LBUG Home Rides Calendar Join LBUG Contact Big Bike Day Go For a Ride LBUG on Ning
LBUG Home Rides Calendar Join LBUG Contact Big Bike Day Go For a Ride LBUG on Ning
LEICHHARDT BICYCLE USERS GROUP
LBUG meetings - Meetings are on an as-required basis, as we can do most things by email. We are also attending the tri-monthly Bicycle Advisory Committee, usually on a Wednesday night in the Town Hall. if interested in coming along, contact us or council. Tel 98103706 for next meeting date or check with Leichhardt Council on their bicycle page or Vera Zaccari on 93679000.
Agendas and minutes for the BAC.
Want to get there by bike, or find places to ride?- some routes and ride suggestions compiled by LBUG.
Path ettiquette- a guide from LBUG
LBUG on Ning - new interactive web site on Ning to provide members with a chance to make comments, add photos and plan rides. It is easy to use and anyone can join. (You will need to Sign Up first.)
Have your say on the very easy to use Callan Park Masterplan website about making Callan Park a better place to cycle to and in. The Masterplan is being prepared now for completion at end of 2010, and approval by Council in early 2011. Please have a look and leave some supporting comments for a children's cycling circuit, better internal roads, better access from surrounding streets and for making the Park a cycling destination. More on Ning.
Govt policy is to provide improvements to bicycle facilities when new transport projects are built- eg the M7 cycleway, M4, M5 and M2 and also currently the Victoria Rd Upgrade for cyclists through drummoyne and Rozelle.
The controversial CBD Metro was cancelled and some valuable cycling link opportunities have been lost - such as a Gordon St to Anzac Bridge link and a widening of the Victoria Rd footpath at Balmain Rd.
But now the Govt is putting its effort into extending the Light Rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill along the existing goods line, and we hope to see more possible corridor improvements for cyclists. The Greenway cyclepath from Cooks River to Iron Cove has been given a high priority but a study by GHD has suggested some of the cyclepath is too expensive, and that the original idea of using one of the two rail tracks for a cycleway is not acceptable to the Govt- although Bicycle Victoria is campaigning against this decision (definitely treading where BNSW fears to go!).
LBUG reckons other routes should also be considered (off road and on road) and agrees with BV that links from Hawthorne Canal to the Anzac Bridge should be included in the project, if a true corridor approach to providing for bicycles is to be taken.
See further discussion on Sydney Cyclist
[June, 2010]
The Rides calendar is out for January to June 2010, with a draft for the July-Dec period. See under Rides Calendar on top bar above, or bookmark this link.
In December we are winding down with an EasyRide on Sunday Dec 6, and then the LBUG Picnic on 13 Dec. See the Calendar for details. There will be a Rides Meeting on Monday January 11 to discuss what we will be doing for 2010, details on the new Ning website. You can also leave comments there.
Many thanks to people who have made our rides and tours fun this year and also to those who have done good work on the Council's Advisory Committee and advocacy work with the RTA and Metro.
The RTA has released its final response to our campaign for an upgrade of the cycle routes along the Victoria Rd coridor, as part of their road and bridge upgrade. They are budgetting $5m to improve the routes and connections along the way. Not perfect but some new facilities for cyclists shoulod make connections easier.
The Bike Day venue has been changed to the Leichhardt Aquatic Centre grounds and combined with the official opening to the extensions to the Pool, with the Big Ride going around Callan Park (starts 1230pm). Free BBQ, free pool entry, free valet parking. Different format and venue, but hope the weather is not too hot. LBUG will have a stall and is helping with the event. Come over and say hello.
The shared path has been finished between the City West Link and Leichhardt Secondary College. Not bad mostly but you have to negotiate the roads coming from the new Bus Depot. Buses leave the depot via Balmain Rd at a light controlled intersection but enter by the City West Link. For some reason the main path goes around to join the CWL footpath and there is only a narrow little bit of path to the lights at the CWL. They have also left a power pole on the path, seriously restricting width and posing a potential crash risk! [Oct, 09]
A forum will be held on June 11 in the Toxteth Hotel from 6pm, to discuss problems on shared paths in Glebe and elsewhere. The new foreshore path around Blackwattle Bay to Glebe Point is very popular but not designed very well for the usage. (Possibly a hard task because of the mix of walkers, dogs and pedestrians and the constraints of topography and heritage.)
There has been an outbreak of irate letters to the local papers about speeding cyclists and, in retaliation, about careless dog owners and unaware pedestrians, ipod in ear, and so on. LBUG has had a Path Etiquette on its website for some time, and is keen to promote better understanding and behaviour by all users.
The recently announced Metro project will run underground from the City to Rozelle. The station at Rozelle will be 20 to 30 m under Darling St, with lifts or escalators down. Land on Victoria Rd will be requisitioned to provide access points to the station and bus zones for interchange with the Metro. This will affect the RTA Regional cycle route on Victoria Road. LBUG is keen to ensure the route will be maintained and improved. The Metro website says bicycle and pedestrian access to the stations will be a priority (section 2.4 of the Preliminary Environmental Assessment) so does this mean the Metro project will lead to other improvements to roads leading to the stations, such as Darling St? And will the RTA be talking to the Metro people to get the best for cyclists in its Victoria Road Cycling Upgrade project?
Another big question is whether the Metro carriages will carry bicycles. LBUG, Bike Sydney and BNSW have made submissions that bicycles should be carried, and also had a meeting with David Borger's adviser on cycling (he is the Minister Assisting the Minister of Transport).
The BAC meeting on April 15, 2009, discussed possible bicycle routes in the White Bay and Rozelle Goods Yard area, for inclusion in the Bike Plan. This large area will probably be developed in the next few years, and the Bike Plan needs to be amended to "stake a claim". The CBD Metro may provide opportunities for bike routes to proposed stations at White Bay (near Roberts St) and Rozelle, and it is important that these opportunities are identified now.
LBUG member Robert Johnson has put together a plan (presented at the April BAC) for bicycle routes in the area, linking the Greenway on Hawthorne Canal through the railway cutting under Balmain Rd and the Anzac Bridge, as well as a route to East Balmain.
BAC meetings are held quarterly in the Town Hall in the downstairs Meeting Room, at 630 pm. Details of agendas and meeting times can be found on the Council's cycling web page. Entry by side door off Marion St. Can park bike inside. Ring Bob on 98103706 if interested in attending.
Next meeting 15 July
City of Sydney Council has responsibility for Glebe and Forest Lodge, right up to the border with Leichhardt at Johnston's Creek. Their Bike Plan has a route from Bicentennial Park to Pyrmont Bridge Rd via Johnstons and Orphans School Creek (or whats left of it). They are now drawing up construction plans for a path along their side of the Creek up to Wigram Rd.
More...
Cycling continues to make the Herald's pages. If it isn't a swag of Letters to the Editor (pro and anti cycling) it is articles like this or a strong pro-cycling Editorial on 2/1/2009. [Jan2, 2009]
Balmain Road is one of the few ways to get across the City West Link, and is also relatively flat, so it is an important route for cyclists. This is recognised in the Leichhardt Bicycle Strategy, where it is designated a Strategic Route, NS 4.
Balmain Road does have the drawbacks of being narrow and fairly heavily trafficked, but measures can be taken to make it safer for cyclists. See the suggested measures in the Bicycle Strategy at page 7 of the Works Schedule.
As part of the redevelopment of the Leichhardt Bus Depot a shared pedestrian/cycle path is being built from the City West Link to Leichhardt Secondary College, and changes are being made to Balmain Rd itself. The shared path is a step forward as it was very poor planning that this footpath was not built when the CWL was built. However, proposed new line marking in Balmain Rd from Piper St to Alfred St is a step backward, as it ignores the measures approved in the Bike Strateg, and the existing bike lane near Piper St will be lost. LBUG urges Council to insist these measures are implemented, and that a consistent "mixed profile" treatment (where bicycles and motor vehicles share the road) along Balmain Rd is adopted. A 40 K limit would also make the road safer for all road users.
Issues at Moore St are still unresolved (see The Fence below), and these also need to be addressed by Council. [Dec 4, 2008]
Local Government elections are coming up on September 13. LBUG is keen to hear from candidates about their policies on promoting the use of bicycles in Leichhardt, and for supporting the Council's five year Bicycle Strategy (aka the Bike Plan). We are one year in and quite a bit has been done - lots of signs up, green paint here and there, some useful lane widening on Booth St, but some things are lagging, like safe crossings of the City West Link and improvements to Darling St, and bike parking. Council is dithering where to put in bike racks - its obvious, everywhere! A few U racks at regular intervals along the main shopping streets, some larger clusters at Cinemas, Pool and parks and other big attractors, and Bob's your uncle.
Go speak to your local candidates (4 wards, Annandale, Leichhardt, Lilyfield/Rozelle, Balmain)) and ask them what their policies on cycling are. Ask them if they are familiar with the Bicycle Strategy, and point them to the LBUG website if they want to see what we think. So far Crs Hannaford (Lib), Porteus( Green) and Webb(ALP) have indicated suport for cycling, so we hope the cross party agreement will continue.
LBUGs election page, see responses from candidates
Update- The Greens did well, with 6 councillors out of 12. Labor lost a Councillor position (Balmain) to the Liberals. Jamie Parker (Greens) is Mayor, Michelle McKenzie is deputy Mayor, and Rochelle Porteus is Chair of the Traffic C'ttee...
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| From Bicycle audit Sept 2008- Leichhardt. |
With a digital camera it is easy enough to take photos of roads around Leichhardt and put together a safety audit of cycling conditions. LBUG will be discussing the audit with the Council to seek action. If you see any hazards or problems that should be fixed, like poor surfaces, holes, bumps, lips, squeeze points, poor access, let us know.
The RTA announced in July 2008 that the duplication of the Iron Cove Bridge and an upgrade for bus lanes along Victoria Road will proceed to the next stage, the preparation of an environmental assessment. They have also responded to our submission on including an upgrade for bicyle facilities in the Project. They are promising further talks this month (August 2008) with LBUG, BayBug and Leichhardt and Canada Bay Councils on what can be done to improve the route for cyclists.
See earlier reports below, and our photo-essay.
A new website with all sorts of nifty facilities such as blogs, forums, discussions, groups, photos, etc, is at SydneyCyclist. There is an LBUG group for discussion of cycling in Leichhardt, and other groups, such as Commuting, and a Gear Swap section.
The East-West cycle route from Annandale to Hawthorne Canal along Booth, Moore and Allen Streets has been upgraded slowly. It was therefore a backwards step when the works at Leichhardt Secondary College included a fence along Balmain Rd, opposite Moore St, making it difficult to continue from Moore St to the new path between the school and the playing field, which links with Derbyshire Rd and Allen St.
After six months of LBUG arguing with the various authorities involved, and some help from local MP Verity Firth, it has finally been decided to shift the pedestrian lights closer to the corner and provide two gaps in the fence to allow pedestrians and cyclists to pass through. (this is required because cyclists are not legally able to ride across a pedestrian crossing)
Cyclists on Moore St will be allowed to go straight ahead on green, but cars can only turn left or right. To avoid collisions with turning vehicles, cyclists should position themselves correctly in the centre of the left lane approaching Balmain Rd. It is dangerous to stay too far left, particularly if large vehicles (eg buses) are trying to turn left. LBUG has asked for some warning signs to alert motorists to the straight ahead movement by cyclists. An alternative route is via Hill St, but the crossing of Balmain Rd there is more awkward and probably more dangerous than at Moore St. Bollards on the path through the school at Hill St are also a cycle hazard.
UpdateAt 15/04/09 the lights have been shifted but only one gap has been provided (for pedestrians), despite RTA agreeing on a second gap. The school was against providing a separate gap for cyclists, expecting cyclists to dismount to cross the road, or break the law. The Council says the gap will be provided, and a design is being prepared to alter the crossing to accommodate cyclists. Total waste of tax payers money- this should have been resolved a year ago. .
For only $80 you can buy a bike for Cambodian woman politicians so they can get around their electorates. Donations of any amount can be made by online banking or at any branch direct to Unifem Australia into their Westpac account no 227345, BSB 032083. If you want a receipt email the treasurer Rosemary Derwin at treasurer@unifem.org.au. The website is www.unifem.org.au for background on Unifem. Councillor Kate Hamilton at Leichhardt Council passed this on as a good cause cyclists might support.
LBUG is currently on www.users.bigpond.net.au/lbug. Content will gradually move to this site (lbug.org.au) so check back later to see how it looks.
Rides designed for beginners of all ages, those who are a bit rusty and anyone who wants an easy morning spin of around 20 to 30 km. EasyRiders are on the first Sunday of the month. Explore the scenic foreshores and Inner West. Gain confidence and experience, find the best cycle routes. Meet at 830 am at the Bakehouse Cafe in Moore St, Leichhardt. See the Rides Calendar for more details. Download a flyer.
For Seniors Week (6-13 April) LBUG is organising two rides. One on Sunday 6 and the other on Wednesday 13. These rides are short scenic rides to the Fishmarket and Balmain respectively, taken at an easy pace, with a free coffee thrown in. Designed as an introduction to cycling for any Seniors who might want to take up this enjoyable physical activity and practical way to get around. Other new cyclists are also welcome. Meet 9am at Bakehouse Cafe in Moore St, Leichhardt. Need a bike in good order, helmet, water and sunscreen. Ring Bob on 98103706 for more details.
Image above shows cyclist and bus patron conflict at Terry St bus stop on the shared path along Victoria Rd.
The RTA is meeting with LBUG and other cycling groups on Thursday 7 Feb 2008 at 630 pm in Leichhardt Town Hall, in Councillors Room. All welcome. See news item below for more details.
See a photo essay LBUG compiled for use at the meeting.
Update April 2- We have written a letter to Verity Firth MP outlining our case and she has responded by asking us to meet with her on April 4 to discuss further progress. Not to be outdone Bay Bug has spoken to their MP Angela D'Amore and she has arranged a meeting with the Roads Minister in May.
If you wish to support our campaign for a Victoria Rd upgrade for cyclists please write to the Minister for Roads Level 36 Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000, with a cc to Verity Firth 112A Glebe Point Road, GLEBE NSW 2037 Fax (02) 9660 6112 or Email balmain@parliament.nsw.gov.au.
Note added in December 2009- there has been quite a bit happened since 2008. The RTA is spending $5m on improving the cycle routes along the Victoria Rd corridor. See their website for details.
A count conducted by the Council during morning and evening peak hours in Nov 2007 has found an average 46% increase over a similar count in 2005. Good news for cyclists as the Council now has some evidence their efforts are paying off. [Feb 1, 2008]
