Perth's bike blackspots

Scott Ludlam launched the Perth bike blackspot app for iPone on 24 March. Cyclist can use this by getting this app and send them a report. If you don't have an iPhone, simply email your feedback with the location and a photo of the blackspot to Scott.Ludlam@aph.gov.au

The information collected will be used to lobby for serious funding for cycling infrastructure to build a better network. Your report will also be forwarded directly to the Transport Minister and used to inform our response to the State Governments Bike Plan.



This will make my blog obsolete probably as so many people have an iPhone nowadays, but I'll leave it for now.

Department of Transport

I've learned that the website of the Department of Transport has an Online Hazard Report Form which might be handy to use as well.

Obstackles from Claremont to Curtin University

Twice a week I cycle from Claremont to Curtin University, a nice trip along the river of about 17km. The first part there are no cycle ways so I have to improvise along standard roads. Luckily my hours are good and I leave home at 8.45am when traffic is slowing down. I used to take Princess Road but discovered that it saves me one kilometer to go via Karrakatha to the tunnels under Stirling Hwy at UWA. And a lot of climbing as Princess Road is hilly, especially on the
way back. And there is only one hill along the graveyards via Karrakatha. Arriving at Stirling Highway there is a bit of a hassle as I have to ride on the footpath along the bus stops as I don't want to risk my life on the highway! And around nine am there are heaps of students on their way to class. Finally arriving in the tunnels from a steep short hill down there are those metal frames to tackle.
Not sure why they are there, probably to slow me down after a downhill sprint and going 90 degrees to the right under the tunnel. Those frames are set at all openings of the tunnel, also for the one which goes up to the other side of Stirling highway. Not easy to get momentum if you had to stop for oncoming pedestrians and cyclists. I always ring my bell to warn other cyclists.
And when you arrive on top of Stirling Highway there is a footpath filled with street lights build in the path. If you have someone passing you from the other way you have to take care not to hit them. Luckily the traffic lights to cross Hacket Drive to the shared pedestrian/cycle path along the Swan River are working good. This path is good, except when there are lots of pedestrians/runners using it or when there is a wedding photo shoot going on at the old boathouse. When I arrive at the Narrows bridge (freeway) over the river I have to cross a busy road and are lucky when there is nothing coming from the left. Often the right side, from the city, is not too busy, but it's the left side that you sometimes have to risk your life because there is a never stopping flow of cars in certain hours of the day. When crossed the road safely I have to make a 180 degrees turn within 50 meters to go steep up a hill tothe Narrows bridge. The in bad condition combined footpath cycle path makes it difficult to pass people from the opposite way. The path is fenced in and uneven and used by a lot of pedestrians, workers in the morning and tourist all other hours of the day. They often don't think about cyclists and walk next to each other and so occupying the whole path. Thank god I have a bell! When I reached the end of the bridge I have to make 90 degree turn to the right and when arrived at the road I have to cross the road to bump into another metal frame showing me where the cycle path is. This path is also shared by pedestrians and a bit further hooks up with where the commuters come from the ferry across the river. There it's an area set up with several white and red frames on the cycle path what seems to stop in between the frames, to make cyclists aware of the pedestrians coming from the ferry. The ferry moores at this spot twice per hour so it's not that often you have to stop for pedestrians... It's only you have to take care you don't bump into the frames when trying to navigate them. After the ferry a nice new and overly winding cycle path follows. It's not only very windy but also stops suddenly to make space for car parks. What the reason is to make this cycle path so windy I can only guess that the developer thought that would be fun for the Sunday family cyclists. Not really interesting for commuters who want to go to their destination in a fast pass like everyone else. Especially as it's also full with obstacles. Not only the white frames with the red bands but also the bollards (fat poles) in yellow with white and red bands. What exactly the reason is for those frames and poles we can only guess. I think it's to make cyclists stop or slow down at certain points. But it often doesn't make sense. Or it might be to prevent cars to go on the cycle path...As I need to go to Douglas Avenue I want to take the path along Mill Point road which is often barricaded for building or other works on the big appartment blocks. It's an old path what is in not so good shape anymore with big dents in it and for dual use; cyclists and pedestrians. When reaching Coode street the path suddenly stops and as a cyclist you have to guess where to go. Sometimes I take the footpath which is forbidden for cyclists over 12 years of age but when it's busy it's hard to get onto the road as car drivers are not the nicest people especially not when on their way to or from work. I've once hit the oblong metal box pretty hard when I came from Mill Point Rd to turn onto the cycle path when the sun was low and I miss calculated my turn. That ended up in a sore elbow which caught the hit. When you manage to cross the road you have to find out how to continue your trip as the path stops there. There is a narrow footpath but it's forbidden for people over 12 to use that but if you try to go on the main road there are heaps of cars not ready to accept you on 'their' road. So it's a bit of a dilemma, I most often continue on the footpath and turn to the road where the cycle path is painted on, about 50 meters further, after the bus stop. I guess road designers think that bicycles evaporate when reaching a crossing or traffic lights and come back to the road out of nowhere a bit further so there is where they provide the painted lines again... Then follows the hassle to turn right into Douglas Ave which most often caused angry automobilists as there are very narrow patches on this road so they don't dare to overhaul you. But since a while I am taking the road parrallel by turning right into Tate street and immediately left into Lawler street. Tate street has also funny signage on the street, for a few meters you have a 'cycle lane' where cars can be parked which suddenly ends. At the end of Lawler I have to cross Canning Hwy and go back onto Douglas Ave which has less traffic here. After a while Douglas turns into Hayman Rd where there is finally a painted cycle path on the road again. I turn right on the cycle path at the Golf course entrance and right into Kent street. And just after Jackson Road I turn left into the path what leads to Curtin University. But where I have to turn left are often lots of shopping carts obstructing the path and it's very hard to make a 90 degrees turn so I have to stop and turn otherwise I am stuck next to the road into the lose sand. The concrete isn't friendly here, it has sharp edges. Luckily crossing Kent Street is in two stages as it's often busy in the morning. On the other side at the start of the dual path there is a wooden pole which I've met in a hard way a few years ago. I had to start early at Curtin University and the sun was just coming up above the building so my sight was a bit blinded by the ligth and I didn't see the pole and run straigth into it. Luckily not as fatal as my friend a few weeks ago, but still it was not pleasant to end up on the top bar of my bicycle and almost hitting my head on the handle bar. I was lucky I stayed upright and only got a sore bum and a bit of fright in my knees. And fortunately the frontwheel was of strong steel as I could cycle on after the shock. Why the wooden pole is there is not really obvious, as the path is too small for a car to enter as both sides of the path are higher, the park is surrounded with a low stone wall. So why put an extra hazard on this narrow path? And even more weird is that a few meters further is another wooden pole in the middle of the path, being part of a boundary of wooden poles between the grassy area and the mulched area with trees. There is no reason why this pole needs to be in the path, it can ony be a danger hazard. This path is mainly used by international students who are used to walk on the other side of the road than we do in Australia so it's often a guess which way they will go when you want to pass. I use my bell regularly to warn them. At the end of the path is also a pole, just before the zebra path to cross Dumas Road when entering Curtin University terrain.

Obstackles from Shenton Road Caremont to Aberdeen street in Perth

These are my obstacles when I cycle to work:
I cycle twice a week from Claremont to Central Institute of Technology in Perth and twice a week to Curtin University in Bentley this semester. I took photos from the cycle path to Central this week and will do so to Curtin next week as semester starts.
This bus sign is the first obstacle I come across when I hit the first cycle path on Shenton Road in Claremont. It's just across Claremont train station.
Why is it build in the path??? People waiting for the bus are on the cycle path and if you have oncoming cyclists you have to stop in front of the sign...
Only a little bit further, when I enter the overpass on bridge to Showgrounds there is the second obstacle; a bollard. And only moments further is the 'dead' corner at the train station where two people collided only a few weeks ago with also serieus results.
Is this bollard there to prevent cars from entering the cycle path? From where? And if they did they got stuck in that dead corner anyway so which sane driver would want to go there?
And at the end of bicycle path along the Showgrounds train station, just before you enter the parking for Loch Street station, there is another bollard in the middle of the path. Probably to warn you that a 90 degree turn is coming up, which no cyclist ever takes as it's impossible. Most cyclists go over the parking and cross the road at the end of the parking. For a few kilometers there is no cycling path.
Until you reach the famous 'blunder-pass' where they've added a bicycle path on the other side of the road, so you have to cross the road and make another 90 degree turn to get onto the path. Also coming from the other way it's not easy to make that 90 degree turn back onto the road as oncoming cars don't like it to see you coming onto the road. Why didn't they create a more fluent transition like they do for cars?
On the path over the blunder-pass there are two bollards but they are sunken in the ground for now. Not sure why they are there and when they will be errect? This part of cyclepath is maybe one kilometer long and at the end you have to cross the road again to follow your way on the road untill you hit the next part of bicycle path at Shenton Park train station where again you have to cross the road to the other side.

It's not easy to manoevre there as there are a few sets of frames where you have to get in between as well as a few 90 degree corners to tackle. Just a little bit further is another bollard, probably also to prevent cars from going on the path, but where do they want to enter??? It's not logical. So why do we have all those obstacles on a cycle path while they are not good for any cause. In a recent research in The Netherlands they have concluded those bollards are dangerous and cause 12.000 accidents per year and 12 death and that is in a cycle friendly country. Many councils have decided to get rid of the bollards since.
Until Subiaco you have a reasonable cycle path, although the underpass isn't easy to navigate as you don't see oncoming traffic. And the cycle paths are broken up at every road you cross. The path becomes more scruffy around City West train station and I have to pass hundreds of high-school students on the path who walk in thick clouds of people and don't leave any space to pass so you really need your bell. A bit further the bicycle path runs into the huge building site of the Perth Arena. Where builders are on and off through a huge gate but you have to turn right in a squiggle.
And after you've followed the nice graffity wall the cycle paths just suddenly stops since last week. And I've heard from the people working at the Perth Arena that it is going to be like that until at least September because the City of Perth didn't take action on this traffic problem when it was asked by the project managers. They are so smart, just let it sush out itself they must have thougth. Lazy clerks! Now I have to risk my ass to ride around the Perth Arena to reach the bridge over the railway, which isn't much fun with a huge pothole in the road as well.
And when you arrive there you have to find your way in between the building site to get onto the bridge, in between the two frames to go up and when you reach the top there are another set of frames, God knows why??? As it's not to prevent cars getting up there. It's more like to lose your momentum especially when there is lots of oncoming traffic.
I can't believe that cyclists and pedestrians just adapt to those obstacles while it's the most stupid thing. It is totally not necessary to be in that spot. At the end you go down to meet up with another set of frames to prevent you from going along. I wonder what the future will be for this bridge over the railway. I haven't seen any plans or progress since they are building there and that is a really long time now.
My last stretch of the way is through the Northbridge cafe-strip area and the only thing scary there is the weird dark grey pavers, on the new arty round-about on James Street, which are very slippery.

Why this blog?

I cycle a lot and always wondered about the many bollards and other obstacles we have on bicycle ways. And now I want to do something about it! My friend got a bad accident last week in the Swan Valley and got to the hospital. Three broken front teeth, a huge scar in her chin which had to be stitched up and bruises and cuts all over her face, arms and legs. She had been cycling with a few friends along the West Swan Road and enjoying the area until she bumped into this totally unnecessary metal frame in the middle of the cycle way. And no, there was no wine-tasting involved! Why is this frame there? Is it for people who have managed to cross the road in one piece and needed something to hold on for a moment to get back their breath? Or can anyone explain where it is for???

So I came to the conclusion to start a blog about this issue and try to get as many photos and stories from other cyclists in Perth and surroundings to show council planners and government what can be improved!

Bike posts after bend: life threatening

Cycle Country Netherlands is facing a huge problem. The tens of thousands of posts, that prevent cars drive onto a bike path, are extremely dangerous. The annual toll is 12 dead and 12,000 wounded. Especially the elderly are at risk.

Bike poles are intended for road safety, but they have unintended downside. In one in four bicycle accidents a pole is involved. Researchers from University of Groningen have been mapped it.

Many poles are in obscure places, such as after a curve. Or they have an unlucky color, making them especially bad to see in the dark. Prevalent white / red, all white or metallic. But also brown and even black specimens are encountered.

Bicycle Path
The poles are often placed out of habit when a cycle path is created. But according to the Groningen researchers they aren't neccesary in many places. Sometimes they have been temporarily removed. For example, in the autumn for maintenance of parks and gardens.
"There are hardly any drivers who still drive onto the bike path," say the scientists.

These 'safety poles' are especially dangerous for the elderly. Their eyesight is often worse and a collision can have serious consequences for them. Several Dutch municipalities have now announced that they will remove unnecessary barriers bike.
Read article (Dutch)