Mysterious Metal Pyramids of High St Northcote

On about 6 August 2013, High Street Westgarth, Northcote, saw some strange metal pyramids and shards erected in the median strip. On 19th August, Darebin Council Councillors voted to remove them again. They cost about $30,000 after a tendering process started in March 2013 won by a local branch of an 'urban design' firm, but were not actually approved by local residents or the Trader's Association (I checked). They have been widely ridiculed in the press and on social media. Aside from their aesthetic value (not my concern here) there was a widespread feeling they could be dangerous in a freak accident situation, situated at the bottom of a hill in an strip crowded with bars and restaurants. This is all something of an embarrassement, but does demonstrate the old adage that consultation with local people it is pretty much essential for all transport infrastructure. If we could only convince VicRoads of that!
(Bottom photo source: the Age)

National article on bad bike infrastructure

An article by Michael O'Reilley in The Age, August 12, 2013. "Epic bike lane failures"

A few good general lessons. I had forgotten that Sydneysiders are doing it tough carting their bikes up several flights of stairs to access the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Nonetheless, some of Michael's examples are from Melbourne.

http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/fitness/blogs/on-your-bike/epic-bike-lane-failures-20130811-2rqio.html

Suggestions for the article were taken here http://www.melbournecyclist.com/forum/topics/examples-of-bad-cycling-infrastructure-got-any?xg_source=activity

Fallout from the mysterious loss of VIC's bike budget

There has been a chorus of dissent and disappointment when the Ted Ballieu Liberal/National government of Victoria cut the bicycle infrastructure budget to zero dollars in June 2012, from its previous +$40m in 2011. Individual cyclists, groups, and Bike Victoria were incredulous. BV went as far as correcting the press release where the government falsely claims it was still spending some new money. While the government is spending millions on seeing if it can implement new road schemes (Alexandra Parade is being test drilled for a tunnel), it could not apparently find $41m to renew the funding for bike infrastructure improvements. The great thing is that Bike Victoria (now Bicycle Network Victoria, which is a silly name), which is usually not exactly critical of government policy given the range of links they have with government agencies, came out in strong protest, particularly organising a large rally in the CBD of Melbourne on June 21st 2012. They organised several protests (yes - protests organised by BV!!!). The result has been some weakening of the government's position, possibly with a rethink on actually meeting their commitment to fund the troublesome Gipps St crossing of the Yarra River in Abbotsford, which received a special protest all of its own on July 29 2012.

Articles from National Ride to Work Day in Melbourne

Articles that are coming out around the National Ride to Work Day in Melbourne (Oct 11) illustrate the extent of our problems in this city. Journalists at The Age newspaper have written a few pieces that really question the International Cyclist's Union designation Melbourne as a world cycling city.  Part of the problem is the infrastructure, creating safety risks. A second is the "driving culture".

Video, The Age, 5 Oct 2011.
http://media.theage.com.au/news/national-news/tessa-rides-to-work-why-2671490.html
Tessa decides it is worth cycling. to work. Mind you if she is going from St.Kilda to The Age offices way out on the way to the airport...
There are a series of articles and videos in the Age this week and last week. Some of them are a bit strange - eg focussing on how many accidents bike riders have in Melbourne, which will put people off (no car accident victims mentioned).
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/injuries-take-a-big-toll-on-cyclists-20111007-1ld54.html

A focus on driver education is welcome:
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/push-for-peace-as-rage-rises-between-drivers-cyclists-20111007-1lcpo.html

“Cycling safety campaigns usually focus on changing cyclists' behaviour, where the emphasis should be on changing driver behaviour,” Ms Johnson said. “If a driver cuts you off or opens their door in front of you, there's nothing you can do to change your behaviour in that situation. Those two examples and so many I see are about changing driver behaviour.”

And this is not encouraging

John Gould, a passionate safety advocate and bike shop owner, said Melbourne road users could learn tolerance from their overseas counterparts.“I've ridden in probably 20 countries and I find Melbourne the second-worst place I've ridden in [after Istanbul],” he said.“A lot of those countries don't have many cyclists but they're still a lot more considerate … I was probably on the only bike in Slovenia and holding up traffic going up hills. But no one tooted, everyone knew it was only 10 seconds of their lives. “Here there's lots of carry-on: 'Get out of my way'. The utes love to play chicken with you, I see lots of incidents. The road is a shared carriageway and we've got to share it.”

Migrants and refugees - scared to ride in Melbourne

New study of migrants and refugees - scared to ride in Melbourne
http://www.vu.edu.au/news/migrants-refugees-scared-to-ride

Minneapolis

An interesting article (The Age, 9 Oct.) on bike facilities and levels of cycling (at 4% of journeys, high for the US) in Minneapolis.

I have actually been there, but not cycled, in the depths of winter. At that time, cycling is possible with practice, but not accident-free. The cycle lanes help.  Interesting that the modal share of cycling is over twice that of Melbourne.

The Melbourne bike hire scheme and helmets

Melbourne introduced a bicycle hire scheme around the city centre in 2010, without repealing the compulsory helmet laws that make the scheme unworkable. Arriving in Melbourne as a tourist or visitor, or just needing to get somewhere, you can't just jump on a bike - you have to get hold of a helmet, or risk a $146 fine for not wearing one. Australia's helmet laws are some of the most restrictive in the world. Many, myself included, think that compulsory helmet laws make any bike hire scheme unworkable. One of the world's top experts on risk, Prof John Adams, agrees. See  Article in the Age and listen to ABC radio broadcast on helmet laws on 21 Sept '10.

 

There was a Protest from Melbourne Uni, 18 July 2010 http://www.situp-cycle.com/2010/07/18/riding-for-bike-share/. This protest was followed by an interesting presentation at the State of Design festival by

Mikael Colville-Andersen of Copenhagenize Consulting, called "Four Goals for Promoting Urban Cycling". His four goals included 

1. Get for A-B quickly - bikes down side roads don't work, provide facilities on well used main routes 
2. Market the bicycle effectively, not as a niche product for sport or recreation 
3. Don't avoid the elephant in the room - you can't plan for bikes without doing something about cars (through high vehicle tax and speed limits in Denmark). 
4. "the re-democratisation of the bicycle, re-humanising urban cycling, making it something for everyone, making it mainstream again".

He is opposed to labels like "cyclist", or seeing bikes as part of an environmental activist crusade of some sort. But Mikael forgot to mention the huge crusades by orginary Copenhageners that began Copenhagen's unique network of cycle lanes - collective action and protest got things started as a time when people were turning more and more to cars. I used to live in Copenhagen, and heard about these movements first-hand.

In a subsequent panel discussion Daniel Paez, (Manager Active Transport Policy, Department of Transport) and Anita Curnow (Director of Network Improvements at VicRoads) took a fair amount of flak from the pro-cycling audience. Anita mentioning that she wasn't much of a cyclist, which probably didn't help audience confidence in what her unit is up to (her portfolio is too big, as well). Daniel, despite being from Colombia where freedom usually rules on the roads, is a supporter of the helmet law. Garry Brennan from Bicycle Victoria did not have much to say, but this large cycling organisation also supports the helmet law and refuses to support members who oppose it, or to poll their members. I refuse to join.

Only 15% of cyclists use helmets in Denmark, with relatively low accident rates (c.50 fatalities a year, 2008). In VIC, Vicroads crashstats reports about 11 bike accidents in the same year, with a smaller number of fatalities. VIC and Denmark are about the same size at 5.5m. However the effects of not cycling and driving instead, on health and wellbeing, favour cycling. Exercise reduces obesity and heart attacks. Bike helmets are partly responsible for its unpopularity, especially with women, so they reduce health while reducing your risk of head injury slightly. This is controversial stuff though.   

Mike Rubbo has a ramble about the helmet issues and the bike hire, here 

Update, Oct '10. In response to extremely low take up of the bike hire scheme, the organisers have installed a helmet dispenser at Melbourne Uni and at Southern Cross Station. You can also get one from 7-Eleven stores. The Uni one is particularly silly since there is a bike store on the other side of the Student Union from one of the hire racks. John the owner will not be pleased! At $5 they are a bargain - elsewhere $12 is the lowest you will pay (on special at KMart). And "People can also return the helmets to 7-Eleven stores for recycling and receive $3 cash back"says Roads Transport Minister Tim Pallas.   

All this is incredibly silly in my view. Somebody is subsidising all this, and somebody else will be profiting nicely. Nobody is going to saved from head injuries. User rates for the hires remain very low. All of this was predicted by seasoned cyclists like Mike Rubbo and myself, when the scheme was introduced.  The scheme is a laughing stock. A helmet waiver law should be a major priority for the new State government. 

Update, Dec '10. Still little takeup of the scheme. The Age 29 Nov '10. We now have a new Liberal party state government for the first time in over a decade. I wonder what they will do?

Update Oct '11. Riders now over 300 per day, which is still embarrassingly few. The Age Article of Oct 9 cites excuses. I am not buying any of them. It's the helmets. Dr Chris Rissell writing in The Conversation.

Update Feb '12. Riders now up to 500 a day, still well below all other city schemes reviewed across Europe. Helments seem to remain an issue, alongside cost and numbers of racks. Much less than 4 years to go before they decide whether to ditch the scheme or continue with it.  Age article, Feb 10 2012.