Cairns Bicycle User Group
The Secretary See the sea bug
Lenore Evans
Ph 4054 1756
17 Gordon St, Earlville, Cairns 4870
Email lenore@cairnsbug.org
Internet http://www.cairnsbug.org CBUG
March 29, 2004
Chief Executive Officer Attention: Helius Vissar
Cairns City Council
Cairns 4870
Dear Helius,
Cairns Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy
Public Consultation
Re: Final Report and Summary Report March 2004.
At first glance, these documents present a considerable effort by the Cairns City Council to
provide facilities for cyclists and pedestrians which will also take into consideration the needs of
people with disabilities, prams, adult tricycles, wheeled toys, wheelchairs etc.
It is commendable that these modes of travel are to be taken seriously in light of their
advantages to the people of Cairns, young and old with all levels of ability and expertise.
Therefore the over riding factor in the implementation of the strategy will be funding. The
strategy should not be used as a tool to decide what can we get for the least amount of money, but
used as a tool to provide "desirable" standards for safe cycling and walking on roads and paths.
Even though the strategy may give "minimum" widths, this should not be normal practice.
Where space is available on roads and open spaces, the "desirable" widths should apply.
The success and the safety of users will ultimately depend on decisions by our design engineers.
As well as assessing each project as it is presented, consultation with CBUG would help to
prevent unsafe practices, cost cutting and avoidable mistakes. Presenting plans at the proposed
"focus group" by the council engineer would be of enormous benefit to council staff, the people
and will be more cost effect in the long term.
It's good that the strategy refers to the pedestrian and cycle hierarchy as aligning with the road
hierarchy. CBUG submission to the Cairns Plan, suggests what facilities are necessary for the
road hierarchy. To save confusion, these two hierarchies should be consistent with maps
agreeing with each other, ie. Arterial (Trunk route) etc. Facilities required on Trunk routes
should be constructed on-road and off-road. Existing off-road paths should not be used as a
reason not to provide an on-road bike lane. Council Sub-arterial roads require on-road and off-road facilities to provide continuity of bike lanes and bike paths connecting to the state
controlled arterial roads and with on-road bike lanes being the priority because these are
commuter routes.
Cairns Bicycle User Group - Submission Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy 29 March 2004 - Page 2.
One reason that Main Roads has provided on-road shoulders and bike lanes is that shoulders
provide extra safety for high speed large vehicles, protection for the traffic lanes (rain and heat),
less maintenance costs and at the same time makes roads safer for commuter cyclists.
A new concept in bicycle routes is the BAZ treatment - bike stencils across the edge line having
an advisory function which is not a legal bicycle facility. We need to be very careful when
using this treatment. BAZ should never be used where there is sufficient road width to construct
a desirable width bicycle lane or road shoulder. It could become a dangerous precedent to reduce
costs by painting a stencil instead of widening the road surface. BAZ should only be used on
roads where there is insufficient road space between the kerbs for car parking and bike lanes.
The Strategy refers to the updating of the implementation plan, as projects are completed.
CBUG has listed and forwarded 198 "reports" from people in the community to council and
Main Roads since 1995. Approximately 1/3 of all reports have been completed. This tool is one
of many ways to add projects to the implementation programme. Other ways are the "Ride to
Work" surveys and information obtained by councillors and staff (web site, telephone and
customer service). At the same time, GIS maps could be updated.
Priorities are a necessary fact of life and wouldn't it be nice to say that everything will get done.
This is another reason why "getting it right the first time" is so important in project planning.
CBUG has been put in the sad position of reporting deficiencies in completed projects. At best it
will cost many times over to rectify a badly designed project. At worst the problem will never
get fixed. There are trunk routes and district routes that have been designated "low priority"
(20 years?) for works. Squeese points on these roads caused by car parking and gardens with
cement edging (Varley St and Endeavour Rd) reduce safe standard riding space on the road.
Forward planning of major projects such as bridges should take into consideration future use
(bridges at Mt Peter Rd) and include shoulders for motorists safety as well as commuter cyclists.
Co-ordination of a project by multiple agencies is crucial to providing transport options for people. For example, the Bruce Highway upgrade in Sheehy Rd (CBUG Report No 167) requires bike lanes, bike paths, a pedestrian railway crossing, bike lanes over the railway line to complete the project for all modes of movement. Why do cyclists, pedestrians, children and people with disabilities have to wait years after the highway works have been completed?
To view Report 167:- click here.
With the consultation time available (3 weeks), it will not be possible to check if all our reports
have been included in the implementation programme or if all the recommended projects meet
our approval. Attached is a few examples of CBUG Reports. Some could have been avoided if
effective consultation had occurred. Other issues are too numerous to mention here and council
engineers have only to check the reports on our web site - http://www.cairnsbug.org/reports.htm
The way forward for our Council, is to provide funding for a start of the implementation
programme, a meeting of the "focus" group, all serviced by a full time pedestrian and cycle
development officer, and commence consultation with CBUG by council engineers.
Yours sincerely,
Lenore Evans,
Secretary, Cairns Bicycle User Group. Incl. Examples of CBUG Reports.
Cairns Bicycle User Group - Submission Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy 29 March 2004 - Page 3.
Examples: CBUG Reports that illustrate deficiencies of the planning and construction stages.
Squeese points are the most dangerous issue that cyclists endure when riding on the road. All can be avoided through careful planning and construction. Continuity of bike lanes and road shoulders through intersections and roundabouts, across bridges and railway lines and around corners is a very important safety issue. Also paths of all descriptions need continuity separated from the road so that travellers are not forced onto the road wrong way. Here again cost cutting may be the reason to merge a road shoulder and a foot path. This practice is illegal because cyclists riding on the road must travel in the same direction as the adjacent traffic lane. Cyclists can travel on paths in both directions and this is why paths must be physically separated.
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WHAT DOES THE STRATEGY SAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN? - (-----------)
Report No 197: Bridges - Mt Peter Rd - Stoney Creek and Gray Creek - (CCC no mention)
Even though CBUG had requested the provision of bike lanes on these bridges, they were not
included in the construction. Also guard rails prevent access to the foot bridge. Consultation
would have prevented this deficiency. This is an example of cost cutting that could have been
avoided especially when federal funds are available. This road is used by cyclists to detour
Wright Creek bridge on the highway.
Report No 196: Signalised Intersection - Spence St/Lyons St - (CCC road widening Low
Priority)
It was not until after the cement islands had been constructed that CBUG noticed that the
intersection had insufficient space in Spence St for a standard width bike lane. Also a path
connection is required from Spence St to Little Spence St so that cyclists may cross at the lights.
Report No 194: Guard Rail - McManus St/Upper Richardson St - (CCC no mention)
The guard rail creates a squeese point for cyclists riding on the road.
Report No 190: Bike Lane - Greenslopes St - Bus Shelter - (CCC McLeod St to McNamara
St High Priority)
Line marking for the bus stop does not leave enough space on the road for the continuity of the
bike lane. This is another example of a squeese situation.
Report No 187: Bike lane and foot path - Trinity Beach Rd - (CCC - BAZ Medium Priority)
Merging the bike lane and the foot path east of the bridge near the highway, is not best practice. A separated path is required from the foot bridge to the foot path on the southern side of Trinity Beach Rd. Because the bridge is too narrow for a bike lane, cyclists riding west on the road will also need to access the foot bridge. Cyclists riding east should stay on the path.
Cairns Bicycle User Group - Submission Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy 29 March 2004 - Page 4.
Report No 180: Bicycle Push Buttons Draper St - Scott St and Spence St - (CCC no mention)
If there is a social equity issue for cyclists, then the ability to activate traffic signals would be a
good example. Cyclists should be able to change the lights to green at every signalised
intersection from the bike lane or the traffic lane at the minor road.
Report No 177: Railway Crossing - James St - dangerous - (DMR - Martyn St to McLeod St
Immediate Priority)
There is a dangerous drop off at the edge of the narrow shoulder, north/west corner at the
railway line. A lady who rides an adult tricycle is put at risk because of this deficiency. Standard
desirable widths of 1.5 metres at least are required for people who ride tricycles and wheelchairs.
2 metres would be considered desirable on all railway crossings. Concrete treatments are better
than bitumen over the railway line.
Report No 173: Road shoulders - Hardy Rd - (CCC - BAZ Low Priority)
Hardy Rd is a major commuter road and requires 1.5m on-road bike lanes or road shoulders.
Report No 172: Trees/bushes - Carnation Dr - opposite Primrose St. (CCC - BAZ Low Priority)
Trees and bushes that overhang the gutter and the road, reduce riding space on the road and
cause cyclists to deviate from their line of travel towards the traffic lane or they get squeesed
beside cement islands. Inappropriate bushes that continually need pruning are best removed and
replaced with better trees. Also new trees have been planted in Gordon St but the troublesome
bushes and trees have not been removed. The cyclists are squeesed for space, car parking is
restricted and the sweeper avoids that section of gutter.
Report No 171: Road shoulders - Riverstone Rd, west side of highway to the roundabout - (DMR - no mention)
Road shoulders are required for continuity with the bike lanes east of the highway. Even though
there is a foot path beside the road, shoulders would provide a bike lane on both sides of the
road. Highways require on-road and off-road facilities.
Report No 169: Road bridge - Bruce Highway - Wright Creek - (DMR - no mention)
Wright Creek bridge is one of the scariest places in Cairns to ride a bike. With the upgrade of
the highway that is staged over many years, cyclists have to wait until projects are completed
before safer conditions exist and hopefully shoulders as well as foot bridges will be included in
the plans of the new Wright Creek bridge. Also, the existing bridge has a bad record for motor
vehicle accidents. The alternate road to take is Mt Peter Rd but the new bridges there have only
60cm of shoulder space.
Report No 168: Foot bridge - Anderson St - north side - near McCormack St - (CCC - High Priority)
A foot bridge is needed across the creek so that cyclists are not forced to ride wrong way. Also pedestrians and prams etc are forced out onto the road.
Cairns Bicycle User Group - Submission Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy 29 March 2004 - Page 5.
Report No 165: Bollards - Russell St - foot bridge - (CCC - Low Priority)
A lady who drives an electric wheelchair is restricted from access to the bike path. All large
cement bollards should be replaced with appropriate bollards that do not prevent legal users.
Report No 152: Bike Lanes - Martyn St - (CCC - Low Priority)
The bike lanes measure 70cm, half the standard width of 1.5 metres. Small bike stencils are
painted on the shoulder. This major road needs the shoulders widened.
Report No 151: Road shoulders - Redlynch Intake Rd - (CCC - Low Priority)
As stated before road shoulders benefit motorists as well as cyclists. This road has been a
favourite cycle route for many years especially with sporting, recreational and tourist cyclists
and now with development for commuter cyclists also.
Report No 149: Sweeping - Barron River bridge - Kamerunga - (DMR - no mention)
Sweeping of bridges and roundabouts and intersections where rubbish is caught beside cement
edging, is a continual nuisance if not a hazard. Punctures are always being reported and if this
happens too often then people are discouraged from riding to work etc. Also this bridge is an
example of a dangerous squeese point. People travelling south via the lower bridge then have to
cross the highway to ride on the left side of the road.
Report No 135/136: Foot bridge - Machans Beach to Holloways Beach - (CCC - no mention)
People should not have to endure promises that do not eventuate. What comes first, the funding
or the planning. It seems that planning for this foot bridge was not completed satisfactorily and
the funds spent elsewhere. A public survey showed good support for this project and everyone
was very disappointed when it didn't happen. Foot bridges create shortcuts between suburbs
and beaches and this is very important to avoid travelling long distances as well as communities
being able to share services, shops etc.
Report No 119: Garden islands - Endeavour Rd - (CCC - BAZ - Low Priority)
Islands belong in the ocean not in the bike lane. The bike lanes have been reduced in width
because the islands have been constructed over part of the sealed road shoulder. Safety for
cyclists on roads is a combination of space and speed. First and foremost they need desirable
standard space (1.5m at 60kmh) irrespective of what the speed limit is. Traffic calming should
never reduce the cyclists' space and create squeese points.
Report No 87: Road shoulders - Mill Rd - (CCC - Low Priority)
This major road badly needs shoulders for commuter cyclists. The side road is for one way traffic. Even though a blind eye is turned to children riding near the school, it would still go against a cyclist legally, if they were injured because they were breaking the law by riding wrong way.
Cairns Bicycle User Group - Submission Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy 29 March 2004 - Page 6.
Report No 62: Bike Lanes - Varley St - (CCC - Low Priority)
The construction of car parking and a bike path at the southern end of Varley St completely
removed the bike lane. This is a very dangerous squeese point for cyclists riding on the road. It
also creates a break in the continuity of the bike lane. The fact that engineers would even allow
this is incomprehensible, especially at a point where the speed limit reduces from 80 kmh to 60
kmh. The new section of bike path should have been constructed up on the foot path to align
with the path northwards. Also the shoulder south to Dunne Rd should have been wide enough to
create a separated one way bike lane and a two way bike path.
Report No 44: Road shoulders - Dunne Rd - north of Treatment Plant -(CCC - Low Priority)
Dunne Rd is a major commuter route and as such requires desirable width road shoulders. This
is an example of a job that was recorded in the 1996 strategy. All the arterial, sub-arterial and
collector roads are basic bicycle commuter routes and require on-road bike lanes or road
shoulders as "immediate" priority.
Report No 9: Road shoulders - Moody St - Callaghan St to Moody St - (CCC - no mention)
Shoulder condition on the souther side of Moody St needed fill and widening for one block.
Instead, all that was done was to move all the centre and edge lines over to create more bike
lane width on the souther side. This then reduced the bike lane width on the northern side.
Changing the lines put the rest of the road out of alignment. This is a prime example of cost
cutting and making a major road less desirable for cyclists.
Report No 6: Road shoulders - Holloways Beach - Access Rd/Oleander St - (CCC - Medium Priority)
Road shoulders are needed around the corner and over the bridge. Cyclists will ride this way
to the beach as well as the main entrance.
Comment:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These examples give an idea of what needs to be done and what designs should not be done.
Squeesing cyclists for space on roads is not only highly dangerous but is recognised as a major
factor in discouraging people from riding bicycles. Some engineers might prefer all cyclists to
ride off the road. This would be impracticable and impossible. There are those cyclists who
prefer and should ride on roads because of their speed and type of bike. There are cyclists who
prefer a friendlier environment such as a bike path or a foot path, but who at some stage of their
journey may just have to ride on the road. Likewise cyclists riding on the road should not have
to frequently detour to paths and pedestrian crossings.
There are many more issues that could be given here but if we can look at what is planned to be done and try to make the designs as good as possible, then the funds expended will be worthwhile and will be an asset to our city and the people. These reports from people in the community, are living examples of issues and their locations. The intention is to highlight problems that effect cyclists now and into the future. They are also intended for use as a tool to update the strategy as information comes to our notice from people in the community.
Cairns Bicycle User Group - Submission Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy 29 March 2004 - Page 7.
Assessment: Of the 23 CBUG Reports here illustrated, 8 are "no mention", 10 are "low" priority,
2 are "medium" priority, 2 are "high" priority and 1 is "immediate" priority. It is important that
reports from people in the community are taken seriously and given higher priority. It seems
that once facilities are constructed there may be no way that design deficiencies will be rectified.
This enforces the need for community consultation at the planning stage. Which means that in
this council term of four years, we can expect at least one report to be actioned.
References:
PRIORITIES:
Immediate 1-3 years
High 4-6 years
Medium 7-12 years
Low 13-20 years
FACILITIES:
A Shared use path
B Separated bicycle/pedestrian path
C Shared bicycle/parking lane
D Bicycle awareness zone - BAZ
E Shared bicycle/motor vehicle zone
F Exclusive bicycle lane
G Bicycle lane with angled parking
HIERARCHY:
Trunk routes Arterial and sub-arterial roads on-road and off-road bicycle facilities
District routes Collector roads on-road and off-road bicycle facilities
Neighbourhood routes Access streets signs, line marking, paths
Esplanade route Paths
Strategic Investigation Corridors Alternate roads and paths