The Draft Australian Standards http://www.standards.com.au for open level railway crossings was available for comment. CBUG has made a submission highlighting the needs of cyclists making comment about how and why railway crossings should be made safer. People who ride adult tricyles, wheelchairs and who push perambulators require wide road shoulders over railway lines especially where a pedestrian crossing is not available. Where people are travelling on the road and a pedestrian crossing is available, good road to path connections should be provided to give people a choice of facility, stay on the road or deviate to the path. People riding bicycles, tricycles and tandems will mostly continue to ride on the road even where the railway crossing becomes a squeese point. Therefore it is desirable that bike lanes and road shoulders continue over the railway line according to Australian Standards for bicycle facilities as well as the provision of pedestrian crossings. 2m road shoulders should be the basic facility at all railway crossings to create safety for all types of movement from the smallest pedestrian to the largest motor vehicle. Cairns Bicycle User Group
RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Submit your comments:-
CBUG Submission dated 22 August 2005:
Page Number - Clause - Paragraph - Comment - Proposed Change:
1 - Draft - 1 - Provision for cyclists - Add “and people who ride bicycles, tricycles and tandems”
2 - Preface - (e) - Standards for cyclists - Add standards for “cycle” and pedestrian crossing treatments
5 - Foreward - 6 - reduced pavement widths - add “such as narrow or no bike lanes or shoulders”
6 - Scope - 1.1 - include cyclists - add including “cyclists” and pedestrians
6 - Reference - 1.3 - include bicycle facilities - AS 1742.9 Bicycle Facilities
7 - Definitions - 1.4 - include cyclists - add 1.4.11 vehicular traffic includes cyclists add 1.4.12 road users includes cyclists who ride bicycles tricycles and tandems
8 - Co-operation 1.5 - include planning - add co-operation on “the planning of upgrades,” maintenance and safety issues; add safety of road users “including cyclists and pedestrians”
45 - Pedestrian Treatments - 6.1 - include all users - add hearing disabilities “who use scooters, wheelchairs, tricycles and people walking bicycles and tandems, and twin perambulators (a person riding a tricycle cannot be expected to get off and walk if they are disabled)
45 - Hierarchy - 6.2 (a) - passive - widening of the vehicular roadway add “ for 2m from edge line to edge of sealed surface (width is required for wide vehicles such as wheelchairs, scooters, tricycles and twin perambulators)
Note: cyclists may ride on a road shoulder but must dismount on a pedestrian crossing. Cyclists must ride on the left side of the road. Pedestrians may travel in both directions on either side of the road. Reference. AUSTROADS Part 14 Bicycles
45 - Hierachy - 6.2 (b) mazes - add “designed to allow for the passage of bicycles, tricycles, tandems, wheelchairs (manual and electric), perambulators (twin)
Note: The only reference to cyclists in the whole of this document is “cyclists must dismount at pedestrian crossings”. Given that bicycles are legally a vehicle and the word vehicular would encompass bicycles, it must be recognised that cyclists do not always ride in the traffic lane but ride in bike lanes and on road shoulders. The crossing of a railway line can cause squeese points for cyclists and this dangerous situation needs specific addressing. Also the road shoulder area is also used by pedestrian and specifically electric wheelchairs, permabulators and tricycles. Therefore a 2m standard width of the bike lane or road shoulder is required even at 60 kmh. The road shoulder also has added value for motorists especially large vehicles and buses. The road shoulder also preserves the traffic lane and reduces maintenance costs. Even where a pedestrian crossing is provided, a standard width bike lane or road shoulder should be the basic provision at all railway crossings for cyclists and be listed as 6.2 (a).
If another section is created for bicycles, tricycles and tandems, it could read as:-
45 - Hierachy - (a) - passive - add “Passive control for cyclists with vehicular traffic. A bike lane or road shoulder at least 2m in width across the railway tracks by widening of the vehicular roadway with pavement marking showing the safe waiting position during the passage of a train” “signs and signals 600mm to edge of sealed road”
45 - Hierachy - (b) - active - add “Active control for cyclists with vehicular traffic only. A bike lane or road shoulder at least 2m in width shall be provided with pavement markings showing the safe waiting position during passage of a train”..“signs and signals 600mm to edge of sealed road”
50 - Cyclists dismount - 6.5.4. - sign - Note: only mention of cyclists in this document. It must be recognised that not all cyclists ride in the traffic lane when riding on the road – also not all cyclists will use a pedestrian facility- therefore attention needs to be made for the provision of bike lanes and road shoulders at railway crossings – squeese points at railway crossings are dangerous for cyclists especially where there are no road to path connections for cyclists to use a pedestrian crossing
54 - signs location - B2.3.2 - lateral - Clearance should be not less than “2.6 m” Note: to achieve a minimum 2m bike lane or road shoulder
54 - signs location - B2.3.3 - lateral - Note: on urban roads which are unkerbed and roads designed for higher speed traffic, a minumum 2 m bike lane would be advisable – reference AUSTROADS Part 14, Bicycles – 80 kmh requires 2 m road shoulder.
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