On Friday I attended a meeting at Coburg Civic Centre with Tim McKinley, consulting engineer from Cardno Grogan Richards, http:// www.cardnogroganrichards.com.au/index.html Nicholas Elliot, and Rob (sirname and title unknown) from the council. As you know, Cardno have prepared three options each for bike treatments at several locations in Brunswick:
- Intersections of Grantham/Dawson and Dawson/Pearson Streets in West Brunswick (MEL 29 C8), (very difficult right hand turns involving tram tracks) - Intersection of Brunswick Road/ Amess and Truscott Streets, Brunswick (MEL 29 K10), (to improve the important north/south through- route to Canning and Rathdowne Streets, and access to the Capital City Trail) - Intersection of Glenlyon Road/John Street (MEL 30 A9), (ditto) - Seven or eight proposed contraflow lanes, including -Dunstan Avenue (MEL 29 K5), -Grey Street (MEL 29 E9) which might including some treatment of Barry Street (sorry to be vague) -Beith/Burchett Streets.
Sorry once again not to have the full list of these but I understand we have been given it at some point. The plans can be seen on Moz's website, linked to on the BUG site http://moz.geek.nz/morelandbug/on- road-bicycle-path-infrastructure-brunswick-options-study-CG109207/
Tim impressed me as thorough and professional, with a good insight and feel for cycling, and I understood him to say he rides around the Richmond area, possibly to work, where he has experience of contraflow lanes.
The options-most-likely for Grantham/Dawson and Dawson/Pearson are slightly out of the ordinary; for the southbound cyclist turning right at Grantham street a green paint holding box curved around the left of the tram tracks; for the northbound cyclist turning right at Pearson a shared path on the footpath from the Grantham corner, then a sort of Pedestrian Crossing Lite, involving orange flashing lights, (described by Tim as either a Pelican Crossing http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing or a Puffin Crossing http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing He mentioned an example somewhere in Kew, and I will try to get more details).
These two ideas looked to me like they would be a definite improvement, but I made the point, wearing my local resident's hat, that perhaps the consultant's brief was too narrow, and a more comprehensive approach is required. During the eighteen years I have lived here traffic problems at this part of Dawson Street have steadily deteriorated, not only for bikes, but above all for pedestrians, and also motor traffic (which during the morning peak tends to gridlock up Pearson to the Albert Street roundabout). I have been concerned for a long time about the lack of a pedestrian crossing anywhere on the west side of Grantham, an outdated pre- citylink situation, making access to the Union Square Shopping Centre difficult for residents anywhere north west of Pearson/Dawson. (I can't send my kids to the shopping centre, our closest, and when I see a certain old lady of my acquaintance, with poor eyesight, cross from Foden Street to the citybound tramstop 32, I have my heart in my mouth.) Tim and Nicholas thought that a crossing west of Grantham was unlikely, Grantham/Dawson being 'Secondary State Arterial (VicRoads); I don't see that this should mean pedestrians and cyclists don't get what is necessary, and I shall be scouring the Melways for an analogous tram T-intersection where hopefully pedestrians are better catered for (anyone know of any?)
On reflection it remains my view, given that continuing increase in traffic volumes of all kinds must be assumed, that this area should get a full set of traffic lights at Pearson and Dawson.
The Brunswick Road/ Amess and Truscott Streets and Glenlyon Road/John Street most-likely-options are fairly similar and involve island refuges to help cyclists and pedestrians make north/south crossings. Some of the options involve removing the right of traffic to make right hand turns into Brunswick and Glenlyon Roads respectively, which was acknowledged to present potential political difficulties with local residents, and thereby perhaps tending council to choose those options that retained right hand turns. Nicholas also brought up the retention and possible extension of painted bike lanes on Glenlyon and Brunswick roads.
An additional consideration for the former intersection is that Amess Street is currently the route of the 250-1, 253 and 504 buses, which then turn into Brunswick Road, and any turn-restricting option would require a route change, using Lygon or Nicholson as alternatives to Amess. Nicholas said council would approach the bus company, and that bus routes are in any case up for a general review shortly. Tim was concerned about semitrailer traffic out of John Street from the factories in the area, and showed a google map with a southbound monster waiting at Glenlyon.
One of the plans (I forget which) had a bollard in the middle of nowhere that needs erasing, so if you see one that doesn't make sense, that will be it!
Tim expressed his comfort with the general principle of contraflow lanes, making what I thought was a good point that the door zone issue is significantly mitigated when bikes approach parked cars from the front. They are in use in several municipalities around Melbourne. Nicholas spoke of this group of proposals as though they were by way almost of a pilot project, and he seems to have particular interest and views on this part of the consultant's work, particularly Dunstan and Grey Streets, so if you need more detail you may wish to drop him a line. Tim was not keen on excess warning signage (shades of Hans Mondermann). With regards risk assessment and management Nicholas and Rob spoke around some kind of process whereby council might arrive at a formula of identifying the risks and hopefully deeming them acceptable. This is clearly an important issue for ratepayers but well outside of my expertise, although Tim's confidence should be reassuring.
If you have any concerns you wish to make known, contact Nicholas fairly smartly. Things will now proceed, I gather, in a fairly stately manner, without undue haste. The business model seems to be for the consultants to prepare these briefs and then offer to do the construction themselves.
Hope this is of some use, drop me, or probably better, Nicholas a line if you need any more info or want to discuss.
I am a cyclist who frequently uses the Upfield and Merri Creek shared
paths.
I recently came across the concept of puffin crosssings - Pedestrian
User FFriendly INtelligent crossings. I understand that they stop
traffic more quickly and for variable periods based on sensors
detecting the pedestrian (or cyclist) crossing and allowing an
appropriate time. I was curious about if they have been used in
Australia and a google search lead to your entry.
Currently, at many of the Upfield path pedestrian ("Toucan" meaning
TWO-CAN because ped and bike symbols) crossings, I ignore them
because:
- wait times for a change too long my
convenience
- traffic is clear so no need for them, so why wait my
convenience and motorist convenience
- pressing the button stops traffic for far too long motorist
convenience
As a result, I am acting illegally, and assisting traffic flow. If
these were Puffin crossings, I would use them legally far more - maybe
all the time if they stopped traffic very quickly for an appropriate
time period for a fast cyclist.
To what extent has this been considered?
You mentioned a trial in Kew. Where? I cycle frequently throught Kew
(Coburg-Swinburne Hawthorn). I could find nothing by a search of the
VicRoads Site.
I assume such crossings should be standard for shared paths where
widely variable crossing times will always apply.
cheers, Bob
On Jul 5, 3:28 pm, William Cawte <bakerca...@westnet.com.au> wrote:
> On Friday I attended a meeting at Coburg Civic Centre with Tim
> McKinley, consulting engineer from Cardno Grogan Richards, http://www.cardnogroganrichards.com.au/index.htmlNicholas Elliot, and Rob
> (sirname and title unknown) from the council. As you know, Cardno
> have prepared three options each for bike treatments at several
> locations in Brunswick:
> - Intersections of Grantham/Dawson and Dawson/Pearson Streets in
> West Brunswick (MEL 29 C8), (very difficult right hand turns
> involving tram tracks)
> - Intersection of Brunswick Road/ Amess and Truscott Streets,
> Brunswick (MEL 29 K10), (to improve the important north/south through-
> route to Canning and Rathdowne Streets, and access to the Capital
> City Trail)
> - Intersection of Glenlyon Road/John Street (MEL 30 A9), (ditto)
> - Seven or eight proposed contraflow lanes, including
> -Dunstan Avenue (MEL 29 K5),
> -Grey Street (MEL 29 E9) which might including some treatment of
> Barry Street (sorry to be vague)
> -Beith/Burchett Streets.
> Sorry once again not to have the full list of these but I understand
> we have been given it at some point. The plans can be seen on Moz's
> website, linked to on the BUG sitehttp://moz.geek.nz/morelandbug/on- > road-bicycle-path-infrastructure-brunswick-options-study-CG109207/
> Tim impressed me as thorough and professional, with a good insight
> and feel for cycling, and I understood him to say he rides around the
> Richmond area, possibly to work, where he has experience of
> contraflow lanes.
> The options-most-likely for Grantham/Dawson and Dawson/Pearson are
> slightly out of the ordinary; for the southbound cyclist turning
> right at Grantham street a green paint holding box curved around the
> left of the tram tracks; for the northbound cyclist turning right at
> Pearson a shared path on the footpath from the Grantham corner, then
> a sort of Pedestrian Crossing Lite, involving orange flashing lights,
> (described by Tim as either a Pelican Crossing http://
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing or a Puffin Crossing http://
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing He mentioned an example
> somewhere in Kew, and I will try to get more details).
> These two ideas looked to me like they would be a definite
> improvement, but I made the point, wearing my local resident's hat,
> that perhaps the consultant's brief was too narrow, and a more
> comprehensive approach is required. During the eighteen years I have
> lived here traffic problems at this part of Dawson Street have
> steadily deteriorated, not only for bikes, but above all for
> pedestrians, and also motor traffic (which during the morning peak
> tends to gridlock up Pearson to the Albert Street roundabout). I have
> been concerned for a long time about the lack of a pedestrian
> crossing anywhere on the west side of Grantham, an outdated pre-
> citylink situation, making access to the Union Square Shopping Centre
> difficult for residents anywhere north west of Pearson/Dawson. (I
> can't send my kids to the shopping centre, our closest, and when I
> see a certain old lady of my acquaintance, with poor eyesight, cross
> from Foden Street to the citybound tramstop 32, I have my heart in my
> mouth.) Tim and Nicholas thought that a crossing west of Grantham was
> unlikely, Grantham/Dawson being 'Secondary State Arterial (VicRoads);
> I don't see that this should mean pedestrians and cyclists don't get
> what is necessary, and I shall be scouring the Melways for an
> analogous tram T-intersection where hopefully pedestrians are better
> catered for (anyone know of any?)
> On reflection it remains my view, given that continuing increase in
> traffic volumes of all kinds must be assumed, that this area should
> get a full set of traffic lights at Pearson and Dawson.
> The Brunswick Road/ Amess and Truscott Streets and Glenlyon Road/John
> Street most-likely-options are fairly similar and involve island
> refuges to help cyclists and pedestrians make north/south crossings.
> Some of the options involve removing the right of traffic to make
> right hand turns into Brunswick and Glenlyon Roads respectively,
> which was acknowledged to present potential political difficulties
> with local residents, and thereby perhaps tending council to choose
> those options that retained right hand turns. Nicholas also brought
> up the retention and possible extension of painted bike lanes on
> Glenlyon and Brunswick roads.
> An additional consideration for the former intersection is that Amess
> Street is currently the route of the 250-1, 253 and 504 buses, which
> then turn into Brunswick Road, and any turn-restricting option would
> require a route change, using Lygon or Nicholson as alternatives to
> Amess. Nicholas said council would approach the bus company, and that
> bus routes are in any case up for a general review shortly. Tim was
> concerned about semitrailer traffic out of John Street from the
> factories in the area, and showed a google map with a southbound
> monster waiting at Glenlyon.
> One of the plans (I forget which) had a bollard in the middle of
> nowhere that needs erasing, so if you see one that doesn't make
> sense, that will be it!
> Tim expressed his comfort with the general principle of contraflow
> lanes, making what I thought was a good point that the door zone
> issue is significantly mitigated when bikes approach parked cars from
> the front. They are in use in several municipalities around
> Melbourne. Nicholas spoke of this group of proposals as though they
> were by way almost of a pilot project, and he seems to have
> particular interest and views on this part of the consultant's work,
> particularly Dunstan and Grey Streets, so if you need more detail you
> may wish to drop him a line. Tim was not keen on excess warning
> signage (shades of Hans Mondermann). With regards risk assessment and
> management Nicholas and Rob spoke around some kind of process whereby
> council might arrive at a formula of identifying the risks and
> hopefully deeming them acceptable. This is clearly an important issue
> for ratepayers but well outside of my expertise, although Tim's
> confidence should be reassuring.
> If you have any concerns you wish to make known, contact Nicholas
> fairly smartly. Things will now proceed, I gather, in a fairly
> stately manner, without undue haste. The business model seems to be
> for the consultants to prepare these briefs and then offer to do the
> construction themselves.
> Hope this is of some use, drop me, or probably better, Nicholas a
> line if you need any more info or want to discuss.
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