Kalamunda Zig Zag - closed to cars 2020, open for cycling?

[BrownBike]

Looks like it might reopen to cars during daylight but remain car-free until 10am. That seems a good compromise if the council want cars back.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-16/ ... /100069678

[Joeblake]

Not sure why the council would want cars back, if this is going to happen.

A resident said dangerous behaviours are still ongoing even with the vehicle closure.

“Last Easter Monday I was outside my house near the Zig Zag gate and saw five or six shirtless men ramming down the gate with their Landcruiser,” a resident wishing to remain anonymous told Echo News.

“They were wearing their shirts over their head like balaclavas and had masking tape over their registration plate’s so it was obviously premeditated.”

Zig Zag user Adam Hacker recalled a particularly harrowing experience that occurred last Sunday.

“I was cycling down the Zig Zag in the late afternoon and saw a rope at least one inch thick strung across the road,” he told Council.

“It was black and green so it was hard to see and was attached to two large trees with carabiners and lever ratchets levelled exactly at neck height for a cyclist.

“If I hadn’t managed to see it in time, there’s no doubt in my mind I wouldn’t be here speaking with you today.

“Luckily I stayed there to call the Council and the police because another man in his 80s came down on a bike and he wouldn’t have seen it because it was getting dark.

“An 80 something year old man coming down and hitting a rope in the neck at 40-50 km/hr just before dark – at best he would have been seriously injured and stuck there all night and at worst he would’ve been murdered.”

[Mububban]

Honestly, some people.....

...the question of whether to permanently reopen the popular lookout to vehicles is still unanswered, with 767 saying yes and 567 saying no.

Though the majority voted to reopening, a large portion of these respondents reported living in suburbs outside the City of Kalamunda.

A decision will be made at Council’s next monthly meeting on April 27.

I reckon they'll reopen it

[Joeblake]

If they are going to have guards on the gate, viewing platforms, meditation areas, who is going to pay for it? And will this money be recovered by any putative spending by tourists in these cars? There's already a bill for repairing the road damage caused by cars to be paid.

[Joeblake]

This Google Earth shot from 2019 (pre-closure) shows that the area on Ridge Hill Road at the bottom of the Zig Zag has been used by hoons for some years.

[dmwill]

Reopening next month to cars between 11am - 8:30pm.

This does mean cyclists can only go down, not up.

Willing to bet the same old problems will occur - idiots in the evenings, rubbish and gravel all over the apexes.

[Joeblake]

For a couple of months I've been writing to the local paper ("Echo") on this and had a couple published. This is my latest.



A couple of editions later the front page of the Kalamunda edition carried an article about "Masters" cycle racing (ie those riders aged 30 and above) coming to Kalamunda in October, and in the same edition, was a lengthy letter about the Wooroloo fires.



Hopefully these will result in a rethink about re-opening the Zig Zag to motor vehicles.

[Mububban]

Hopefully these will result in a rethink about re-opening the Zig Zag to motor vehicles.

One can only hope.....

Although I think they're already anticipating hoon behaviour re driving time limits. Have you seen the new upgraded gates they've installed? They look like they'd need some serious machinery to remove. I'm guessing they over-engineered it in anticipation of idiots trying to rip the gates out after hours so they can resume doing burnouts. Next time I'm up there I'll grab a photo.

[Joeblake]

In this week's edition of the Echo Newspaper:


Just says ban on motor vehicles. No mention of cycles?* But only going DOWN the hill. That's not much bloody use. It's quicker to go down Gooseberry Hill Road.

What are they thinking?

Note the Council is looking for "a long-term solution for the Zig Zag Scenic Drive". Wonder where the "designated areas" for stopping are.

*I see they have put a graphic in there indicating cycles. Not very clear.

[NASHIE]

You can ride up and down before 11am and only down after 11am. Seems ok to me.

[Joeblake]

Whilst that would be okay for some recreational riders, I'd think the best times for cyclists to be able to ride UP the Zig Zag would on their way back from work, eg those who work in Midland or even Perth (along the riverside). That would more of an incentive to get people out of cars onto bikes, which would be more in accord with the Council's move in signing a climate change statement and declaring an emergency, rather than pandering to the petrol heads.

As for monitoring "user behaviour", I hope that the hoons that caused the problem will restrict their noxious activities to daylight hours (a faint hope).

[NASHIE]

I think the 8:30pm close is a bit late. 5pm or 6pm would further keep the anti social behaviour at bay. Have been a little disappointed that over this closure time, council have not rehabilitated some of the off road nook's etc the dope smokers etc have created to park up. Should be a forced one way drive with no stops.

[NASHIE]

Wouldn't like to be ranger knocking on people's windows at 8:30 pm to clear off.

[Joeblake]

How 'bout like this?

[NASHIE]

How 'bout like this?

Yep, will be a bit of agro me thinks.

[Joeblake]

The closure of the Zig Zag road is being brought up again.

https://echonewspaper.com.au/digital-edition/ (see page 3)

Costs, complaints are given as some reasons.

One councillor complained that closing the Zig Zag would be "the nail in the coffin" for tourism. Perhaps any putative reduction in tourism could be overcome by promoting cycling tourism. Along the river from Perth, along Kalamunda Road, up the Zig Zag and a coffee.

24 May is when the decision is being made.

[dmwill]

Still come across the occasional spaced-out/sleeper/zombie camped in their car at the top gate.

Had a few occasions where they have parked so close to the gate you can't get through the small opening off to the side.

*CX dismount, jump gate, try not to wake them*

[Joeblake]

For those who haven't been out that way of late, there's now a wide, two lane bike path from Helena Valley Road along Midland Road almost to Kalamunda road. Anybody riding to or from Midland can get onto this pretty much pan-flat path at Sadler Drive. Having the Zig Zag open would make Midland/ Kalamunda Commute pretty much a doddle, avoiding going up Gooseberry Hill road or Welshpool Road/ Crystal Brook Road. Be easier and safer, with no blind corners.

[Mububban]

For those who haven't been out that way of late, there's now a wide, two lane bike path from Helena Valley Road along Midland Road almost to Kalamunda road. Anybody riding to or from Midland can get onto this pretty much pan-flat path at Sadler Drive. Having the Zig Zag open would make Midland/ Kalamunda Commute pretty much a doddle, avoiding going up Gooseberry Hill road or Welshpool Road/ Crystal Brook Road. Be easier and safer, with no blind corners.

Thanks Joe, I'll have to take my group up there on Saturday soon

Council recommending it be permanently closed to vehicle traffic, prioritising walkers and cyclists - sounds marvellous.

[Joeblake]

Sad news. The Kalamunda Council voted, 8/3 to NOT permanently close the Zig Zag, but impose a "night curfew" between 8:30 pm and 11 am.

https://echonewspaper.com.au/digital-edition/

Check the details at page 3 of the digital edition. Seems strange that so soon after a federal election which showed that the vast majority of the population were concerned about the environment the council encourages people to drive fossil fueled polluting machines rather than encourage other forms of tourism, such as cycling.

[Joeblake]

Below is the letter I wrote to the local newspaper, "Echo". Hopefully they'll publish it next week.


ZIG ZAG CLOSURE

The Kalamunda City Council is to be condemned for its retrograde attitude in not permanently closing the Zig Zag road, because of concerns about loss of tourism. In case council members are not aware, in the last few weeks there has been a fierce political debate over the environment, and it seems that an overwhelming number of Australians have voted, in the last federal election, to try to reduce carbon emissions.

10 August 2021 the City of Kalamunda joined other Western Australian Local Governments by signing the WALGA Climate Change Declaration. How encouraging people to drive fossil fuelled pollution-mobiles (instead of say encouraging cycling tourism) is aligning with the clearly expressed public opinion, and the City's expressed desire to help reduce climate change is beyond my comprehension.

[Joeblake]

Even the ABC has picked up the story.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-26/ ... /101103238

[Mububban]

Sad news. The Kalamunda Council voted, 8/3 to NOT permanently close the Zig Zag, but impose a "night curfew" between 8:30 pm and 11 am.

https://echonewspaper.com.au/digital-edition/

Obviously my optimism was misplaced. Can't say i'm truly shocked.

[Joeblake]

Well timed reply. About 5 minutes ago I sent of a fairly lengthy letter to the new (Labor) MP for Hasluck, Ms Tania Lawrence. (Get in early!) Let's see what that brings.

[Joeblake]

Yay. My letter has been published in the Echo today (3 Jun 2022) P 5.
https://echonewspaper.com.au/digital-edition/