Main Roads WA

1. Main Roads WA Perth Bicycle Network - Operational Overview Cycling Safety Forum 14th May 2011

2. Bicycle Facilities – one size does not fit all... • On – Road • Bicycle Lanes • Separated Uni-directional Lanes • Separated Bi-directional Lanes • Sealed Shoulders • Wide Kerbside Lanes • Bike Bus Lanes • Local Bicycle Routes • Off – Road • Principal Shared Paths (PSP) • Recreational Shared Paths (RSP) • Separated Paths • Shared Paths

3. Principal Shared Paths • Intention: • To provide high quality facilities to enable a range of riders to undertake regional and local trips for transport and recreational purposes • Preferred Environment: • Along railway lines, freeways and controlled access highways • Advantages: • Riders removed from traffic and thus suitable for all riders • Enable long distances to be commuted quickly and conveniently • Provide local access to stations • Disadvantages: • Poor interaction with pedestrians due to rider behaviour and pedestrian behaviour • Crashes between riders becoming more common place on routes with heavy usage

4. Recreational Shared Paths • Intention: • To provide high quality facilities through attractive surroundings primarily to encourage children, inexperienced and recreational riders • Preferred Environment: • Along river frontages, ocean frontages, around lakes and through parks • Advantages: • Riders removed from traffic and suitable for all riders that are willing to ride at slower speeds • Can be used as alternative commuter routes where on-road alternatives are poor • Disadvantages: • Poor interaction with pedestrians due to rider behaviour and pedestrian behaviour

5. Principal / Recreational Shared Path Usage • Narrows West (666k) • Mounts Bay Road (405k) • Causeway (365k) • East Parade (328k) • Mitchell Fwy (289k) • Fremantle PSP (257k) • Windan Bridge (253k) • Narrows East (246k) • Banks Reserve (160k) • Perth – Bunbury Highway (20k)

6. Separated Paths • Intention: • To provide high quality separated facilities through attractive surroundings primarily to encourage children, inexperienced and recreational riders • Preferred Environment: • Areas with high pedestrian usage including urban areas, along river and ocean frontages, around lakes and through parks • Advantages: • Riders removed from traffic environment and pedestrians • Can be used as alternative commuter routes where on-road alternatives are poor • Disadvantages: • Difficult to enforce – pedestrians walk on bike path and vice versa • Individual paths with a gap between them require a significant amount of space

7. Shared Paths • Intention: • To provide facilities for slower and inexperienced riders to travel locally • Preferred Environment: • Along busier streets • Advantages: • Separation from vehicles • Can be used in conjunction with an on-road facility that inexperienced riders may not feel confident using • Disadvantages: • Lack of continuity • Danger from driveway crossings • Interaction with pedestrians • Generally poorly maintained • Obstacles common (signs, bus shelters, bins, seats, power poles, etc)

8. Bicycle Lanes • Intention: • To provide a recognised space for bicycles to allow fast and continuous travel on busy distributer roads • Preferred Environment: • Along distributer roads in urban environments with a speed limit of 60km/h • Advantages: • Bicycles are provided with their own road space • Bikes are able to overtake other bikes • Continuity maintained for riders • Space efficiency • Disadvantages: • Is not an attractive option for most inexperienced riders • No physical separation from traffic • Local resident parking restrictions make implementation difficult • Not appropriate for busy high speed roads

9. Separated Uni-directional Lanes • Intention: • To provide separation between bicycles and other traffic • Preferred Environment: • Along busy roads in urban environments with few intersections / turning vehicles where large numbers of pedestrians are present • Advantages: • Continuity if designed well • Bicycles are provided with their own road space • Bicycles are physically separated from traffic and pedestrians • Attractive to inexperienced riders • Disadvantages: • Lack of continuity if designed poorly • Narrow lanes can make overtaking impossible • Wider lanes are difficult to implement in most road reserves • Difficult to incorporate bus stops

10. Separated Bi-directional Lanes • Intention: • To provide separation between bicycles and other traffic in congested situations • Preferred Environment: • Along busy roads in urban environments with few intersections / turning vehicles where large numbers of pedestrians are present • Advantages: • Bicycles are provided with their own road space • Bikes are physically separated from traffic and pedestrians • Perceived as safe and thus attractive to inexperienced riders • Disadvantages: • Lack of continuity – severe delays at intersections if crossing on pedestrian phase • Safety concerns with vehicles turning across lanes • Difficulties accessing and exiting lanes • Issues with bus stops

11. Sealed Shoulders • Intention: • To provide a recognised space for bicycles to allow fast and continuous travel on busy distributer roads • Preferred Environment: • Along distributer roads in urban environments with a speed limit of 60km/h • In rural areas • Advantages: • Bicycles are provided with their own road space • Bicycles are able to overtake other bikes • Continuity maintained for riders • Space and cost efficiency • Disadvantages: • Is not an attractive option for most inexperienced riders • No physical separation from traffic • Not appropriate for busy high speed roads

12. Wide Kerbside Lanes • Intention: • To provide space for bicycles to safely share a traffic lane with other vehicles in constrained situations on busy roads • Preferred Environment: • Along distributer roads in urban environments with a speed limit of 60km/h • In rural areas • Advantages: • Bicycles are not squeezed when passed by other vehicles • Bicycles are able to overtake other bikes • Continuity maintained for riders • Bicycles can claim full lanes as required and are not constrained to a bike lane • Disadvantages: • Is not an attractive option for most riders • No physical separation from traffic or allocated space for riders • Not appropriate for busy high speed roads

13. Bike Bus Lanes • Intention: • To provide space for bicycles to safely share a bus lane • Preferred Environment: • Along distributer roads in urban environments with a speed limit of 60km/h • Advantages: • Bicycles are separated from the majority of vehicular traffic • Bicycles are not squeezed when passed by buses • Bicycles are able to overtake other bikes and buses within the lane • Continuity maintained for riders • Space and cost efficiency • Disadvantages: • Is not an attractive option for most riders • No physical separation from buses • Can be problematic if the lane width is narrow

14. Local Bicycle Routes • Intention: • To encourage riders to use the local street network for short trips to local destinations • Preferred Environment: • Local access roads in suburban residential areas • Advantages: • Roads with low traffic volumes and low speeds are environments where riders can confidently use the road without the need for specific cycling facilities • Disadvantages: • Routes are indirect and riders must stop at numerous intersections making them unsuitable for longer journeys • Difficult to navigate • Traffic calming devices can transform the riding environment from good to poor • Misinterpretation that an LBR is the only road in an area where cycling should be considered or that they are appropriate commuter routes

15. Summary of safety issues • Sealed Shoulders: • No physical separation • Parked vehicles • Wide Kerbside Lanes: • No physical separation • No marked separation • Bike Bus Lanes: • No physical separation between bikes and buses • Narrow lanes can be problematic • Vehicles driving in lanes • Local Bicycle Routes: • Inappropriate traffic management devices • Various riding conditions (on and off road) • PSPs & RSPs: • Riders travelling too fast, unpredictable behaviour from pedestrians • Separated Paths: • Poor compliance with riders and pedestrians using others facilities • Shared Paths: • Vehicle crossovers and side roads • Street furniture • Intersections • Bicycle Lanes • No physical separation • Uni-directional & Bi-directional Lanes • Intersections

16. Innovation • Main Roads WA promotes innovative solutions • Claremont Station • Claisebrook Bridge • Local Bicycle Route pavement markers • Bicycle Awareness Zone pavement markers • Maurice Cammack (MRWA) heads up innovation committee • Committee representatives from: • MRWA • Office of Road Safety • Police • IPWEA