BNE: Cycling Mt Cootha in jeopardy

Donga Wrote:
On Feb 27, 6:42 pm, Bradley wrote:
I am happy to offer my vote, however why is option 3 preferred?

I would have thought the best option is a one way single lane for
motor
vehicles and a two way lane for pedestrians and cyclists. This
*could*
be Option 1. The wording of Option 1 is ambiguous to me, do they
mean
one way for all traffic (motor vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians)
or
one way for motor vehicles and two way for cyclists/pedestrians?

Option 2 is to add passing lanes, this has to be better from a
cyclist
perspective than Option 3 which is to add signs only.

I haven't ridden this rode (yet) however I live in Toowong and I am
familiar with it.


OK, here goes the argument:
1. Don't spend public money unless there is a need (it's our taxes)
2. The current structure works quite well. Cyclists and walkers/
runners love it. Drivers have to wait a few seconds for cyclists,
mainly from 6-7 am.
3. Cyclists sometimes ride two abreast up the hill, but generally move
over when they hear a car. On the downhill, they don't cross to the
wrong side, because the road camber and curves are good.
4. Some drivers are impatient and try to pass on double lines,
illegally, or when they can't see ahead. They get a scare when a
cyclist comes fast downhill the other way (not as scared as the
cyclist), but this is not common and I haven't heard of an accident
caused by this. Most accidents, car or bike, have been single-vehicle
caused by excessive speed.
5. Any such problems could be largely fixed with signage, minor works
and perhaps some enforcement. Option 2 is acceptable, but the cost is
unnecessary - passing bays are not built cheaply on a hill.
7. Confining cyclists and walkers to a single, dual-direction lane
would make descending unsafe. This is a steep hill with significant
speed (50+) and descending absolutely requires a full lane. Option 1
is the product of 70's thinking, that cyclists don't belong on roads
(note the words "cyclists being forced onto roads).
8. Making cycling one-way is absurd. I've seen numerous 'beginners'
riding the hill and turning around halfway - I started out doing this
myself. We can't tell them to ride all the way.
9. Mt Cootha is incredibly valuable to Brisbane cyclists - only at Mt
Gravatt, some distance away, can you do a hills ride before work.
Hundreds, maybe thousands, use it regularly. This is a sport and
activity that is ballooning, and should be encouraged and fostered.

Bradley, I hope I've explained it well. By all means vote Option 2 if
you don't mind your taxes ballooning in order to look after some
impatient motorists - heck, with tunnels and all, what does it matter?
But please don't think for another second that Option 1 is OK.

Donga

[nods in agreement]

Adam


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adam85