News & Discussion: Cycling

[Heather]

Dear Cyclist and Climate Change Carer,
Did you know that Prospect Council plans to remove a section of bicycle lanes on Prospect Road, and narrow the road. This will also direct arterial traffic onto residential streets like bikedirect routes of Braund Road and Myrtle Street. HELP TO STOP THIS. Removing bicycle lanes sets a NEGATIVE PRECEDENT for the WHOLE STATE. Undermining the Cycling Strategy could also affect the many interstate cycling tourists who visit SA during Tour Down Under. It is also NEGATIVE FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS in regards to the environment, Climate Change and Peak Oil.
PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO POLITICIANS NOW, preferably before State Elections on 20 March 2010. The Prospect BUG web page at http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/bugprospect has more info, including a guide to writing to State and Federal MPs.

[AtD]

A climate change activist who wants wider roads? Now I've seen everything.

Seriously though, aren't cyclists safer when they're sharing lanes with cars rather than being banished to a 30cm strip in the gutter?

[ralmin]

Excellent news, Labor promises to build a cycleway joining Marino Rocks (where the Coast to Vines Rail Trail currently ends) all the way into the city.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5840156730

Meanwhile, Mr Rann will today announce $12 million funding for new bike paths along rail corridors and waterways.

Modelled on the Linear Park, Coast Park and Mike Turtur Bikeways (formerly Tramway Park), the cycling and walking paths will be known as "Greenways".

"The number of people riding into the CBD on a daily basis has also increased from 5011 in 2003 to 7744 in 2009 - an increase of just over 50 per cent," Mr Rann said.

"Our long-term plan is to create a linking network of cycling and walking paths that stretch across the metropolitan area.

"The first priority will be a 15km Greenway from Adelaide to Marino Rocks . . . along the electrified Noarlunga rail line."

Other bike paths listed on the map, including the Sturt River and Little Para River already exist.

[Aidan]

Excellent news, Labor promises to build a cycleway joining Marino Rocks (where the Coast to Vines Rail Trail currently ends) all the way into the city.

..."The first priority will be a 15km Greenway from Adelaide to Marino Rocks . . . along the electrified Noarlunga rail line."

It seems to me that's not actually a particularly good route for a cycleway. I'd much rather see it go along the coast from Marino, and alongside the railway from Hallett Cove to Noarlunga (where gradients and roundabouts make the roads impractical for cyclists).

[JamesXander]

The Linear bike trail (the one that runs next to the torrens?), is bloody half complete, and doesn't look like its going to be finished anytime soon. Along River Street, about half way it goes from brand new bike path with rails, to a dirt track with no rails or signs or anything.


Absolutely ridiculous.




BTW what are peoples thoughts on paying a small registration fees on bikes to pay for infrastruture. Say $50 per annum?

[Nathan]

BTW what are peoples thoughts on paying a small registration fees on bikes to pay for infrastruture. Say $50 per annum?

No way of enforcing it, and would discourage people from riding. We need more incentives to ride, not things that will make people think twice about it.

[JamesXander]

BTW what are peoples thoughts on paying a small registration fees on bikes to pay for infrastruture. Say $50 per annum?

No way of enforcing it, and would discourage people from riding. We need more incentives to ride, not things that will make people think twice about it.

Sure it could be easy. Just do like they do in WA, have some you stick to your bike, in a plastic case or what not, and you cops can just scan it to see ifs its up to date.


Perhaps some people wont adhere. But then they can't complain about infrastructure. I'd happily pay $50 a year in the thought that it would go some way in improving and promoting riding in the state.

[Aidan]

The Linear bike trail (the one that runs next to the torrens?), is bloody half complete, and doesn't look like its going to be finished anytime soon.

That's strange - it seemed to be complete when I cycled it nearly 20 years ago!

Along River Street, about half way it goes from brand new bike path with rails, to a dirt track with no rails or signs or anything.

Which River Street is that? There are several.

[RayRichards]

BTW what are peoples thoughts on paying a small registration fees on bikes to pay for infrastruture. Say $50 per annum?

Not a good idea. Uhh, I mean how far would you go? Would you includes kids bikes?? And how would the coppers enforce it. They would have better things to do then pull over young Emily to see if her ride has got a slip with it??

Maybe a sale tax for every new pushy sold in SA could contribute to infrastructure, but even that wouldnt work. How would you regulate it? The only way it would work, would be to include a bicycle infrastucture levy on your car rego, so and least once a week all of us might as well head to the local bike path to get our moneys worth in this sorry state.

Bike riding should be free, so people can get their backsides out in the open.

Ray.

[JamesXander]

BTW what are peoples thoughts on paying a small registration fees on bikes to pay for infrastruture. Say $50 per annum?

Not a good idea. Uhh, I mean how far would you go? Would you includes kids bikes?? And how would the coppers enforce it. They would have better things to do then pull over young Emily to see if her ride has got a slip with it??

Maybe a sale tax for every new pushy sold in SA could contribute to infrastructure, but even that wouldnt work. How would you regulate it? The only way it would work, would be to include a bicycle infrastucture levy on your car rego, so and least once a week all of us might as well head to the local bike path to get our moneys worth in this sorry state.

Bike riding should be free, so people can get their backsides out in the open.

Ray.

I agree that riding a bike is good excercise, but I do feel that bike riders should have to bear some of the burden of instituting all this new infrastucture.


A rego to ride on perhaps bike lanes or dedicated bikes expressways is IMO the best plan, but perhaps it would be best left to an econmist to come up with the most efficient way.

[Aidan]

I agree that riding a bike is good excercise, but I do feel that bike riders should have to bear some of the burden of instituting all this new infrastucture.

A rego to ride on perhaps bike lanes or dedicated bikes expressways is IMO the best plan, but perhaps it would be best left to an econmist to come up with the most efficient way.

The most efficient way is to ditch the user pays mindset! If we want to encourage cycling we should forget about trying to make it self funding. It will never cover its costs, and the cost per user will only be higher if we try to.

[AtD]

A rego to ride on perhaps bike lanes or dedicated bikes expressways is IMO the best plan, but perhaps it would be best left to an econmist to come up with the most efficient way.

An economist would say:
The reduced social cost caused by the use of cars - pollution, noise, injury/death, diminishing returns of road infrastructure, use of land, division of neighbourhoods - would more than offset the cost of a bikeway. 1km of bikeway is amazingly cheaper than 1km of road to construct and maintain. Cyclists have lower average costs and marginal costs from the points of view of the taxpayer, user, neighbour and citizen.

Likewise, by imposing registration, the private marginal cost curve would move left considerably. The social cost would greatly outweigh the revenue.

[JamesXander]

We can agree to disagree.


Riding has a much higher risk of injury, and with more cyclists on the roads we will see more and more injuries related to cycling. Infrastructure is currently not in place, so although its cheap there is the matter of the size of it. IE all over Adelaide.


A $50 rego would be a TINY disincentive to ride your bike, especially when compared to driving your car. Which you pay tax to buy, to buy fuel, and to have rego. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is thinking of either riding or driving to work. The $50 annual fee could be recouped within the first week or fortnight through savings in petrol.


The rego could be also a good way of reinterating certain rules of riding. ie not running red lights because your on a bike, by distributing bike road rules to those who pay the registration, and information on new rules or infrastucture.



As I've said, I just don't believe cyclists should get off scotch free. Governemnts as it is do not have enough money to pay for everything we desire. If we want the infrastucture NOW, We just have to accept that we have to institute a user pay type system. It would benefiet all by doing so.

[JamesXander]

I agree that riding a bike is good excercise, but I do feel that bike riders should have to bear some of the burden of instituting all this new infrastucture.

A rego to ride on perhaps bike lanes or dedicated bikes expressways is IMO the best plan, but perhaps it would be best left to an econmist to come up with the most efficient way.

The most efficient way is to ditch the user pays mindset! If we want to encourage cycling we should forget about trying to make it self funding. It will never cover its costs, and the cost per user will only be higher if we try to.

But dont you see, to fund the infrastructure where is the funding going to come from. its as much about mentality as it is about revenue as well. It may not cover costs, but it would encourage funding of new projects and sense of funding justice within the community.

You cannot deny that there is a major resentment towards cyclists.



Let me say this again, the infrastructure is NEVER going to come quick enough if we don't accept a user pay system, because of the funding and because of mentality that it won't be subsidised by the very people who use it. Argue what you will, but its the truth. Adelaide will never be a cycling metropolis unless a stream of funding is found.

[AtD]

But roads themselves are nowhere near revenue neutral. The federal fuel taxes and state registration fees don't come close to covering the cost of construction and maintenance born by all three levels of government.