which a short section of the existing mountain bike track will be rerouted to the eastern side of Laurel Road East firetrail.

When we previously reviewed Option 2 it appeared that the bike track would not be impacted. However we are concerned now that the road widening near Ingleside Road brings the alignment slightly south and increases the vertical alignment. It appears that Mona Vale Road is now not at grade with Ingleside Road with little space for the drop off bay. The existing access track to the south along Mona Vale Road to Laurel Rd East may be lost due to an embankment.

It appears that the existing westbound lane in the vicinity of Laurel Rd East firetrail is to be retained but not as a trafficable lane. This appears to be an alternative location for the shuttle drop off bay with direct access to Laurel Road East firetrail? We would obviously need to manage riders so that they are directed away from nearby sensitive sites.

The current proposal would see large numbers of riders in the weekend mornings and summer weekday evenings riding down Mona Vale Road in the eastern direction on the road shoulder adjacent to the westbound lanes.

Trail Care is keen to continue working with RMS to resolve access to this track. Mountain bike riders would be the largest community stakeholder group affected by this project other than road users.

Regards
Dr Simon Kean
TrailCare.com.au

https://facebook.com/pages/Trail-Care/1988624101...