Re: Bourke Street Bicycle Road

In article 
<0017d3bf-f482-4d42-bf77-505c62707ef1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 tenspeed <tenspeed@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> This isn't a new bike route so there's no reason to think that Bourke
> Street car traffic will decrease. I think council are hoping that the
> two-way bicycle road will encourage more recreational cycling - it's a
> pretty street.

Of course there has to be a means of reaching Bourke St in the first 
place so that you can enjoy promenading on the bicycle. Or will it be 
like Centennial Park where people drive to the park with bike on the 
rack?

Do they intend to instal an appropriate number of bike racks to allow us 
to stop for a drink and snack?

> 
> The narrow bit is Restaurant Row. It's often very difficult to park at
> the moment, with loads of three-point turns into the cross streets
> when drivers spot someone pulling out. Seems unlikely that this stuff
> will be reduced when the existing bike lanes and half the parking
> spaces are replaced by the bicycle road.

I am not as confident.

Drivers will, as they do in my neck of the woods, concentrate on finding 
a parking spot next to the cafe/restaurant and 'to hell' with anything 
or anyone that gets in the way.

How do they intend to mitigate against the Australian drivers' fixation 
with 'must speed up and pass cyclist because I need to turn left' that 
causes us cyclists all sorts of angst. Probably not as bad for regular 
road warriors but the weekend cyclist is going to feel intimidated.

And that is before they address the problem of the drivers making mobile 
phone calls to explain to their friends at the cafe they are only five 
minutes away.
> 


20cents