Comments on: Death of Cyclist Shocks Melbourne, Prompts Bus Ban http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:37:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: -K http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56643 -K Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:57:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56643 Some local perspective for you all out there. Swanston Walk is generally cut off from traffic. In theory traffic is banned from the street. Commercial deliveries, trade vehicles, taxis, tourist horse carriages (handsome cabs) and the tour line buses are all allowed. There are wide sidewalks, a single lane for traffic and the tram tracks in each direction. I think you can see some footage of it in the streetfilms.org video on Melbourne. The buses in question are sightseeing tours that operate from the centre of the city, usually to country surroundings around Melbourne. There are dedicated bus stations for travel coaches elsewhere. It is the main pedestrian artery in Melbourne and the most highly used cycling route in Australia. When the buses park they effectively take up the entire lane. The space between parked buses and the trams (approximately ten different tram routes using that stretch of street) is less than a metre. I am fairly surprised by the public outcry over the death. People really took it to heart. I guess cycling fatalities are fairly rare and often happen away from public eyes out on less travelled roads. It seems to have affected the city fairly strongly happening in front of so many people. A good opinion piece was offered afterwards about what to do about Swanston St. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/what-a-mess-its-time-to-get-streetwise-swanstonwise-20080921-4kye.html Walking through there at lunch I can see what a problem it is. In one block I counted two carriages, four vans, a truck and a number of taxis parked. It's one lane with no parking verge so cyclists are forced out onto the tram tracks. Roughly 4000 a day. It really is a failure of design. They buses will go because of the this tragic death, but the problem really still remains. Some local perspective for you all out there. Swanston Walk is generally cut off from traffic. In theory traffic is banned from the street. Commercial deliveries, trade vehicles, taxis, tourist horse carriages (handsome cabs) and the tour line buses are all allowed.

There are wide sidewalks, a single lane for traffic and the tram tracks in each direction. I think you can see some footage of it in the streetfilms.org video on Melbourne.

The buses in question are sightseeing tours that operate from the centre of the city, usually to country surroundings around Melbourne. There are dedicated bus stations for travel coaches elsewhere.

It is the main pedestrian artery in Melbourne and the most highly used cycling route in Australia. When the buses park they effectively take up the entire lane. The space between parked buses and the trams (approximately ten different tram routes using that stretch of street) is less than a metre.

I am fairly surprised by the public outcry over the death. People really took it to heart. I guess cycling fatalities are fairly rare and often happen away from public eyes out on less travelled roads. It seems to have affected the city fairly strongly happening in front of so many people.

A good opinion piece was offered afterwards about what to do about Swanston St.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/what-a-mess-its-time-to-get-streetwise-swanstonwise-20080921-4kye.html

Walking through there at lunch I can see what a problem it is. In one block I counted two carriages, four vans, a truck and a number of taxis parked. It's one lane with no parking verge so cyclists are forced out onto the tram tracks. Roughly 4000 a day. It really is a failure of design. They buses will go because of the this tragic death, but the problem really still remains.

]]> By: Andy Trafford http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56611 Andy Trafford Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:37:16 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56611 Absolutely, Max. Get rid of the cars and there'd be plenty of room to keep the bikes and trams well away from each other. Absolutely, Max. Get rid of the cars and there'd be plenty of room to keep the bikes and trams well away from each other.

]]> By: Max Rockatansky http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56607 Max Rockatansky Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:21:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56607 Andy - The quote right above the picture you noted- " I saw one woman snare her front wheel in a track and fall, and I witnessed other cyclists blithely crossing tracks at angles I considered perilous." Here's my take, bikes are a net benefit for society in terms of health benefits and efficient use of resources. Everything should be done to build the safest biking infrastructure possible to encourage use, at the expense of cars if necessary. Andy - The quote right above the picture you noted- " I saw one woman snare her front wheel in a track and fall, and I witnessed other cyclists blithely crossing tracks at angles I considered perilous."

Here's my take, bikes are a net benefit for society in terms of health benefits and efficient use of resources. Everything should be done to build the safest biking infrastructure possible to encourage use, at the expense of cars if necessary.

]]> By: Andy Trafford http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56606 Andy Trafford Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:54:23 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56606 This is ridiculous. The bus wasn't the problem. The problem is the wet tram tracks... Cyclists should never be asked to share road space with trams. Take a look at the 4th picture: http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/17/melbournes-complete-streets/ There's no way I'd feel safe riding there. This is ridiculous. The bus wasn't the problem. The problem is the wet tram tracks... Cyclists should never be asked to share road space with trams. Take a look at the 4th picture: http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/17/melbournes-complete-streets/

There's no way I'd feel safe riding there.

]]> By: ben http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56605 ben Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:49:24 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56605 Lots of things could be done. Simply ban the bad driver for a period of time. Have everyone insert there DL into the car if it is not valid it don't start. Not thier car it don't start. Have EDRs in cars why wait till 2012? Allow people to use the video feed from the cameras ontop of the lights. Speed cameras and stop light cameras. Here is my point Technology is not being used we would rather kill. Lots of things could be done.

Simply ban the bad driver for a period of time.

Have everyone insert there DL into the car if it is not valid it don't start. Not thier car it don't start. Have EDRs in cars why wait till 2012?

Allow people to use the video feed from the cameras ontop of the lights.

Speed cameras and stop light cameras.

Here is my point Technology is not being used we would rather kill.

]]> By: fpteditors http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56602 fpteditors Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:30:30 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56602 So, if a bicycle is hit by a car, cars will be banned? Bicycles should not be integrated into motorized traffic, painted lines on the street will not protect you. We need to remove the private auto from urban life and have physically protected bike lanes. Start by making public transit free. So, if a bicycle is hit by a car, cars will be banned? Bicycles should not be integrated into motorized traffic, painted lines on the street will not protect you. We need to remove the private auto from urban life and have physically protected bike lanes. Start by making public transit free.

]]> By: Fair Trade http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/22/death-of-cyclist-shocks-melbourne-prompts-bus-ban/comment-page-1/#comment-56600 Fair Trade Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:00:45 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4614#comment-56600 Melbourne definitely has the right approach - US officials forget that they're paid to represent people rather than corporations; sadly in the US the politicians are owned by big business and the only thing bug business care about is making sure they can get everywhere quickly in their Mercedes... Motorists should appreciate that every cyclist represents one less car on the road therefore improves their driving experience - they should be grateful and not see them as the enemy. Until cars are banned from major parts of our cities innocent lives will continue to be lost. Melbourne definitely has the right approach - US officials forget that they're paid to represent people rather than corporations; sadly in the US the politicians are owned by big business and the only thing bug business care about is making sure they can get everywhere quickly in their Mercedes...
Motorists should appreciate that every cyclist represents one less car on the road therefore improves their driving experience - they should be grateful and not see them as the enemy.
Until cars are banned from major parts of our cities innocent lives will continue to be lost.

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