Bike Paths in Manningham
If you look at the VicRoads Bicycle path map below you will see that there are a lot of proposed paths in Manningham, but mostly there is no path from A to B.
There are a dozen “Green’ exclusive bike lanes – but most last under 2 km long – then become shared again. Our parks are good for scenic riding, but we have concerns about commuter rides. Have a look and comment on whether your regular commutes have safe bicycle options and for how far.
4 Comments
• It is hard to take this plan seriously–it looks more like a dogs breakfast than a carefully planned Principal Cycling Network.
• None of the on road cycle facilities are separated from motor traffic by physical constraints (e.g. barriers, or bollards), but are only segregated by painted markings.
• The proposal that riders should share a parking lane is extremely dangerous because it means cyclists will have to ride in and out of busy traffic lanes to avoid parked cars
• In regard to shared footpaths paths, many driveway crossovers cross shared paths and car drivers tend not to look for bikes as they enter or leave their premises.
• Difficult crossing points at busy intersections with narrow median strips between traffic (not wide enough for bike to fit)
• Car drivers speeding and overtaking bike riders too close or when it is not safe
• Except for exclusive paths there is really no safe place for cyclists–certainly not on roads or footpaths.
Wilbur
In my opinion, most roads would be better off without bike lanes. Bike lanes require a lot of physical requirements to be safe. If you bend these regulations too far, you wind up with a cycling environment more hazardous than the same street without a bike lane. These requirements include factors such as sight distance, driveways, intersections, path surface quality, edge drop-offs and slope. The most common instances where authorities are ignoring regulations are: inviting cyclists (over 12 years) to ride on the footpath, improperly navigate intersections, a narrow path width and the practice of allowing shared car parking lanes.
Emily Tran
Installing marked bike lanes alongside parked vehicles, unless a wider space is provided for the opening of car doors, is an example of irresponsible planning. This is because car doors can – and are – opened at unpredictable moments, causing serious injuries to cyclists. This takes up a lot of space, about 5.5 meters for the parking lane and bike lane combined. The introduction of painted kerbside cycling lanes, even if there is no parking permitted, is just as dangerous.
K.H.
For cyclists to travel directly for any distance, safe dedicated lanes would need to be provided on main roads.
Sharing Bus lanes with cyclists is not the answer. Bus drivers would continually have to swerve into traffic lanes to pass bike riders, especially on steep sections where some slow riders might have to dismount and wheel their bikes, which would not be easy in heavy traffic.
Except for small sections where there are service lanes, the only alternative routes for cyclists in Manningham Road and Doncaster Road would be by way of Bus lanes. The other main arterials, Tram Road and Elgar Road, have only two traffic lanes either way which leaves no room for Bus lanes let alone providing for safe cycle lanes.
Titch