LBUG meetings - Meetings have been on an as-required basis lately, as we can do most things by email. We are also attending the bi-monthly Bicycle Advisory Committee, usually on a Wednesday night. If interested in coming along, contact us or council. Tel 98103706 for next meeting date or check with Leichhardt Council on their bicycle page or Vera Zacchari on 93679000.
Balmain Road is one of the few ways to get across the City West Link, and is also realtively flat, so it is an important route for cyclists. This is recognised in the Leichhardt Bicycle Strategy, where it is designated a Strategic Route, NS 4.
Balmain Road does have the drawbacks of being narrow and fairly heavily trafficked, but measures can be taken to make it safer for cyclists. See the suggested measures in the Bicycle Strategy at page 7 of the Works Schedule.
As part of the redevelopment of the Leichhardt Bus Depot a shared pedestrian/cycle path is being built from the City West Link to Leichhardt Secondary College, and changes are being made to Balmain Rd itself. The shared path is a step forward as it was very poor planning that this footpath was not built when the CWL was built. However, proposed new line marking in Balmain Rd from Piper St to Alfred St is a step backward, as it ignores the measures approved in the Bike Strateg, and the existing bike lane near Piper St will be lost. LBUG urges Council to insist these measures are implemented, and that a consistent "mixed profile" treatment (where bicycles and motor vehicles share the road) along Balmain Rd is adopted. A 40 K limit would also make the road safer for all road users.
Issues at Moore St are still unresolved (see The Fence below), and these also need to be addressed by Council.
Local Government elections are on September 13. LBUG is keen to hear from candidates about their policies on promoting the use of bicycles in Leichhardt, and for supporting the Council's five year Bicycle Strategy (aka the Bike Plan). We are one year in and quite a bit has been done - lots of signs up, green paint here and there, some useful lane widening on Booth St, but some things are lagging, like safe crossings of the City West Link and improvements to Darling St, and bike parking. Council is dithering where to put in bike racks - its obvious, everywhere! A few U racks at regular intervals along the main shopping streets, some larger clusters at Cinemas, Pool and parks and other big attractors, and Bob's your uncle.
Go speak to your local candidates and ask them what their policies on cycling are. Ask them if they are familiar with the Bicycle Strategy, and point them to the LBUG website if they want to see what we think. So far Crs Hannaford (Lib), Porteus( Green) and Webb(ALP) have indicated suport for cycling, so we hope the cross party agreement will continue.
LBUGs election page, see responses from candidates
Update- The Greens did well, with 6 councillors out of 12. Labor lost a Councillor position (Balmain) to the Liberals. Greens have got the top jobs, making up for last time when Lib/Lab/Inds combined to keep them out of positions. Jamie Parker is Mayor, Michelle McKenzie is deputy Mayor, and Rochelle Porteus is Chair of the Traffic C'ttee...
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| From Bicycle audit Sept 2008- Leichhardt. |
With a digital camera it is easy enough to take photos of roads around Leichhardt and put together a safety audit of cycling conditions. LBUG will be discussing the audit with the Council to seek action. If you see any hazards or problems that should be fixed, like poor surfaces, holes, bumps, lips, squeeze points, poor access, let us know.
The RTA has announced in July that the planning for the duplication of the Iron Cove Bridge and an upgrade for bus lanes along Victoria Road will proceed to the next stage, the preparation of an environmental assessment. They have also responded to our submission on including an upgrade for bicyle facilities in the Project. They are promising further talks this month (August 2008) with LBUG, BayBug and Leichhardt and Canada Bay Councils on what can be done to improve the route for cyclists.
The East-West cycle route from Annandale to Hawthorne Canal along Booth, Moore and Allen Streets has been upgraded slowly. It was therefore a backwards step when the works at Leichhardt Secondary College included a fence along Balmain Rd, opposite Moore St, making it difficult to continue from Moore St to the new path between the school and the playing field, which links with Derbyshire Rd and Allen St.
After six months of LBUG arguing with the various authorities involved, and some help from local MP Verity Firth, the RTA and Council decided to shift the pedestrian lights closer to the corner and provide a wide gap in the fence to allow pedestrians and cyclists to pass through. The High School is objecting on grounds that the missing panel might encourage pupils to run onto the road after leaving school. The issue is still unresolved.
If approved, cyclists on Moore St can go straight ahead on green, but cars will have to turn left or right. To avoid confusion and possible collisions with turning vehicles, cyclists going straight ahead should position themselves correctly in the centre of the left lane approaching Balmain Rd. It is dangerous to stay too far left, particularly if large vehicles (eg buses) are trying to turn left. LBUG has asked for some warning signs to alert motorists to the straight ahead movement by cyclists. An alternative route is via Hill St and the narrow lane through the school, but access is not very good across Balmain Rd, bearing in mind that cyclists arent supposed to ride across pedestrian crossings and it is offset anyway, making cyclists do a sharp right/left/right to get across Balmain Rd. Bollards on the path are also a cycle hazard.
UpdateAt 20/10/08 the fence is still in place, despite RTA agreeing on its removal. Reasons for the inaction are unclear, as apparently the RTA is the deciding authority. The school may be objecting.
A new website with all sorts of nifty facilities such as blogs, forums, discussions, groups, photos, etc, is at SydneyCyclist. There is an LBUG group for discussion of cycling in Leichhardt and others like a Commuting group.
For only $80 you can buy a bike for Cambodian woman politicians so they can get around their electorates. Donations of any amount can be made by online banking or at any branch direct to Unifem Australia into their Westpac account no 227345, BSB 032083. If you want a receipt email the treasurer Rosemary Derwin at treasurer@unifem.org.au. The website is www.unifem.org.au for background on Unifem. Councillor Kate Hamilton at Leichhardt Council passed this on as a good cause we might support.
Image above shows cyclist and bus patron conflict at Terry St bus stop on the shared path along Victoria Rd.
The RTA is meeting with LBUG and other cycling groups on Thursday 7 Feb at 630 pm in Leichhardt Town Hall, in Councillors Room. All welcome. See news item below for more details.
See a photo essay LBUG compiled for use at the meeting.
Update April 2- We have written a letter to Verity Firth MP outlining our case and she has responded by asking us to meet with her on April 4 to discuss further. Not to be outdone Bay Bug has spoken to their MP Angela D'Amore and she has arranged a meeting with the Roads Minister in May.
If you wish to support our campaign for a Victoria Rd upgrade for cyclists please write to the Minister for Roads The Hon. Eric Roozendaal, Level 36 Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000 with a cc to Verity Firth 112A Glebe Point Road, GLEBE NSW 2037 Fax (02) 9660 6112 or Email balmain@parliament.nsw.gov.au
A count conducted by the Council during morning and evening peak hours in Nov 2007 has found an average 46% increase over a similar count in 2005. Good news for cyclists as the Council now has some evidence their efforts are paying off. [Feb 1, 2008]
There was a meeting to decide on rides for rest of 2008, and also to discuss local advocacy and LBUG issues. Note: the first Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting for 2008 was on Wed 30 Jan at Leichhardt Town Hall. .
Rides calendar is now out- see Rides. Next BAC meeting is in March.
The RTA has released more details of the proposed duplication of the Iron Cove Bridge (also see earlier news item below) and improvements to Victoria Rd from Drummoyne to White Bay. At bottom is a list of files. Best file to view detail is this one, see pages after about p27 for reference to bicycle paths on the bridges etc.
It seems likely we would get to use the "outrigger" lane on the old bridge (the western-most lane) as a 2 way shared cycle path, but there are other options such as a dedicated bike lane slung underneath the new bridge or on the deck.
Register with the RTA to receive updates at this site . Comments on the proposal can be sent to Victoria_Road_Info@rta.nsw.gov.au by March 3. This is a chance to get improvements for the whole corridor from Drummoyne to the end of Victoria Rd at White Bay (near the overbridge at Lilyfield Rd), so mention the need to widen the shared path behind the bus shelters at White Bay, and Darling St, and any other improvements, as well as making sure the new bridge connects cyclists with the Bay Run and routes to Balmain and Anzac Bridge (for instance, what about a new route along Moodie, Waterloo, Belmore, Evans, Quirk Sts to bypass Victoria Rd. And a wider overbridge at Lilyfield Rd?
The RTA is meeting with LBUG and Baybug on 7 Feb at Leichhardt Town Hall at 630pm - please come along. [Feb 1, 2008]
After some time away LBUG is attending the Leichhardt traffic committee again. This was a result of discussion on the BAC, where it was thought a cycling rep might help keep the other members (police, RTA, Council Traffic Engineers, Road Safety Officer, Sydney Buses, local MP rep) at least aware of cycling issues. We don't have a vote but we do have a say, on such things as bike lanes, intersections, traffic calming, changes to parking. Already it is obvious taking cyclists into account in all (or most) traffic matters is still a bit of an afterthought, but we hope to make them Think Bike! Chair is Cr Robert Webb. Contact him if you have a cycling problem! [Oct 2007]
At the August 2007 BAC meeting the Road Safety Officer, Vera Zaccari, raised the issue of safe and considerate cycling on shared-use bike and walking paths in Leichhardt, such as the Hawthorne Canal, Whites Creek and Bay Run Foreshore paths. Given the rapidly growing usage on local paths LBUG considers it a good idea to develop a policy on shared bike path ettiquette, for cyclists and pedestrians.
By following a code of consideration and sensible riding cyclists will help their own cause, particularly with the Council, reduce complaints by other path users and encourage more people to cycle, as well as avoiding accidents. More on etiquette....
Leichhardt Council passed the new Bike Plan (called the Leichhardt Bike Strategy) at a meeting on 24 April, 2007 The Strategy aims at increasing cycling in the municipality over 5 years through a mix of engineering (more bike routes, safer roads) and social/behavioural campaigns to encourage use of bicycles for everyday transport, as well as recreation.
One of the main parts of the strategy is to have a Bicycle Advisory Committee, where local cyclists and councillors can oversee the implementation of the bike strategy and develop cycling campaigns and activities. First meeting of the BAC is on Wed 23 May, at 630 pm in the Supper Room, first floor, Town Hall. Anyone interested in participating in the BAC is invited to attend.
Phone Vera Zaccari (Leichhardt Council) for more details on 9367 9000. Many thanks to Vera for getting the final version of the Bike Strategy before Council and passed. Also thanks to the Councillors- the strategy seems to have general support, although there may be a few more fights to get adequate funding. [May 07]
LBUG is hosting two free Easyrides for Seniors Week in March aimed at getting Seniors (oldbies?) active, but new cyclists (newbies) also welcome. On Sunday 11/3 the ride is to Balmain, via the foreshore paths and some quieter back streets of Rozelle and Birchgrove. On Wednesday 14/3 the ride is to Fishmarket via Glebe foreshore path. Free coffee and bikkies thrown in courtesy of a grant from Dept of Ageing Dissability and Home Care (DADHC). See Rides page for details. [March 07]
Peter Shmigel, bike riding LIB candidate for Balmain, has announced the Liberals will provide $3000,000 for the Greenway project (Hawthorne Canal to Cooks River cycleway and green corridor). He has also announced a 15 point Transport plan for the Inner West and the Libs have announced a Bike Policy. more...
We all want more cycleways and safer roads and more effort by authorities to encourage cycling as a practical and beneficial form of transport. Make your voice heard by writing to the papers and politicians before the election in March. See here for help in finding out who to write to, and more on candidate policies.
A little bit out of our territory but the recent decision by M2 owners Transurban to remove the cycle shoulder from part of the M2 has caused a lot of concern to Sydney cyclists across the region. There was no consultation and it continues a trend started by removal of the William St bike lanes.
Bicycle NSW and Bike North both ask for your support before the State election in March, seeking its retention or a delay until a proper alternative route is built.
See Bike North M2 campaign for details.The final draft of the Leichhardt Bike Strategy (aka Bike Plan) was on Public Exhibition from 10 October to 7 November for comment. One useful comment was that Leichhardt needs a couple of children's circuits, where youngsters can learn to ride. Possible sites are Mort Bay, War Memorial Park in Moore St, Whites Creek. The final report should go to the first Council meeting in 2007 (February) for approval. Copy may still be available for viewing on the Council's website, ( do a search on Bike Strategy.)
Some more good news is that Council has set aside some money for this coming FY (07-08) and has already prioritised some of the items in the Bike Strategy for construction.
Some findings from earlier community questionnaires and workshops are here.
For anyone just getting into or back into cycling or who hasn't got all day we thought some easy paced Sunday morning rides around the Inner west might be popular. Monthly rides are planned, usually on the first Sunday. See Rides Coming Up for details.
City of Sydney Council has completed the path around the Glebe Point and Blackwattle Bay foreshore as far as Glebe High School at Ferry Rd. This makes an easy (almost no hills!) and scenic way for cyclists to get from The Crescent at Johnston St through Bicentennial Park to Pyrmont Bridge Rd and the Fish Markets or Pyrmont and the City. Use Ferry Rd/Thomas St to get to Bridge Rd. You can use the northern footpath along to the Fishmarket if traffic is heavy on Bridge Rd, or cross Bridge Rd at the Thomas St lights and try the back lane down to Wentworth Rd and use the southern footpath next to Wentworth Park- its wider. Dec 06.
Bruce Ashley from the Marrickville Bike Group (MASSBUG) has received a grant to begin the Greenway Project from Hawthorne Canal to Cooks River. The project aims to get support and involvement from the local community for active transport and to build a bicycle and pedestrian link along a "green corridor" connecting the existing Iron Cove and Cooks River bicycle paths. Volunteers, workers (bush regenerators), and supporters wanted. Latest (Dec 06) is that a Coordinator position has been funded by State Govt, local councils have also put some money in and some serious planning can get underway. More...
Wednesday October 5 2007 was National Ride to Work Day. (In 2008 it is on October 15). No need to wait till then, start riding to work tomorrow! Need advice, ring or email LBUG. Want a poster to hang up at work to get others interested - go to the BV website. Organise a free breakfast.
After promising the bridge would be completed by June 2005 the impressive cycle/pedestrian bridge over the road at start of Victoria Road at White Bay was opened in Dec 2005. This makes it easier to get from Annandale/Leichhardt onto the Anzac Bridge. Just watch for other cyclists at the point where it joins the existing cycleway. Pity they didn't also fix the existing narrow footbridge over Victoria Rd that leads to Lilyfield Rd. The signals box on the CWL footpath (see image) is badly sited too, cutting usable width by about half, and exposing cyclists to an accident with adjacent fast moving motor traffic. The RTA says it is aware of this and "may" do something about it. Please email or write them a letter about this. Box was removed in mid 2007 - thanks RTA.
[updated Oct 07]
Lost causes department? - but the recent folding of the CCT company may give some opportunity (new owners, lower prices, more motorists using tunnel, less outcry over bike lanes?) to get back the bike lanes in William St. Please write now to Premier Iemma and the Roads Minister, and your local member, urging them to replace the recently removed lanes, or maybe do a better job and create safer off road facilities.
more....[updated Dec/06]
Michael Duffy, the SMH's poor excuse of a replacement for Paddy Mc Guinness, had a go at cyclists in his column recently. Called for a ban on cycling on roads. Many irate and also humerous letters were published in response. A visiting professor from the US, John Pucher, also had a piece published in reply to Duffy.
[Dec/05]
A resident group in Glebe are campaigning to have through traffic reduced on (Pyrmont) Bridge Rd. They have a car and truck focus, but can see that bicycle use should be encouraged in Glebe. They propose a road closure near Wentworth Park Rd and argue that motor vehicles should use either the Anzac Bridge or Parramatta Rd to get to Pyrmont, not plough through Glebe. This would be great for cyclists.
Many cyclists use this road to get into the City or Pyrmont from Camperdown as it is direct and mostly fairly wide (abt 14.5 m between Parramatta Rd and Cross St). With a few improvements such as bike lanes and removal of right turn lanes (particularly those not needed near the old Childrens Hospital entries) it could be much better for cyclists. The road closure would make it even better, so more power to the resident group.
A recent BBC poll in the UK found that the Bicycle was considered the best invention in modern times, beating vaccinations, electricity and semiconductors by a wide margin. The result has shocked some prominent technologists...
COURSES FOR ADULTS at Sydney Community College (campuses in Leichhardt and Rozelle). Commute by Bike course - 2 day course- learn how to cope with traffic and riding to work. Ring 8752 7555 for details.
Other courses for children and adults: Tanya Bosch on 9369 1436, email onyabike @ ozemail.com.au, and Rob Mc Dougal tel 9644 3002 or rob.mcdougal @ cycling.org.au.
Or try LBUG EasyRiders, first Sunday of the month, for introductory bike rides. See rides calendar.
[updated May 08]
Minister for Huge Projects, Craig Knowles, opened the new cycle path around the
Bay in March 2004. (Graham Purves from Canada Bay Bug in the Alfa
Jersey, Chloe Mason and John Bignucolo in the background) He recalled,
as he does on all these sort of occasions, the time he rode from
Brisbane to Sydney as a young man. Too old for it now though, he said.
The new cyclepath is a two way
asphalt path, next to the existing gravel path, which is now for
pedestrians, although they dont all
know it. While more off road space has been created for cyclists,
the on road traffic lanes have been narrowed, more or less forcing
cyclists to use the path. The safety of the path is also somewhat
doubtful, given that the speed limit on HM Drive is 50 km/h and there
is no separation between on-coming cars and
cyclists, apart from a narrow kerb. A run-off accident is waiting to
happen. Even the RTA's guide on cycleways says (see fig 5.9b) that two way cyclepaths next to the road are not recommended.The path is also rather ugly, continuing the black asphalt of the road to the edge of the water along the wider parts.
As at Oct 2007, the offroad path was being continued on around the bends towards South St with some expensive engineering.
LBUG would have slapped a 40 K limit on Henley Marine Drive and got the locals used to sharing the road with cyclists. The money saved could have gone into improving the general road network for cyclists in the Drummoyne/Fivedock area, although it is good to see improvements are being made in Canada Bay Council area.
The pooch owners are
campaigning against the Council's proposal to have dogs on-leash when
near the Cafe on the Hawthorne Canal.
LBUG has written to the Council supporting the on-leash area but also
calling for a widening of the path, which is only 2 m in places and
cant cope with the crowds of walkers, dogs, cyclists and joggers
sometimes. The path should be a good 3 to 4 m according to the
guidelines for a multi-use path. The path could also deviate away from
the Cafe to minimise conflicts with dogs and owners, who all congregate
next to the path at the Cafe. At the last council meeting before the
elections Cr Hall Greenland had the proposed extension of dog free
areas throughout Leichhardt defeated and a trial of some more limited
areas agreed to. Many dog owners of course continue to ignore all signs
and let their dogs run where they like.
Illegal
parking of large vehicles on the cycle route on Lilyfield Rd is making
the bike lanes useless. more..
See
item 15 in Issues below for details.
The
Council and the RTA have approved a blanket 40K speed limit for
Balmain/Rozelle north of Victoria Rd, including Darling St, according
to a report in the Inner Western Courier on 5 May.The RTA will pay up
to $180,000 for traffic calming works. There will be a public education
campaign.
This is good news for cyclists, so congratulations to Vera Zaccari the
Road Safety Officer at the Council, who has been pushing for this for
some time now. There is to be a similar 40 K zone in North Sydney. Let
us hope they catch on in other areas, particularly residential streets
and high pedestrian/cycle use streets.
One niggle, though. The sign at Victoria Rd end of Darling St is poorly
sited, behind a 40 K School Zone sign, which must now be unneccesary.
Meanwhile Mr Scully has announced roads not already signed 60 or 40
will have a default limit of 50 by November 2003. This is a bit of a
cop out as most Councils already have done this. I hope they review
some of the 60 K roads, like Darley rd or The Crescent, where 60 is far too high
around the bends.The Crescent is a cycle route (actual, and in the
Leichhardt Bike Plan too) between Balmain and Glebe/Sydney Uni so that
is another reason to lower speeds.
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see some more current and ongoing issues and ideas for what you can do.
