When will M2 reopen...

[hugh stone]

Damn it - just started enjoying the M2 commute. Loves like I'm back to the zig zag bus Homebush option. Adds 20min to the commute home [emoji20][emoji20][emoji20]

[Xplora]

Really disappointed. take the lane on the detours in protest? No amount of lanes will fix the M2. No amount of lanes will fix PHR. The current solution works great except the volume of cars makes it impossible and you cannot overcome that without driver less technology. The road is not the weak link.

I will need to get a job out west, cycle commuting is the main motivation to work in North Ryde. Sydney is a planning disaster and it looks like it will never be fixed.

[Boognoss]

I'll map out my alt route later. I knew this was coming but doesn't make me any less angry. The old official detour is useless in this case as it brings you to Windsor Rd five or so km away from the M2 to continue further west. I'm thinking the Big Dipper through North Rocks but will certainly ride the M2 for as long as it's safe to do so regardless of when we're officially kicked off. I don't "need" the M2 west of Pennant Hills Rd if I commute direct but I've been doing long morning commutes on the M2/M7 this year.

[Xplora]

Case in point is Bella Vista. Evening peak is SOMEHOW worse than Macquarie Park? it must have clear that 2 main roads was not going to be able to handle the load. Hoping for a train line is not good planning!

[jubaeg]

I'll map out my alt route later. I knew this was coming but doesn't make me any less angry. The old official detour is useless in this case as it brings you to Windsor Rd five or so km away from the M2 to continue further west. I'm thinking the Big Dipper through North Rocks but will certainly ride the M2 for as long as it's safe to do so regardless of when we're officially kicked off. I don't "need" the M2 west of Pennant Hills Rd if I commute direct but I've been doing long morning commutes on the M2/M7 this year.

I drive through the big dipper each morning, and I'd suggest that extreme caution should be exercised riding this on a bike, as the cars won't be used to bikes, and for example, if you enter the dip doing the speed limit and not accelerating, if you don't brake, you can easily be at about 90-100 at the bottom. There appear to be two categories of drivers through this section, those who ride the brake and those who don't, however on the climb most accelerate, and so my concern on the ascent would be the significant difference in speeds - I suspect on a bike you'd be at about 5-9ks, whereas a car is at least doing 60ks.

There is some kind of narrow path on the northern side, it would be a max of 1m wide, which would be fine for the ascent but not for descent.

Something that I've never understood is that there are bike lockers at the M2 commuter carpark at Barclay rd (the dip is Renown rd which turns into Barclay at the lights). Presumably these lockers are for Eastern side (North Rocks) rather than from Western (Baulko?).

A few times I rode the detour via Crane rd and Castlewood to Highs and [col de Aiken]. I found this was good through this section as there is minimal traffic.

Just thought I'd mention this.

[Boognoss]

Thanks Jubeag, I know the Big Dipper well so have experienced the same two different kinds of drivers too. I've only ridden it twice before, once each way and at the time I got all time top speeds on the bike. Until the climb up the other side.

Here's the route I may take - http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/655436614" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I live on Crane Rd (as you can see in my map) so am very familiar with the Castlewood/Highs/Aiken route. That was my standard commute route while the M2 was closed the last time. I would likely not ride my mapped route (just an exercise to see the climbs and distances on Renown) but would possibly use Renown on mornings where I ride out to the M2 at Windsor Rd and ride west to get extra km in (or even ride back past my place to avoid Renown and then Aiken. A normal commute would probably be Aiken again.

I emailed the NorthConnex enquiry people about a month ago. Two weeks after the email I got a read receipt but no reply yet. The read receipt was at least two weeks ago. The document on the NorthConnex site (http://northconnex.com.au/docs/Factshee ... ration.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; = 8+ MB PDF) indicates definite works that will affect the westbound shoulder (entry to a site compound that will be under the bridge that is east of Windsor Rd, but there is no mention of anything that would affect eastbound. There will be works at the offramp to Pennant Hills Rd where the new service buildings will be constructed but I can't see that through traffic on the M2 shoulder (i.e. from Windsor Rd continuing on past Pennant Hills Rd) would be affected. I asked about this and have fingers crossed that this would still be permitted. It would solve my problem, and for regular commuters that live further west of Windsor Rd would only have a craptacular experience in one direction each day.

From when Queequeq says of Bike North's update, they haven't been told anything else. Perhaps (most likely I'm guessing) that Transurban haven't planned that far again. We don't matter the slightest to them anyway.

[queequeg]

^^ Yup, we got shafted last time and it was only the fact I lived in Marsfield, near the Browns Waterhole underpass, that saved me. I'd never been
able to use Westbound past Talavera Rd after that was closed in 2007, and I had to stop using Eastbound from Browns a few months before I moved to Dural.

My best case now is that PHR is still ok between the M2 & Castle Hill Rd, otherwise it is back to the Sutherland Rd roller coaster and Cardinal Ave killer climb.
Inbound I can use Beecroft Rd and join the M2 just before the tunnel, which only adds a couple of minutes vs the full M2.

The 3rd lane westbound from PHR to Windsor Rd will reduce congestion for about 6 weeks and the subsequent increased demand will have it back to normal after that.
Commuting the M2 this week, it was jammed up every day. Ever noticed how the electronic signs always say "slow traffic ahead". Originally the message used to be "Slow Traffic due to congestion", but obviously the upgrade promised to eliminate congestion, so they can't very well admit it was a total failure in that regards (but it has delivered Extra revenue to Transurban as more vehicles use it every day now)

[SheikYerbouti]

See, I use the M2 the opposite way and love it - I live lower north shore and commute to the far western suburbs - it's a clear straight run morning and night, 100kmh the whole way, as I'm going against the majority of the traffic. I really wanted to start commuting by bike once a week, and this might kill that plan.

[jubaeg]

Thanks Jubeag, I know the Big Dipper well so have experienced the same two different kinds of drivers too. I've only ridden it twice before, once each way and at the time I got all time top speeds on the bike. Until the climb up the other side.

Here's the route I may take - http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/655436614" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I live on Crane Rd (as you can see in my map) so am very familiar with the Castlewood/Highs/Aiken route. That was my standard commute route while the M2 was closed the last time. I would likely not ride my mapped route (just an exercise to see the climbs and distances on Renown) but would possibly use Renown on mornings where I ride out to the M2 at Windsor Rd and ride west to get extra km in (or even ride back past my place to avoid Renown and then Aiken. A normal commute would probably be Aiken again.

Boognoss - on my morning run through the big dipper yesterday morning, going East (Baulko to Nth Rocks), I could see that it would actually be kind of ok to ride it assuming that on the ascent you hopped onto the pedestrian path.

There is however no shoulder or path or anything going back West.

I admire that you've actually ridden it, and I could believe that you could hit top speed/terminal velocity through there.

[trek52]

this kills my life seriously !!!

Oh well back to either ride to castle hill and up through west pennant hills or the path in the dipper

[vosadrian]

I've ridden the dipper in both directions a few times. Before the M2, it was the only way to get to my in laws quickly without going way out of my way. It is not very nice for riding, but I never had any issues as such. Just cars going past really quick when you are going really slow. I do normally hit max heart rate up the hills on either side as I am eager to get out of there ASAP!!

[Boognoss]

A bad day on the M2 today all round (and I know of another guy that came off yesterday hitting a stick on the fast descent eastbound after Pennant Hills Rd). Both the truck crash and cyclist down (hit metal debris) occurred at the same time about 1km apart this morning.

[hugh stone]

Chose not to commute today and glad I didn't. Seeing stuff like that along with pics from yesterday's casualty makes me nervous.

[caneye]

oh crap. i do hope the cyclist is ok. he's lying on the traffic lane and not the breakdown lane, not good


there were lots of debris on the ground yesterday morning, after the strong winds on sunday.

[Boognoss]

oh crap. i do hope the cyclist is ok. he's lying on the traffic lane and not the breakdown lane, not good


there were lots of debris on the ground yesterday morning, after the strong winds on sunday.

I rolled up a few mins or more after the crash (both). I've heard about 4th hand that the cyclist is OK - he was just about to be loaded into the Ambulance as I continued on my commute. He ended up in the traffic lane but wasn't hit by a motor vehicle. There were a couple of tradie utes first on scene that were still helping when the medicos arrived. Kudos to human decency IMHO.

[trek52]

I heard the opposite mate, heard an SUV hit him and it is very serious. I hope you are right though this time.

[Boognoss]

I heard the opposite mate, heard an SUV hit him and it is very serious. I hope you are right though this time.

Well this is 3rd or 4th hand (friend of a friend of a.....) but Trevor was known to one of the riders I caught up with at the crash site yesterday. She posted an update on Strava today saying that he needs skins grafts, but no broken bones and will be in hospital for a few days. I don't think he was hit as I saw a photo of the lump of metal he hit too.

Also this just in (from my note to Transurban yesterday morning):

Reference Number: 4822647771

Dear Mr Boognoss

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the bicycle lanes on the M2. I apologise for any inconvenience this matter has caused.

We are aware of the broken glass debris currently on the motorway.

I confirm sweeping on the M2 is completed every two weeks, larger debris is collected daily and additional sweeping is carried out where required. We are reviewing this and more regular sweeping will be undertaken in the future.

Scheduled motorway sweeping is due to commence tonight, 13 May 2015.

I have passed your feedback on to the maintenance manager for review. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding this.

Should you wish to discuss this matter further, you may contact me on (03) 8656 8770 or via return email.

Yours sincerely

Jenna Brady

Resolution Advisor

Phone: (03) 8656 8770

Email: resolve@transurban.com.au

[queequeg]

Really, larger debris is removed daily, like window frames, hard hats and planks of wood??
They must "inspect" whilst driving at 100km/h in the dark!

I just got the exact same e-mail response too!

[hugh stone]

Thought it was about time - fair bit of glass around this morning.
I naively thought that if you had a situation where multiple cyclists were being injured you might bring forward a scheduled sweep?

[queequeg]

Thought it was about time - fair bit of glass around this morning.
I naively thought that if you had a situation where multiple cyclists were being injured you might bring forward a scheduled sweep?

That's what I told them when I logged my case yesterday, but apparently they are just sorry for the inconvenience of cyclists getting injured.

[rogan]

It's terrible westbound, two massive patches of glass just after the Browns Waterhole gate.

Don't know if it's true, but a little birdy once told me that sweeping the shoulder is not the responsibility of the maintenance contractor (Transfield) but that Transurban looks after the shoulder itself. If true, that's an unusual arrangement...

[Boognoss]

I heard the opposite mate, heard an SUV hit him and it is very serious. I hope you are right though this time.

Sadly mate you're right. This pasted from a different source via Facebook:

Here is the story of the guy who came off on the M2 yesterday. Names won't mean much but you will see that this guy was very lucky.
Nellie, Trev, JP and Gerald were riding single file down M2 toward the city Yesterday.
Nellie up front and Trev second rolling along at around 30km/hr
Nellie saw and indicated a brass plumbing fitting on the road but Trev hit it and got the wobbles and fell onto the road.
Luckily the guy in the car was watching as his wife does triathlon and was wondering if he knew any of the guys. He saw it all pan out and hit the brakes hard but still collected Trev at around 60 km/hr. He didn’t run over Trev but pushed him along for 10 – 15 metres until he managed to stop.
His bike is snapped in 2
Talked to Julia (wife) and Nellie last night and his daughter this morning – Trev is in plaster (which they didn’t expect), he has probably had several skin grafts and is generally black and blue. He was in surgery for several hours.
He has lost a lot of bark all over including his face and a pretty bad gash on his left leg above his knee.
He was very lucky it wasn’t a truck or someone less aware.

All things considered, very sodding lucky!

[Xplora]

Nasty. Clearly their legal department isn't concerned about it...

[queequeg]

Reference Number: 4555229780



Dear Mr Queequeg,

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the bicycle lanes on the M2. I apologise for any inconvenience this matter has caused.

We are aware of the broken glass debris currently on the motorway.

I confirm sweeping on the M2 is completed every two weeks, larger debris is collected daily and additional sweeping is carried out where required. We are reviewing this and more regular sweeping will be undertaken in the future.

Scheduled motorway sweeping is due to commence tonight 13 May 2015.

I have passed your feedback on to the maintenance manager for review. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding this.

Should you wish to discuss this matter further, you may contact me on (03) 8656 8770 or via return email.

Yours sincerely




Jenna Brady
Resolution Advisor

Phone: (03) 8656 8770
Email: resolve@transurban.com.au

Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: l-transurban





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[wellington_street]

The main thing I took out of that post is that employers email signature disclaimers are getting more and more ridiculous.