Gauteng Transport Commission to host cycling indaba

[kosmonooit]

Found this on twitter

 

 

 

I'm keen to go - anyone else?

 

Would be useful to have some kinda mandate from fellow cyclists on The Hub ... and take our issues there, make a submission maybe? time to be heard is now.

[kosmonooit]

So how about you all write here what you think should be said, and I will compile a hubbers submission?

 

Personally I would to submit that:

 

- cyclists should always get right of way over motor traffic, but must yield to pedestrians.

- bike lanes should be built separate from the roads where ever possible, motor vehicles and cycles are incommensurable on our roads for a number of reasons.

- pedestrians and cyclists can co-exist, so pavements could / should be utilised for bike lanes (pedestrians always get right of way (Its currently illegal to cycle on pavements)

- every road should at least have a yellow lined shoulder where cyclists can ride (try cycle down William Nicol past the Jukskei and you will get my drift)

- every intersection should have pedestrian / bike crossing, with user activated stop light or at least a yield sign for traffic. There are plenty of intersections (ie by the USA Consulate in Sandton) where there is a slip road to the left for traffic and its really dangerous trying to cross incessant traffic coming through.

- traffic lights intersections should have a separate lane for crossing and a yield sign.

Edited March 27, 2014 by kosmonooit

[kosmonooit]

[kosmonooit]

Common guys ... represent!

 

Other points I might add myself:

 

-Helmets should be user choice, but compulsory for kids under the age of 12 or 13

 

-Cycling facilities should developed on public land to promote cycling and healthy life style: two suggestions I have BMX parks / tracks in the inner city, mountain bike trail on Linksfield Ridge

[ScottCM]

1) On all new roads the Yellow lanes must be at least 1.5m wide for a cyclist to ride safely.

2) Cars at a traffic circle should yield to a cyclist coming form the right too, just as they should a motorised vehicle.

[madmarc]

I think pushing issues like having the state set up MTB trails and or parks is gonna fall on deaf ears. The state don't have money for this type of recreation. And its seen as somewhat elitest. If anything you may get a PPP project up and running with the state providing the land and security, with pvt companies sponsoring the development of trails. But this can only start if the state is prepared to give their permission to use the land and have some type of protection of the pvt sponserships investment.

 

This indaba i believe will to focus on commuting by bicycle to relieve congestion. so focus on that with the main aim of getting them to start creating bicycle dedicated lanes and creating a safe environment for people to start using bicycles to get to work.

 

Cycle lanes should be planned during the early stages of road planning and not after the fact. Take BRT for instance, they could have incorporated a bicycle lane through town with BRT. To do it now would be virtually impossible.

 

I think if the Indaba could get government to seriously start with cycle lanes as a means of non motorized transport and de-congestion it would be the foundation of getting all the other things we want as cyclists.

[kosmonooit]

yes mad, the bike parks can go on the wish list at the end - but its worth raising in terms of a 'holistic' approach. I see a lot of kids on BMX bikes in my hood (on the fringes of the inner city) and no real place to go. The Linksfield Rige mtb trail is a long standing personal dream of mine, its worth getting the idea out there.

 

Problem with cycle lanes as you mention is the ideally they should be planned up front. But look at the BRT as you mention, which in many cases has pushed the car lanes out, leaving no shoulder on the side for cyclists. That was not thought through from a cyclists perspective, its totally hectic trying to cycle down Commissioner, and up Rissik.

 

That's why I am saying, lets be inventive about solutions, in particular, the use of pavements, which certainly in the suburbs are totally underutilised.

 

Hows this for planning (New bicycle bridge in Bruges):

 

 

Dont know if you have been watching the Classics in Belguim (and races in NL), bike lanes & paths are everywhere, often separate from the roads.

Edited March 27, 2014 by kosmonooit

[kosmonooit]

Please I am not trying to push only my views here (even though I do have strong views on the subject), but solicit others, lets get some consensus and I will compile into a submission, and go there. This is really the right place to be doing it: the big cheeses will be in attendance, the political will is there, the money .. but I would like to say I represent the views of other cyclists & commuters active on The Hub.

Edited March 27, 2014 by kosmonooit

[ScottCM]

Tell them to stop wasting money like this pic below, taken this morning on the way to work.

 

 

for those who dont know, there was an island with this light pole, they them dug up the island, tarred the road around the light pole and vehicles are now going to have to use this intersection in both directions. The light pole will either be hit, or will have to be removed in which case new tarring will have to be done. This is a typical example of money wasting that could be reinvested in cycling lanes etc.

Edited March 27, 2014 by ScottC-M

[Rata Del Spruit]

New legislation dictating that all new office buildings or corporate rental buildings offer adequate showering facilities. I know this sounds petty but I think the idea of arriving at work sweat soaked without anywhere to shower puts a lot of people off commuting.

 

Cycle lanes that are on roads to be separated from road by concrete bumps as per the picture below. Doing this allows cars in trouble to be able to utilise the yellow lane should they break down but makes it extremely uncomfortable for any car trying to move into that lane.

 

http://en.zicla.com/public/img/cycle-track-separator-light-segregation.jpeg

 

Cycle lanes to offer two way traffic. This would reduce the expense as only one cycle lane would need to be constructed.

[kosmonooit]

And Jack "Gautrain" van der merwe is the guy being charged with the masterplan, should we raise the issue of bikes on the train?

[madmarc]

Take William Nicol road from N1 to Diepsloot. Currently under a major upgrade and no cycle lanes planned. if you consider the amount of guys commuting from Diepsloot on bicycles to Fourways which I see while going to NF then a cycle lane should have been high on the agenda during planning. it would have been easy and cheap to build a dedicated lane during construction. This would have been a perfect test case. because with lanes I think a lot more people would have started to commute relieving congestion from all the taxi's which currently run the route.

 

The same applies to Beyers Naude when they upgraded that road a few years back.

[DavidE373]

Common guys ... represent!

 

-Helmets should be user choice, but compulsory for kids under the age of 12 or 13

 

 

That would be totally irresponsible. Helmets should be a must, and perhaps even handed out to those that can't afford them, majority of bicycle commuters do so because they can't afford taxi fair, makes sense that they wouldn't be able to afford (or see value) in a helmet.

[madmarc]

Please I am not trying to push only my views here (even though I do have strong views on the subject), but solicit others, lets get some consensus and I will compile into a submission, and go there. This is really the right place to be doing it: the big cheeses will be in attendance, the political will is there, the money .. but I would like to say I represent the views of other cyclists & commuters active on The Hub.

 

Okay well heres mine.

 

"Government to incorporate cycle lanes on all new roads as well as road upgrades during the planning and design stages."

 

In the words of Jack "Gautrain" Van Der Merwe......"If you build it people will use it"

[kosmonooit]

That would be totally irresponsible. Helmets should be a must, and perhaps even handed out to those that can't afford them, majority of bicycle commuters do so because they can't afford taxi fair, makes sense that they wouldn't be able to afford (or see value) in a helmet.

 

Although I agree, it has been shown (like on Oz) that it puts some people off cycling. Its a hot topic perhaps its worth just saying that its a topic of debate. Many cities (like London and most of Europe as far as I know) don't make helmets compulsory.

Edited March 27, 2014 by kosmonooit

[DavidE373]

Although I agree, it has been shown (like on Oz) that it puts some people off cycling. Its a hot topic perhaps its worth just saying that its a topic of debate. Many cities (like London and most of Europe as far as I know) don't make helmets compulsory.

 

In a country like ours, were drivers feel they can do as they please we should have to wear riot gear on a bicycle... This would however make cycling difficult, so let's just stick to helmets for now.

 

Personally, I don't care if it'll put some people off cycling, it's about keeping your noggin safe, not your hair pretty...