Cycling in Sydney Australia
City of Sydney's SHARED PATH marking trial - Feedback?
Hey.
The City of Sydney is currently trialling a scheme of surface markings for its SHARED PATHS at Redfern St, Redfern. (A "Shared Path" - a path that is designated for use by both pedestrians AND cyclists, as distinct from a footpath, on which cyclists (above the age of 12 years) are not permitted to ride.)
It's known that the Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) is keeping an eye on the trial with a view to potentially rolling out any successful components to the wider Sydney area. BIKESydney thinks its important that we get the marking scheme right.
Here's a video of the markings trial. (Apologies for the low-grade street footage - old camera.)
BIKESydney will be making a submission to the City. What are your thoughts, observations, suggested improvements?
Web address for video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn_einp6U9c
Tags: BIKESydney, City, Markings, Redfern, Shared
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bernard on -
Looks like a good idea, the markings are on the shared path which is where people will actually look.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on -
Nice vid, shame about the weather. So from me , looks good, my only change would to be to make the blue line thicker, maybe double the width that it appears in the video.
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Permalink Reply by Colin on -
Agree re thickness. I presume there's a reason why blue was chosen, but I'da thunk that green would tie in better with the colour of the CoS cycleways.
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Permalink Reply by Llewster on -
I was thinking this too - but I think we need to dfferentiate between cycle only and share path. So light blue it is. Obviously taking on the colour from Denmark and the new Cycle Superhighways in London.
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Permalink Reply by hartraft on -
looks great! sydney is going to be awash with green, blue and pink - sydney cycleway banners =)
how about putting direction arrows at intersections? e.g to <==== redfern station | to city ==>
it would help new riders find where to link up to other cycleways and points of interest
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Permalink Reply by Owning on -
That footpath is HUGE! It shouldn't be a problem!
I think one of those signs that say, 'pedestrian walk in a straight and stick to the left and cyclist ring your bell before overtaking, the overtake safely'
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Permalink Reply by Edward Re on -
Love the symbols.
In the middle of the path, the blue side line is easy to miss, so needs to be made more obvious. Or there could be more share symbols. Maybe there could be a zig zag line to make it more visible. A dashed divider line down the middle of the path would make it more obvious that it's a shared path.
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Permalink Reply by Beck on -
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
I'd imagine pedestrians are less accustomed to following instructions like these than road users, and I'm not sure one blue line would make much sense. It might be helpful to make the blue line entirely out of the cyclist/walker symbol repeated along its length, or at least repeat it far more often dot-dash style. The dots around bus shelters are a necessary idea.
Signs asking peds to keep left would be crucial as there is no culture of this at all in Sydney. (Personally I walk on the shady side in summer and the sunny side in winter!) Ditto signs asking cyclists to ride slowly, give way to peds and overtake respectfully.
I ride through this park often and have never seen cyclists using this footpath. A trial like this would have been helpful on the footpaths on Cleveland and Chalmers Sts bordering Prince Alfred Park, where there are temporary shared paths while the shared path through the park is upgraded. The signage advising this disappeared a couple of months ago and there have been some angry confrontations.
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Permalink Reply by timothy.clifford on -
+1 for your last paragraph.
I cringe watching the almost collisions that occur on the footpaths at the corners of Cleveland and Chalmers streets each morning.
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Permalink Reply by Martin Geliot on -
+1 to your 3rd para Beck.
I read your post a few hours back, and have been reflecting upon it. My feeling is that walkers don't want to care about rules, lines and vehicles in a walking space. So to that extent shared paths are a worry, and no amount of paint is going to eliminate that worry. Not to say that some schemes aren't better than others.
I'll go further and suggest that peds are naturally entitled to sanctity in a bit of space without concern for rules and lines.
So just as naked streets is a desire for cyclists, perhaps naked walking zones is a desire for peds. No lines at all. Just permission to ride there with speeds not much above what a ped can manage.
I realize that this thinking would mean that shared paths are only an option for short distance low speed cycling. Not for serious A-B transport: just for shopping and such.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Martin on -
I have to agree, Martin.
I think pedestrians should not feel like they should be corralled like other 'traffic'. These mixed zones are probably only going to be useful when it is the size of an entire street and with no through access for motorised traffic (if allowed at all).
Pedestrians should be free to walk without having to fear for their safety and bicycle riders should slow down and give way to them. I don't think it is helpful when cyclists come flying past at 30km/h+ and then moan about 'i-zombies' while they shoot for a personal best time on their way to work - this happens regularly in Brisbane on the larger shared paths. Mentally switch places for a moment and see how you would feel.
This is another example of why these three modes of travel should be separated and the order of priority (crossings, etc) should be pedestrians - bicycle users - motorised traffic. Bicycles are a great alternative to motorised traffic but to be truly useful you need to be travelling at a reasonable (ie. not pedestrian) speed.
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Permalink Reply by Beck on
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Paul and Martin, it was good to read your thoughtful posts, because in my original reply I responded reactively - rather than questioning what was being trialled I questioned how it was being trialled. Thinking now, I realise I agree with both of you. Pedestrians should be able to move freely without regulation. Shared spaces might best evolve naturally, like for example in Little Eveleigh St in Redfern, where the fast cycling style of long, straight Wilson St has to be adjusted to entering a bollarded entrance to a narrow road with unusable footpaths lane where cyclists and pedestrians meander all over the road, plus the occasional car and Sydney Uni shuttle thrown in. Or Taylor Square, where peds and cyclists criss cross everywhere. As cyclists we naturally want to feel entitled to move comfortably and safely, but not at the expense of others.
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