Comments on: Fitzroy Street St Kilda Dual Copenhagen Lanes http://ozsoapbox.com/cycling/fitzroy-street-st-kilda-dual-copenhagen-lanes/ because criticism isn't an armchair sport Thu, 17 May 2012 07:30:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ozsoapbox http://ozsoapbox.com/cycling/fitzroy-street-st-kilda-dual-copenhagen-lanes/#comment-19513 ozsoapbox Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:02:46 +0000 http://ozsoapbox.com/?p=3442#comment-19513 Yeah when you put it like that there is an awful lot for motorists to have to check when performing a simple right hand turn. Very easy to miss a cyclist travelling at speed, especially seeing as from memory there wasn't traffic lights on the sidestreets (just more of a haphazard give way system where nobody really knew what they were doing). Yeah when you put it like that there is an awful lot for motorists to have to check when performing a simple right hand turn.

Very easy to miss a cyclist travelling at speed, especially seeing as from memory there wasn’t traffic lights on the sidestreets (just more of a haphazard give way system where nobody really knew what they were doing).

]]> By: Tony http://ozsoapbox.com/cycling/fitzroy-street-st-kilda-dual-copenhagen-lanes/#comment-19507 Tony Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:30:53 +0000 http://ozsoapbox.com/?p=3442#comment-19507 This would have to be the one BIGGEST mistake as far as making cycling safer in the city. An even bigger mistake is for cyclists to feel encouraged that Copenhagen style cycle lanes are the way to go. I reluctantly use the northbound cycle lane along Fitzroy Street three days a week. I can predict ALL the possible potential mishap scenarios and there are far too many. At the end of the day I feel there's too much onus placed on the motorist. Imagine you're a motorist travelling south down Fitzroy Street and you wish to make a right turn into a side street. Firstly, are BOTH tram tracks clear for safely making a right turn across them? Secondly, after clearing the tram tracks are there any cars travelling northwards I need to also give way to? Then, and this is the bit I find hard to come to terms with especially for any motorist using Fitzroy Street for the first time, is there a cyclist heading southwards in the opposite direction to the northbound motorists? And what about the cyclists travelling northbound...you also need to give way to them....and then, just as you think you're cleared for trams in both directions, oncoming cars, cyclists in both directions, there's the possibility that you'll need to give way to pedestrians crossing the side street as they too have right-of-way if not on a signalled crossing. I feel a single lane for cyclists is all that's necessary as there is in the opposite side of Fitzroy Street. I'm all for uniformity. There have been cycle lanes all over Melbourne for many years now which most cyclists and motorists are used to operating on and around. Why change things and end up confusing most motorists and cause many accidents because of this rarity! I have cycled all over Melbourne and the Fiztroy Street dual cycle lane would be the most dangerous trip on a cycle anyone could make. Each time I have cycled along it I could have easily been wiped out by motorists if it weren't for the need to be constantly vigilant about the movement of all other traffic. IT IS SIMPLY NOT SAFE!!!!! This would have to be the one BIGGEST mistake as far as making cycling safer in the city. An even bigger mistake is for cyclists to feel encouraged that Copenhagen style cycle lanes are the way to go.

I reluctantly use the northbound cycle lane along Fitzroy Street three days a week. I can predict ALL the possible potential mishap scenarios and there are far too many.

At the end of the day I feel there’s too much onus placed on the motorist. Imagine you’re a motorist travelling south down Fitzroy Street and you wish to make a right turn into a side street.

Firstly, are BOTH tram tracks clear for safely making a right turn across them?

Secondly, after clearing the tram tracks are there any cars travelling northwards I need to also give way to? Then, and this is the bit I find hard to come to terms with especially for any motorist using Fitzroy Street for the first time, is there a cyclist heading southwards in the opposite direction to the northbound motorists?

And what about the cyclists travelling northbound…you also need to give way to them….and then, just as you think you’re cleared for trams in both directions, oncoming cars, cyclists in both directions, there’s the possibility that you’ll need to give way to pedestrians crossing the side street as they too have right-of-way if not on a signalled crossing.

I feel a single lane for cyclists is all that’s necessary as there is in the opposite side of Fitzroy Street. I’m all for uniformity. There have been cycle lanes all over Melbourne for many years now which most cyclists and motorists are used to operating on and around. Why change things and end up confusing most motorists and cause many accidents because of this rarity!

I have cycled all over Melbourne and the Fiztroy Street dual cycle lane would be the most dangerous trip on a cycle anyone could make. Each time I have cycled along it I could have easily been wiped out by motorists if it weren’t for the need to be constantly vigilant about the movement of all other traffic. IT IS SIMPLY NOT SAFE!!!!!

]]>