Bicycle Transportation Alliance

Cycling in the West

For Members and Friends of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance - Volume: 2 Number: 2 March-April 1995

Bikeweek 1995

Bikeweek 1995 runs from Friday 10 March through to Sunday 19 March. The week of cycling events kicks off on Friday 10 March with the 'Cycling makes Sense' Bike to Work Breakfast. Bikewest is providing a FREE healthy breakfast to everyone who cycles in to work in the City. Breakfast will be served from 6:30 am to 9:00 am in Forrest Place.

The BTA is offering a free route planning service for anyone wanting to ride to the breakfast or to their normal place of work or study on Bike to Work day. Contact the BTA for further details on 470 4007.

For further details about Bikeweek events, see the detailed brochure put out by Bikewest. There should be a Bikeweek brochure and a Bike to Work Breakfast leaflet inside this copy of Cycling in the West.

Old Rail Bridges Saved for Rails-to-Trails

After being contacted by the BTA, the Minister for Sport and Recreation and the Minister for Transport intervened to save bridges on disused railway lines which were threatened with destruction as a result of a Westrail tender. Westrail advertised the tender only days after the Minister for Sport and Recreation announced the Rails to Trails plan to convert disused railway lines into trails for cycling and walking.

Westrail has written to the BTA, advising:

'No action will be taken with respect to disposing of the old railway bridges until the suitability for use as walking and cycling trails is fully assessed by the Rails for Trails Committee.'

Our thanks go to Eric Charlton, Minister for Transport, and Norman Moore, Minister for Sport and Recreation, for their support.

In our last issue, we mentioned that a new national organisation has been formed, known simply as Australian Rails to Trails, specifically to promote the rail-to-trails concept. A 12-month subscription, which includes 6 issues of their newsletter, costs $10. The contact address is:

Australian Rails to Trails
PO Box 223
East Melbourne, Vic. 3002

Alternatively, contact the BTA and we will send you information and a subscription form for Australian Rails to Trails.

Little Effect from W.A. Helmet Legislation

If the helmet legislation was effective, one would expect that proportion of hospitalised cyclists with intracranial injuries (i.e. brain injuries) would be reduced. Although there was a reduction in 1992, the 1993 figure of 21.7% is virtually unchanged from the average of 22.3% over the three years prior to 1992.

The only significant change in 1993 data compared to previous years was a decline in the rate of reporting of bicycle crashes to the Police. Only 16% of cyclists hospitalised in 1993 appeared in the Police road crash database, compared to an average of 24.4% for 1989 to 1991. It may be that cyclists involved in a crash while not wearing a helmet are less likely to report the crash to the Police.

The W.A. hospital data suggests that compulsory helmet legislation is not the panacea that many thought it would be. An overall solution to reduce bicycle injuries must involve a combination of engineering, education and enforcement measures.

While the BTA recommends that cyclists wear helmets, the Government should be looking at other initiatives to reduce cycling injuries.

Thumbs Up!

...to the City of South Perth for their prompt action to repair a dangerous longitudinal gap which had opened up in the riverside dual use path through Sir James Mitchell Park. After reporting the problem over the phone, council staff repaired it within 24 hours.

...to the City of Gosnells for thinking of cyclists when installing median islands in Kelvin Road near the intersection with Davison Street and Westfield Street. The City of Gosnells widened Kelvin Road in the vicinity of the islands, to avoid creating a squeeze point for cyclists.

...to the City of Perth for doing an excellent job of cleaning up the dual use path on the north side of Perth Water after the Australia Day Skyshow. One of our spies reported that a mini street sweeper was sweeping the path before 7 am on the morning after the Skyshow.

...to Westrail for resurfacing several level crossings on the Perth-Armadale railway line, including those at Hamilton Street and Duncan Street. Cyclists appreciate the smooth road surface.

...to the City of Perth for rebuilding the dual use path through the intersection of Bolton Avenue and Great Eastern Highway, near the Burswood Casino. The path now cuts through traffic islands at road level, eliminating several narrow, steep kerb ramps.

...to Main Roads W.A. for fixing up the kerb ramps near the south end of the Narrows Bridge, where the main Kwinana Freeway dual use path crosses the Mill Point exit ramp from the freeway. Previously, the ramps were quite steep and the surface of the adjacent path was very rough.

Thumbs Down!

...to the City of Belmont for not maintaining the dual use path along the Swan River from Hardey Park to Parry Field. Although it was only built in late 1993, the path is now overgrown with grass and tree branches, and covered by sand in places. The grass growing on the path will seriously damage the bitumen surface, if it hasn't already.

...to the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River for spreading loose gravel on several kilometres of the old railway trail, running north from Margaret River. It would be hard to imagine a worse surface for a trail intended for use by cyclists, even on mountain bikes.

New Bike Parking

The City of Subiaco has proceeded with a plan, reported in a previous newsletter, to install bicycle parking rails in the Subiaco shopping precinct.

There are four sets, each with three rails, located in strategic areas along Rokeby Road. One rail in each set includes a decorative bicycle design, to add interest to the otherwise functional bicycle racks. Local artist Jane Stewart designed the racks.

The City of Stirling has also installed bike parking outside the Coode Street Continental Cafe in Mount Lawley after a request from the cafe owners. So, if you are cycling in the area, call in to the corner of Coode Street and Third Avenue and try out the new bike parking rail.

As a result of an article in the last issue of Cycling in the West about the lack of bike parking in Joondalup, Landcorp are planning to remedy the shortage. We look forward to seeing plenty of bike parking in and around Joondalup in the near future.

For more information about bicycle parking, see our Quick Guide to Bike Parking.

The Better Bicycling Book

The subtitle of The Better Bicycle Book is 'Everything you need to know to enjoy cycling', which is an apt description. The book, written in Australia by Harry Barber, covers all forms of cycling from riding down to the local shop, to day rides, longer tours, city commuting and even competition.

The chapter on 'Riding around Town' is very good, especially the seven rules to help you take your rightful place among the other road users. It is an ideal book for someone new to cycling or thinking of taking up cycling, as it concentrates on the basics, avoiding jargon and unnecessary technicalities.

The Better Bicycling Book is available from book stores or by mail from Bicycle New South Wales, GPO Box 272, Sydney, NSW, 2001. The mail order price is $15.95 which includes surface mail postage You can fax orders to (02) 283 5246 or, for enquiries, call (02) 283 5200. The BNSW book shop has Australia's largest range of bicycle books. See Australian CYCLIST magazine for a full list of titles available.

Glass Bottle Survey

During the month of January, a BTA volunteer collected glass bottles from beside dual use paths and roads in Perth to determine which types of bottles were most frequently left behind by litterers. During the normal course of their travels by bicycle, the researcher collected 332 bottles! Beer bottles accounted for 68% of those collected. In total, alcoholic drinks made up 79%. Aerated soft drinks contributed around 11% with fruit juices and sports drinks making up about 5% each.

Broken glass on roads and dual use paths is a major problem for cyclists. Frequent punctures can deter even the most enthusiastic cyclist. While it is possible to minimise puncture problems with Kevlar belted tyres and other special tyre treatments, it would be much better to treat the problem at its source.

For many years, South Australia has had an effective deposit scheme on all drink containers. Our fellow cyclists in S.A. report very few problems with punctures due to broken bottles. The glass manufacturers promote recycling as a major advantage of glass bottles. However, without a deposit scheme, most glass bottles are thrown away for good. Of the 332 bottles collected during the survey, there were only two which were subject to deposits. Isn't it time we had an effective deposit scheme in W.A?

Recent BTA Activities

• BTA attended a meeting organised by the Department of Transport to allow cycling groups to provide input on the proposed National Road Code.
• BTA has written to Westrail requesting changes to the design of the dual use path on the Goongoongup Rail Bridge at East Perth, which is presently under construction. The current plans for the dual use path include square corners at each end which will make it difficult for cyclists to negotiate the corners and will increase conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. BTA has asked the design be modified, before completion of the Bridge, to include rounded corners, similar to those on the Mount Henry Bridge dual use path.
• BTA investigated proposed road closures in Scarborough, Cannington, Belmont and Shenton Park. Fortunately, none of these impacted on cyclists.

Trip to Look at On-road Cycling Facilities

Two engineers from Main Roads W.A., together with a planner and engineer from Bikewest, will be visiting Adelaide and Melbourne late in February to examine recent developments in on-road cycling facilities.

Last year, Bikewest commissioned Ian Roberts, from the Bicycle Institute of South Australia (BTA's counterpart), to do a comparison of on-road cycling conditions between Adelaide and Perth.

Ian's conclusion was that on-road cycling is generally much less stressful in Adelaide, due to the widespread provision of wide kerbside lanes on arterial roads and, more recently, the inclusion of bicycle lanes on many main roads.

In Melbourne, there is a well-organised programme in place to incorporate on-road cycling facilities, if at all possible, as part of routine road works such as re-surfacing or repainting of lane lines.

Hopefully, the W.A. contingent will bring back some good ideas and we will see more on-road cycling facilities in Perth in the not-too-distant future.

Police Encourage Reports from Cyclists

The Officer in Charge of the Police Bicycle Section encourages reports from cyclists of dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour by motorists. The Police are keen to impress upon drivers that cyclists do have a right to be on the road and deserve some consideration.

In order for the Police to investigate an incident, you must be able to provide the registration number of the motor vehicle involved and the time and place of the incident. A description of the motor vehicle and the age and sex of the driver are also useful.

The action taken by the Police will depend on the seriousness of the incident and the amount of information you can provide. It can range from a visit or phone call by a Police officer to actually charging them with an offence.

As an example, a BTA member recently witnessed an incident in Perth City where a taxi driver pulled in to the kerb, cutting off a cycle courier who was travelling in the kerb-side lane. Both the BTA member and the courier contacted the Police Bicycle Section, who were able to contact the taxi driver promptly. In this case, the taxi driver was required to attend a lecture which stressed the need to give cyclists a fair go.

You should always carry a pen and paper on your bike to record important details should you become involved in an incident. If the offence is serious, you try to obtain the names of other witnesses who can verify your account.

You can contact the Police Bicycle Section on 9222 1923 during working hours.