--
Frank

Drop DACKS to reply
"suomynona" wrote in message
ups.com...
SteveA:
You mean the planked suspension bridge with the 'cyclist dismount'
signs and the 'traffic calming' devices?

Yep, thats the one. For those who don't know it, there are 5 (yep 5!)
cyclist calming devices within a 50 metre stretch, so it is impossible
to speed.

stupid peds who wander aimlessly across/along the shared path.

Agreed. With spring/summer here, they are out in force again I
wonder what they think the large white dashed lines in the middle of
the path are for.

I Should also mention that I am incredibly grateful to the local/state
governments here for providing and maintaining the fantastic Perth
Bicycle Network we have, even if I don't always agree with their
application of safety measures

--
nonA -

Yes, I'll agree that the Bike Path Network is coming on well. But I have
reservations:
(1) I cycled from Freo to work in Kwinana yesterday. I don't often ride from
Freo, I live in the Hills and usually cycle from Armadale or Success - my
commute is part drive, part cycle. Freo to work is about 15km along the
road. Yesterday I decided to take the bike path. Geez! Nearly 23km! It winds
about, being scenic, instead of providing a direct route. I've noted this
with several bike routes. Gosnells to Perth, for instance, wanders about
through parks and reserves. Very pretty but adds time and distance to a
commute.
There is a certain amount (not much) promotion for cycle commuting, but it
seems to me that many paths are built with the assumption that cycling is
really just a pastime, so we'll make it pretty rather than practical.
I must admit that riding along the coast road through Henderson industrial
area is scary enough to get me on the bike path. Plenty of 'traffic
enraging' islands and squeeze points, coupled with trucks and redneck
drivers of all sorts makes for some very close calls. I gave up 'claiming
the lane' after so many people simply ignored double white lines and
oncoming traffic to overtake me. I was concerned more that there would be a
head-on crash than for my safety.
I'd like to see a marked bike lane on roads like this for commuting on a
direct route, with the scenic route being used for recreational cycling.
(2) I've mentioned before how the bike paths treat us like second-class
commuters by giving priority to motorised traffic at road junctions. Why
would I use the bike path and have to stop/start when I can ride on the road
and maintain my rhythm? Unfortunately, what I hear a lot of is "Bloody
cyclists. We pay for nice bike paths and they don't use them. What are they
doing on the road?" I really want to get involved with design of paths as
well as attitude change that normalises bikes. That way we can get paths
where they are needed (alongside highways, for example, like the new Roe
Highway path - good one!) and save the infrastructure money spent on the
useless (except for recreation) paths that meander about. If anyone's got
any contacts in Perth that can help me get more involved, I'd appreciate the
tip.
I think it's high time cyclists were recognised as sometimes recreational,
sometimes commuting, sometimes personal transport, etc. We're not all always
'Sunday family picnic in the park' users.

I'll repeat my previous sentiment: Integrate, not segregate!

Cheers,

Frank