Cycling in Melbourne Australia
Yarra Trail Rage
Hey. Just wanted to post re riders on the Yarra Trail particularly around the Collingwood Children's Farm. As well as cycling, I frequently hike along the trail too. I'm alarmed at the aggression coming from fellow riders on this trail, esp. on weekends when it gets busy. Yes, it can be crowded, particularly in this farm area, but I don't see the need for the constant bell ringing and the "MOVE OUT THE WAY!" that I got yesterday from a rider while I was far over to the left and had been on a 12 km walk. The trail is for all types of exercise, not just riding. No exercise is more important than the other.
I walk / ride this area at least once a day. I've seen all sorts of terrible behaviour coming from cyclists: weaving dangerously through small children on a busy Saturday without a touch of breaks, yelling for families to control their kids and MOVE!, and once my little dog almost got hit by someone veering off the path to avoid a crowd and onto the grass where my dog was minding her own business. Reminds me of the freeway at peak hour and it makes me feel sad about the selfishness of humanity.
Cycling is about exercise and commuting in a healthy, stress-free way. Some folks get on the trail and make all us cyclists look like a bunch of a-holes.
Pedestrians are to bikes, what bikes are to cars: i.e, an occasional inconvenience and interruption to flow.
I think as a community, we should set the example of how we'd like to be treated on the roads with respectful treatment of pedestrians. At least at the Collingwood Children's Farm which is reliably covered with people every Saturday and Sunday. If you don't want to go through this crowd, exit just at the farm, go down St Heliers, turn left on Clark and follow back to the trail. It is about the same distance. If you do go through the crowd, do so with patience and be ready to slow down for unpredictable kids running around the trail with the excitement of feeding goats and horses.
And remember that walkers are entitled to a little bit of the path too!!
I walk / ride this area at least once a day. I've seen all sorts of terrible behaviour coming from cyclists: weaving dangerously through small children on a busy Saturday without a touch of breaks, yelling for families to control their kids and MOVE!, and once my little dog almost got hit by someone veering off the path to avoid a crowd and onto the grass where my dog was minding her own business. Reminds me of the freeway at peak hour and it makes me feel sad about the selfishness of humanity.
Cycling is about exercise and commuting in a healthy, stress-free way. Some folks get on the trail and make all us cyclists look like a bunch of a-holes.
Pedestrians are to bikes, what bikes are to cars: i.e, an occasional inconvenience and interruption to flow.
I think as a community, we should set the example of how we'd like to be treated on the roads with respectful treatment of pedestrians. At least at the Collingwood Children's Farm which is reliably covered with people every Saturday and Sunday. If you don't want to go through this crowd, exit just at the farm, go down St Heliers, turn left on Clark and follow back to the trail. It is about the same distance. If you do go through the crowd, do so with patience and be ready to slow down for unpredictable kids running around the trail with the excitement of feeding goats and horses.
And remember that walkers are entitled to a little bit of the path too!!
Tags: aggression, childre's, collingwood, crowds, cycling, farm, hiking, hour, patience, peak, More…
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ChrisS on -
The behavior that Frida talks about has been going on for a while, with the increasing popularity of the shared path, people are forgetting something extremely important.
Not just remembering rules or keep left or slow down, but being considerate, polite & responsible.
Alma Wharf further down the Yarra Trail just before the Walmer Bridge (or after, depending which direction you're traveling from) is another bad spot, as the path changes on a abrupt angle along a narrower section. So what to some riders do? Slow down to anticipate? Nope, some zoom past like wannabe rockstars without realising they could clip or collide with another path user.
The City of Yarra are developing a new Bicycle Plan, at the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting last Wednesday 19/8 the attendees were lucky enough to receive a 'beta' version of the draft plan. Public consultation should start September - December 2009. I'll have a read through the plan for bits pertaining to open space/shared paths and see if any recommendations are there for improved access or behavior.
On several occasions over the last few years, shared path behavior has been raised and discussed as a important issue at BAC meetings but it tends to get placed in the too-hard basket, i.e.: who's responsibility, onus on users or whatever measures Yarra council, VicRoads etc can take. As Frida mentions, it is really personal responsibility, and sometimes I sadly think people replicate bad or inappropriate habits from elsewhere. As if they were driving a motorised vehicle..
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Permalink Reply by Frida Louise on -
You hit the nail on the head, Chris. It is a personal responsibility issue. I feel there is little that enforcement or signage can do to change this issue, it is a learned behaviour that people are bringing from the roads to the paths. People don't yield to pedestrians on the roads most of the time and it seems they carry this mentality to the bike trails too!
People don't walk on footpaths and yell at each other to move out the way. So why is it ok to do so while on a bike? Speeding a bike past a mother with a pram or a walker with a dog and yelling for them to "MOVE!!" is no different to walking on a busy footpath and telling a person in a wheelchair or a slow elderly person to "MOVE!"
I am feeling like it gets worse and worse each year, that this behaviour is becoming the norm.
Honestly, I feel it starts at a motor car driving level; that VicRoads should integrate lessons to new drivers that teach them to always yield to the pedestrian. I lived in the US for a short while and noticed a huge difference in their treatment of pedestrians to ours. A car will stop for a pedestrian in the US without question: every time. If you are a pedestrian standing on the side of the road in rain, people will pull over for you. And so they should. US drivers are taught this from when they first learn to drive and there are huge penalties for not giving way to peds. It would be great if they integrated a similar mentality here because it makes such a world of difference.
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Permalink Reply by Greg McPherson on -
I quite like that section of of the path. It's very pretty.
I think it makes perfect sense to slow down when you're near the Farm and take in what you are seeing.
Maybe it needs a few signs up saying "SLOW DOWN". Like 40km/h sections for cars near schools.
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Permalink Reply by Frida Louise on
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Yes, it is a beautiful area. The sheep have all had their spring lambs. They're adorable!!
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Permalink Reply by vx255 on -
Only been along that section a couple of times, I agree, on those occasions it was busy, and also whole heartedly agree with your sentiments on patience and courtesy.
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Permalink Reply by Cory on -
Some morons drive.
Some morons ride a bike.
On the plus side, I managed to pass a few on the CCT on Saturday. Just before the zoo. They were on roadies in lycra. I was on my CargoBike. Carrying a 3.5 yr old. And her bike. And we were riding up hill. (Of course, they passed me again, going down the other side, buzzing past the golfers). But they knew I'd beaten them. (Quite easily, in fact - I felt guilty with the ease I cranked past them).
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Permalink Reply by Ben Carr on -
Yes its all about personal responsibility and also knowing what you want to do on your bike ie if you want to go fast then by all means go fast with others who are doing the same thing eg Beach Raod or if you want to race other then enter a race if you wan to cruise and smell the roses and enjoy the newborn lambs then take it slowly on the cycleways.
perhaps those riders who are not doing the right thing dont understand their legal liability ie I undertand that if they hit and injure a pedestrian they would be fully liable. And for those who still fail to do the right thing and were there are lot of pedestrian crossing and walking on the DUAL USE path perhaps we will need speed control eg speed dips( rather that speed bumps)
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Permalink Reply by Frida Louise on
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I think the worst case scenario is implementing measures like speed dips, excessive signage or any other policing. It is nice to be given the freedom to make the choices for yourself, we have enough policing in Australia as it is. Yet, if people don't take responsibility for this themselves, that is the only option left and what a shame that would be. Bike paths turning to policed roads.
If I am driving a car and the land beside me is stopped or going slow, NO WAY do I continue on at full speed. I slow to a crawl in case one of them should decide without looking to pop out into my lane. Similar deal on a busy bike path. Could you imagine the terrible tragedy of hitting a child at the Children's Farm? Forget the legal liability, I don't think I would want to live with myself anymore. For that reason, I personally choose—in these areas—to travel at a speed that will allow me to stop in a second if something unpredictable should happen.
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Permalink Reply by Ritsardo on -
You and me - both.
Unfortunately some cyclists see recreational pathways as their personal training track and get quite p***ed off, when they have to slow down. I say OK, go to the velodrome and train.
On the subject of educating, I disagree with you Frida, as I think the occasional sign informing path users of the rules, rights and responsibilties would actually assist their awareness of other users needs.
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Permalink Reply by Frida Louise on
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Yes, I see your point on the signs. Some friendly reminders would go a long way; perhaps some painted icons on the paths of bikes + pedestrians and the words SHARED PATHWAY. What I would hate to see is TAC-style shock signage!!
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Permalink Reply by ChrisS on
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Hmmm, I've got a foot in both camps about signage. It can be over the top & fkn annoying when done badly, although several years ago I remember getting asked about line marking on shared paths, i.e.: council asking whether they should place it on their paths. I responded yes, as being visually didactic usually works.
On another occasion someone tried to start a heated discussion with me about how line marking was ugly and treated path users like idiots. Lets just say I tactfully bit my lip over those remarks. ;)
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