Police warning to cyclists about riding in designated lanes

[Shred11]

From Friday's Examiner:

http://www.examiner.com.au/story/315693 ... -cyclists/

Given that many of Launceston's "bike lanes" place the rider squarely in the door zone, end with out warning and usually have cars parked in them, this could get interesting if/when a cyclist gets booked. The law states that the rider must ride in the bicycle lane unless it is impracticable to do so. One could argue that it's impracticable to ride in most local bike lanes.

This sort of story is particularly unhelpful to those of us who cycle on the West Tamar Highway, since many car drivers seem to be ignorant of basic road rules and mistake the line designating the road shoulder for a bike lane. This results in close passes and other acts of aggression against cyclists using the highway.

247. Riding in a bicycle lane on a road:
http://www.thelaw.tas.gov.au/print/inde ... 0000;rec=0

[mikgit]

aye he bike lanes in Launy...where they are are OK...ish (unlike the bonkers Hobart ones)...but yes door zone aplenty and end in stupid spots, plus they often tend to be filled with crap so you can't ride in them.

[Releng]

There is some improvements required in Hobart and the police making dumb comments like these will not help.
I have asked Bike Tas to weigh into the debate:

Hi Biketas, Do you have any plans to provide a formal response to the police inspired article in the Examiner http://www.examiner.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;…/31…/lane-warning-for-cyclists/…? It is an incitement for the states uninformed drivers to dispense a bit of good old boy vigilante justice on the evil cyclists.
It is fantastic the way the Hobart City Council is providing cycling infrastructure to make cycling around Hobart safer, easier and more enjoyable. This should be done with an awareness campaign about how the infrastructure should be used. The level of confusion around the use of the cycling lanes along Sandy Bay road is a good example. The lane changes from a shared footpath to an on road cycle lane with different rules for pedestrians and cyclists for each section. The most dangerous bit is the section from Marieville esplanade past the Casino where there is a shared footpath. I commute this way every day and choose to stay on the road through this section, as I believe I am legally allowed to. Abuse and seemingly deliberate close shaves through this section are almost a nightly occurrence because Joe Public is not aware of the traffic rules and think I am breaking the law.
If I was in fact breaking the law, how this can condone in peoples heads the drastic repercussions of taking my life I am at a loss to understand.
For the police to come out with advice for cyclists to stay in bike lanes where they are provided without providing clarity of the rules makes the already concerning issue a whole lot worse. Copy and paste the relevant area from (Traffic (Road Rules) Regulations 1999 (S.R. 1999, No. 131)) and into Word it results in 14 pages of complicated if/then type arguments. Maybe as the Peak Cycling body you could help us out with a coordinated response to the Tas Police and the Examiner. Happy to help, Please let me know.

[2wheels_mond]

I really don't understand how that footpath (Marieville Esplanade -> Casino) is meant to be bike infrastructure, I wouldn't ride it in a million years. It's certainly the worst bit of infrastructure in Hobart, absolutely no thought put into it.

[rangersac]

Yep that bit of path is a shocker. Not only are you sharing it with peds, but virtually every driveway that crosses it is blind as the houses along there all have high solid front fences/ walls. I commute outbound from the city that way and I'm yet to see a cyclist dumb or crazy enough to use it. Fortunately I'm generally keeping pace with the traffic along there so don't find road sharing any issue.

[Releng]

The bit where I have most issues is the uphill bit past the casino intersection. There is a right hand turning lane that forces through traffic to the left and makes things a bit scary on occasions. I cannot maintain 50 up there so move as far left as I can to not hold up the cagers. I have had a lot of horns and abuse yelled at me through there. Look up the politicians that live in Lambert Avenue it may have something to do with the generously proportioned right hand turn lane that makes this area such a death trap.
Tasmania - State of Corruption is alive and well.
Which unfortunately has not passed into history with the Liberal Premiers of the 1980's

[DavidS]

There is a solution: viewtopic.php?f=53&t=84846

Really, they're just asking for this sort of reaction.

DS

[mikesbytes]

Sounds like in addition to the removal of unsafe bike lanes, that is one of the most important places for a 1mtr rule to be introduced

[AndyRevill]

Yep, that new bit of shared path from marieville esplanade is a shocker and a death trap, especially at the service station. I also ignore it but I think it's the sort of thing Bike Tas should be lobbying against if it's intended for compulsory use.

Luckily, I can't say I've had any issues with cars and me staying on the road through that bit.

Andy

[redheeler]

I drive along Sandy Bay Rd on a regular basis as I work in Lower Sandy Bay and between Marieville Esp and the Casino all cyclist tend to use the road. As stated previously the shared footway is a not well thought out with the driveways between solid front walls. However as a motorist (and cyclist) I don't have any problems with the cyclists using the road, as most keep up with the traffic and stay as near as practical to the curb. It's a odd few cars that park on the road in this section that are more of a hinderance to both the cyclists and motorists, as it then becomes one lane just prior to the lights at the intersection into the Casino.

[il padrone]

These cyclists risked a $100 fine if they didn't have a lawful excuse, police said.

Avoiding the danger of a door zone, pot-holes, parked cars in the bike lane, or following a line between obstructions, are all lawful excuses. These types of obstructions render the bike lane 'impracticable'.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Avoiding the danger of a door zone, pot-holes, parked cars in the bike lane, or following a line between obstructions, are all lawful excuses. These types of obstructions render the bike lane 'impracticable'.

This is a good time to bring back this highly instructive video treatment of the subject:

[limbot]

That section near the Cas is just a pain, especially coming off Nelson Road. You come down of Nelson and have to "wiggle" around the traffic light post/poles at a very acute angle onto the pedestrian shared footpath, past the servo where cars are often all the way out trying to get back onto the road then make the transition off onto the road based bike lane.......... I pretty much give the path a miss all together as well.