Sign my petition or I'll do hapkido on you!

[Oddjob]

Signed.

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[fjohn860]

Signed

 

[Dozer]

Geez, I hate to be "that guy" but that's a terrible bunch of roads to ride your bike on. The Princes Highway is a warzone at the best of times in a car let alone riding slowly on your bike surrounded by automatic electric car drivers that just expect their fancy collision warning device giving them a cuddle to stop them plowing into other road users. It's so bad to hear of anyone getting killed on a bike but geez cyclists make dumb entitled decisions thinking that the law saying they can ride there keeps them safe from an accident.
I've ridden on the tarmac daily for thirty years and I am so staunch on not roading certain types of roads. People are so complacent and stupid in a car but so are roadies. We've all got skin in this game and it should be more on the cyclist to make the choice that doesn't put them in the lane with cars and trucks.
Start a second petition to get a proper cycleway all the way to the coast that pesky cars can't get on.

 

[Mattyp]

Geez, I hate to be "that guy" but that's a terrible bunch of roads to ride your bike on. The Princes Highway is a warzone at the best of times in a car let alone riding slowly on your bike surrounded by automatic electric car drivers that just expect their fancy collision warning device giving them a cuddle to stop them plowing into other road users. It's so bad to hear of anyone getting killed on a bike but geez cyclists make dumb entitled decisions thinking that the law saying they can ride there keeps them safe from an accident.
I've ridden on the tarmac daily for thirty years and I am so staunch on not roading certain types of roads. People are so complacent and stupid in a car but so are roadies. We've all got skin in this game and it should be more on the cyclist to make the choice that doesn't put them in the lane with cars and trucks.
Start a second petition to get a proper cycleway all the way to the coast that pesky cars can't get on.

Yeah I second this... It's not lack of sympathy as it's a horrible situation, but there are some roads I just simply won't ride on because it's too high risk, and before anyone jumps up and down, Yes, you should be able to, and can ride wherever you want, but in most cases it's not worth the risk of being run over.
I rarely ride the roadie as it is because it's boring as shit, but seems most of my incidents with cars have occurred 5k from home so unless it's on a bike path id rather drive somewhere that is regularly used by bikes as there is at least some chance of not being killed. Driving the car somewhere to ride the roadie is pretty hard to justify too...

 

[Stredda]

Yeah I second this... It's not lack of sympathy as it's a horrible situation, but there are some roads I just simply won't ride on because it's too high risk, and before anyone jumps up and down, Yes, you should be able to, and can ride wherever you want, but in most cases it's not worth the risk of being run over.
I rarely ride the roadie as it is because it's boring as shit, but seems most of my incidents with cars have occurred 5k from home so unless it's on a bike path id rather drive somewhere that is regularly used by bikes as there is at least some chance of not being killed. Driving the car somewhere to ride the roadie is pretty hard to justify too...

I agree, and it's a difficult issue because as you said you should be able to ride anywhere but is it worth the risk?
I hate riding on the road despite commuting on 6km of highway every day and if there was an option I would take in in a heartbeat. There needs to be a change in driving culture in Australia to where bike riders aren't seen as the enemy, but that will take time. Will riders not riding in higher risk areas affect this culture change? I'm not sure.

 

[Slowman]

...
Start a second petition to get a proper cycleway all the way to the coast that pesky cars can't get on.

You're the guy nice idea but it will cost millions and has no chance any time soon. This on the other hand will be very cheap as the infrastructure is already there.

 

[Slowman]

Crikey I've been busy. Went to Wollongong City Council meeting on April 7th and a motion was passed unanimously to formally request the Minister consider opening the tunnel for cyclists. See https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/8936945/wollongong-council-backs-cyclist-tunnel-proposal/

Shortcuts for cyclists and pedestrians should be on the Wollongong City Council agenda, Greens councillor Jess Whittaker said.
At Monday night's meeting, the councillors were discussing a motion to support a push to open a tunnel under the Princes Motorway at Waterfall for the use of cyclists by writing to Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison.

The tunnel, previously used by tollgate workers to drive from one side of the motorway to the other, would mean southbound cyclists looking to get onto the old Princes Highway would not have to cross two lanes of traffic to get to the exit lane.
The motion was inspired by an online petition started by cyclist Craig Vernon, after the death of friend Gail Allen on this section of road.

"The situation is that there is a piece of existing infrastructure that could be cleaned up under the F6 that may be able to convey people safely to the other side of the road," Cr Whittaker said.

"It seems pretty straightforward - it's just a piece of advocacy that we're asking the council to do, to ask the state government to take a look at this."

Cr Whittaker added that it was one example of how a shortcut could benefit active transport.
"I think around our city there is so much opportunity for looking at this more," she said.

"We have train lines, we have freeways, we have highways, we have creeks, and it seems like often people do have to just go the long way around or take the car because there's just that one little impediment in their route.
"I think looking for ways that we can go under roads, under train lines, and even past creeks ... I know the general manager has talked about the Towradgi Creek shared path that might flood potentially every now and again.
"But give people a little bit of credit for taking some personal responsibility. We don't want to do without a path because maybe there's a perceived risk when it could actually benefit so many more people."

There was unanimous support for Cr Whittaker's motion, with Lord Mayor Tania Brown backing anything that would make the roads safer for cyclists.

"As a former cyclist of many years ago, and from a cycling family, I can appreciate certainly where Mr Vernon's coming from, having lost people on roads," Cr Brown said.

"This is why I preferred to ride around a velodrome which was much safer, but anything we can do to make our roads safer for our cyclists, I will support 100 per cent."

Tonight I'll be at Georges River Council meeting hoping for the same result and hopefully next month at Sutherland Shire.

I am also starting the F6CC on Strava see https://www.strava.com/clubs/1496997 come join!

 

[Slowman]

Geez, I hate to be "that guy" but that's a terrible bunch of roads to ride your bike on. The Princes Highway is a warzone at the best of times in a car let alone riding slowly on your bike surrounded by automatic electric car drivers that just expect their fancy collision warning device giving them a cuddle to stop them plowing into other road users. It's so bad to hear of anyone getting killed on a bike but geez cyclists make dumb entitled decisions thinking that the law saying they can ride there keeps them safe from an accident.
I've ridden on the tarmac daily for thirty years and I am so staunch on not roading certain types of roads. People are so complacent and stupid in a car but so are roadies. We've all got skin in this game and it should be more on the cyclist to make the choice that doesn't put them in the lane with cars and trucks.
Start a second petition to get a proper cycleway all the way to the coast that pesky cars can't get on.

Yeah I second this... It's not lack of sympathy as it's a horrible situation, but there are some roads I just simply won't ride on because it's too high risk, and before anyone jumps up and down, Yes, you should be able to, and can ride wherever you want, but in most cases it's not worth the risk of being run over.
I rarely ride the roadie as it is because it's boring as shit, but seems most of my incidents with cars have occurred 5k from home so unless it's on a bike path id rather drive somewhere that is regularly used by bikes as there is at least some chance of not being killed. Driving the car somewhere to ride the roadie is pretty hard to justify too...

I agree, and it's a difficult issue because as you said you should be able to ride anywhere but is it worth the risk?
I hate riding on the road despite commuting on 6km of highway every day and if there was an option I would take in in a heartbeat. There needs to be a change in driving culture in Australia to where bike riders aren't seen as the enemy, but that will take time. Will riders not riding in higher risk areas affect this culture change? I'm not sure.

I really have to say it's not the lack of sympathy that bothers me but the lack of knowledge and vision. Literally, thousands of road cyclists ride this stretch every weekend. Naturally most will do this in the early hours to avoid high volumes of traffic. I wouldn't contemplate riding this route much after 8am on a weekend. I'd use the quieter route through the Royal to Stanwell Tops, or just stay on the Motorway and put up with the poor surface.

Nowhere am I suggesting roadies should be allowed to ride anywhere anytime, that's someone else's strawman. This is about a simple repurposing of some existing infrastructure that would increase safety by eliminating a blackspot by being able to avoid it. Most experienced roadies have a collection of routes that vary according to time of day and volume of traffic. That doesn't speak to me of entitlement but accepting reality and using some wisdom to come up with practical solutions. The very thing this petition seeks to do.