Briefs
Beach Rd clearway rejected
By
Australian Cyclist : 01-Jan-2008
The proposed early hour weekend clearway along Melbourne's Beach Road has been rejected by one of the councils along Melbourne's most popular cycling route.
The clearway plan was proposed by a group of local cyclists called the Beach Road Cyclists after they collected information about the road's usage and found 147 cyclists were seriously injured on the route between 2000 and mid-2005. Approval of the plan would have seen the councils invoke a 6am to 10am weekend clearway on the four-lane Beach Rd to allow groups of cyclists to remain in the left lane and not repeatedly have to move out to pass parked cars.
But a special meeting of Bayside councillors voted 5-2 to reject the proposal. Beach Road Cyclist's co-ordinator Marcel Lema wasn't surprised at the vote. "There were people the meeting actually arguing the clearway be rejected because they had collided with cyclists while backing out of their driveways," he said. "They think the clearway will attract more riders rather than make they whole road safer for everyone." Bayside Bicycle Users Group secretary Rod Bryant said the decision reflects the general contempt of cyclists. "You are seen as the enemy who is taking up road space," he said, reinforcing Mr Lema's claim the clearway trial could have actually reduced tension between motorists and cyclists.