"the fonz" wrote in message
news:cd7a8ccd-523e-427f-8f42-
> secondly, congestion is different from a temporary impediment to
> progress. the Monash freeway in peak hour is congestion, waiting 20
> seconds to pass a bunch of cyclists usually means 20 seconds less
> spent at the next red light. there is an important difference.
It's congestion, by whatever means.
Next time you see a broken down car blocking a lane on a busy road while
you're trying to get past, take a look back and see how far the traffic is
affected. It's no different for a slow moving bike.
> furthermore, in part due to negligent transport planning in Melbourne,
> single occupant motoring has reduced in its viability. there is little
> doubt that cyclists reduce congestion in Melbourne peak hour traffic,
Little doubt?
Frequent any road where there are lots of bikes and no bike lanes and you'll
be gauranteed to be on one of the busiest and slowest moving roads around.
Beach road in Melbourne is a *prime* example.
> if you're in any doubt attend a presentation by transport planners who
> explain the theory of traffic flow and the impact of increased/
> decreased vehicle traffic. putting more cyclists on the roads in peak
> hour has a material benefit to the same people who tend to dislike
> them so much.
Theory is lovely until it's put into practise, where it often turns to shit
in a hell of a hurry.
> that's fixable, copenhagen bike lanes have benefits for cyclists and
> drivers alike.
I was talking about the problems of riding a bike in traffic with cars and
trucks blowing their stinking carcenogenic crap all over you.
> this is accounted for when marking out bike lanes.
By whom? The theoretical folks?
Mason Street in Newport is a prime example of how adding a bike lane has
completely .ed the road. Prior to the bike lane being added it was a two
lane road along a shopping strip at the Melbourne road end, and it was a
rather busy one. Those looking for a park at this strip stuck to the left
while those looking to proceed through kept in the right and the traffic
flowed nicely.
Hobson's Bay council, in their infinite wisdom, decided to shut down one of
the lanes while adding a bike lane, and they did so by making the bike lane
three quarters of the width of the left lane and the remaining single
traffic lane comprised the balance. What they ended up with was a bike lane
wider than what it needs to be, and a single car lane wide enough to be
comfortable, but not wide enough to get around a car that's looking for a
parking spot.
So now the traffic is well and truly .ed in that section of the road as
everyone crawling along looking for a park holds up the entire lane as they
won't drive over the bike lane to get out of the way.
The shopkeepers along that strip *hated* the idea, and protested to the
council when the plan was announced, but as usual council ignored their
argument and went along with the idea anyway. Since then nusinesses that had
flourished in the area for years before this idiotic plan was put into
practice have left, and new businesses seem to only last a short while
before they too pack up and move on as customers find the hassle of trying
to park and negotiate traffic too much of a pain to bother.
In the mean time, the half a dozen cyclists who use the bike lane are well
catered for with an out of proportion section of the road all to
themselves....
> like loud pipes on motorbikes, loud clothes on cyclists save lives :)
If they didn't ride bikes in the first place they wouldn't have to dress up
like a packet of crayons at a mardi-gra.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
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