ABC News - Beach Road Clearway issues

Comment

Comment by Ken Cowan on April 5, 2009 at 6:31pm

It is not only parked cars but I have encountered wheeley bin trucks on saturday mornings. Whose idea was that?

Comment by vx255 on September 28, 2008 at 8:56pm

I just noticed after all my rambling, I didn't say yay or nay.. I'd be for a Clearway

Comment by RobE on September 28, 2008 at 2:18pm

hmmm bits got cut off, here is the full BRC comment:
This is such an important issue, it is now beyond the local Councils’ and it is now up to the Premier of Victoria who must act to provide sense and safety to Beach Rd. This high profile attraction for recreation and tourism is an International venue of great significance to this State in terms of profile, it has been the site of International events with the Commonwealth Games Time Trial Course and other International events are scheduled. The current dangerous conditions present hazards to hundreds of motorists and thousands of cyclists every weekend. The Bayside Council and Kingston Council have abrogated their responsibilities to decide on this roadway. They failed to implement the will of the people following extensive public consultation and positive recommendations from their own staff, VicRoads and the Police. All stakeholders want this clearway, a few Counillors have let their personal interests place lives at risk and refused to be transparent in their deliberations behind closed doors after all public consultation and discussion was done. We do not want another Swanston Street where Council inaction and self interest of business has contributed to the tragic death of a 33 year old pregnant cyclist due to choke points between trams and parked buses. That cannot be repeated or forgotten.
I call on the Premier to instruct his relevant officers to implement a clearway strategy for weekends on Beach Rd, and to remove dangerous choke points from Beach Road (Route 33). The health and well being of thousands of Victorians, and visitors depends on it. Mr Brumby, do not fail your State on this.
Beach Road Cyclist has been the primary motivator for this important life saving initiative since 2003, other stakeholders are working with Beach Road Cyclist to encourage commonsense and a positive outcome before any more lives have been lost. There have been fatalities and serious injuries here, and with Summer of 2008/9 afoot, we expect 20-25,000 cyclists to be using this roadway in both directions from Port Melbourne to Mordialloc every weekend. Does Mr Brumby want to see 20 or so riders go under a semi trailer because a parked car forces riders closer to the right hand lane. Riders massively outnumber cars on weekends and it is only parked cars, and unnecessarily parked cars at that which are the major cause of the problems, added with bad road design on several choke points which can easily be remedied by removal to provide a clear passage in the left lane for the full length of Beach Rd. This allows all riders to safely stay within the lane. As it stands riders can legally ride on the right hand lane for the bulk of Beach Road, due to parked cars. Do drivers want that to be the case, if more and more riders use this road, that is the only solution and no car or truck will be able to use Beach Road, as your speed will be limited to 25-35 kph both ways.
Riders do not want to slow down cars or cause any obstruction , just as much as drivers do not want to run over anyone. The death of any road user is a tragedy for all concerned and stays with the driver for the remainder of their life. Do not let this happen Mr Brumby. Implement a clearway on Beach Rd on weekends. You owe it to your State and it is past time it was done.
I call on all who ride Beach Road to write to Mr Brumby, Premier of Victoria to respond with action to do so.

Comment by RobE on September 28, 2008 at 2:17pm

The road has a structure of two lanes for most of its length except for pinch points at Black Rock , Bodeley Street and Charman Road, the kerbside lane is therefore occupied in many places by parked cars, building waste containers, tradesmens vehicles and very often (near Brighton Savoy Hotel) witches hats by developers claiming the road for site access. This means there is only one lane for traffic. Bicycles are traffic, I repeat, bicycles ARE traffic, and thus entitled to use the lane that is safest. Most riders though yield that right and move into the dangerous left side of the road and try and give drivers the courtesy of the full lane to the right. Thus riders place themselves at risk in having to navigate the narrow track left beside parked cars and dangerous road choke furniture placed by the Bayside & Kingston City Councils.
The practical solution, safest and most logical is to remove all obstruction from the left lane and provide a smoothway for clear unfettered passage of traffic. Thus riders can utilise the left lane, , the outer lane becomes free for motor traffic. The risk is eliminated, riders and cars have free passage without dangerous circumstances presented by obstruction that need not be there.

I placed the following on the Beach Road Cyclist site in response to the ABCTV coverage. I attended the ABCTV interview session at Hampton and applaud Marcel Lema for arranging it for Beach Road Cyclist. I am perturbed that BV has again attempted to hijack the debate on this, its about time they publicly acknowldged the hard and dedicated work of Beach Road Cyclist and other Beach Rd stakeholders like Cycliesport Victoria, St Kilda Cycling Club and Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, riders at Kennedy Cyclefit and The Bay Area BUGs and Cycling Groups and the Veterans Cycling Council of Victoria, all who have riders/members actively engaged on the dedication of a safer route 33, and the provision of a smoothway (aka Clearway) for Beach Rd (Route 33) on weekends.

I urge you all to write to the Premier and call for his action to introduce the new controls to make this road safe for all users.
And I call on BV to be a lot more conciliatory in embracing the efforts of Victoria's cycling groups. BV isnt the only cycling group in this State and is not the only voice of cycling, it doesnt represent compettive cyclist, Veterans or BUGs, and it doesnt have the membership it claims in numbers, which even if true, is a tiny proportion of the total number of cyclists in Victoria. So hey, lets all pull together, and get a solution ASAP.

here is the BRC comment:
This is such an important issue, it is now beyond the local Councils’ and it is now up to the Premier of Victoria who must act to provide sense and safety to Beach Rd. This high profile attraction for recreation and tourism is an International venue of great significance to this State in terms of profile, it has been the site of International events with the Commonwealth Games Time Trial Course and other International events are scheduled. The current dangerous conditions present hazards to hundreds of motorists and thousands of cyclists every weekend. The Bayside Council and Kingston Council have abrogated their responsibilities to decide on this roadway. They failed to implement the will of the people following extensive public consultation and positive recommendations from their own staff, VicRoads and the Police. All stakeholders want this clearway, a few Counillors have let their personal interests place lives at risk and refused to be transparent in their deliberations behind closed doors after all public consultation and discussion was done. We do not want another Swanston Street where Council inaction and self interest of business has contributed to the tragic death of a 33 year old pregnant cyclist due to choke points between trams and parked buses. That cannot be repeated or forgotten.

Comment by vx255 on September 28, 2008 at 12:27pm

I can certainly see both sides of the coin, as an occasional Beach Rd-er, cars parked along the side of Beach Rd are annoying (the number of cars with bike racks on the roof staggers me, park 3km away ya useless wannabes), but so is the number of cyclists not riding to within the conditions of the road, 2 wide passing the afore mentioned cars on the side of the road, commonsense says, tuck in single file along those bits, sure you are allowed to ride 2 abreast, but why do it for the sake of doing it, 2 lanes clear of cars, claim the full lane. everyone needs to step off the "its my right, I'm a legal road user" and "get on the bike path" mentalities of both groups and just share the bloody road with commonsense.

I come from a background of Heavy Transport, motorcyclist and cyclist, I'm always a minority prick who should get off the road in someones eyes.