Loved this question: 11. Please indicate your gender: Required Man Woman Non-binary Prefer not to say Prefer to self-describe So an answer is required but you can prefer not to say. Typical computer form.
As a disabled cyclist, cycleways are a huge benefit, and can be the difference between cycling and not cycling at all. I hate it when non-disabled people claim to speak for disabled people and mischaracterise our needs.
One of the complainants is partially deaf which played into his shared path experience, but it didn't have very much to do with the island bus stops complaint and you're right, the fact that he was claiming to speak on behalf of blind people for his anti-cycleway agenda was terrible
My job is literally to advocate about disability rights and call out discrimination. This is NOT discrimination, and is by far one of the worst claims of discrimination ever! The Oxford Street Cycleway will help people with a disability. Improved pathways, improved access to public transport, less reliant upon cars. And even if you do need someone to drive you because of your disability, it will benefit you with less people using the road! I have seen the project and the work that they’ve been doing, and I don’t just have no concerns about it. I think it will make the whole community more accessible! Well done on talking about this, Chris!
Thanks Matthew! Glad to hear you agree, it's frustrating to see people oppose infrastructure that will make transport more accessible on the basis that it will somehow make it less accessible. Btw, did I see you near Sydney Grammar school a couple of weeks ago?
So a bike lane that mobility scooters and such things can use, is discriminating against disabled and elderly people, but a road, where you need to be rather able bodied to drive, is not? Got it!
Taxies. honestly I think one of the largest market segments for taxies are elderly people that can't drive. but I do think cycleways are a great solution for mobility scooters (and those other electric scooters)
As a dyed-in-the-wool petrol head. Cars need to be banned from city centres. We need to seriously rethink the zoning and setup of our cities to improve them for the environment, housing, job opportunities etc.
Excellent video ChrisTopher, Sydney has come a long way since the dark days of Duncan Gay and the bicycle commute is so much easier and safer than ever. I was one of the Bus drivers that drove down Oxford Street and I'm also a cyclist, so I do keep the 1 M rule and Oxford street was atrocious, I've taken off a few car doors with the bus as well when they were swung in my path. I'm not doing that job anymore as I'm retired but am looking forward to when that bikeway is completed so I can bring my bike up and ride it. I'm not currently living in Sydney but i regard it as my City and thanks to you and Sheriff, I'm keeping up with what's happening there.
Thanks for the video, Chris - nice work. I'm a non-cycling, pro-cycleway Paddington resident (I provided feedback a couple of weeks ago). The anti-cycleway campaign manages to be simultaneously pathetically predictable, maddening and hilarious. In theory the campaign should be a stroad wedge - Paddington residents really should be behind the cycleway (make Oxford St less of a car sewer) with the transiting drivers from Bondi, Waverley, Bronte being against - but I don't see it breaking that way.
It is very odd that a lot of the opposition is coming from the residents. I think a lot of them may have grown up in the area and have reached the point they they just don't want it to change, even for the better
Well put Mr Topher! My mother gave up cycling in her 80s not because she lacked the strength to push the pedals but because if you want to ride anywhere in Ramsgate that is not along the Botany Bay foreshore, then you're on the road, a vulnerable road user exposed to motor traffic. Regrettably I did not put her plight to the Human Rights Commission when she was alive.
Impressive that your mother kept cycling into her 70s! Unfortunate that she couldn't keep going due to infrastructure, though - I had an internship in Ramsgate and have experienced the hostile roads firsthand. We'll have to keep pushing for infrastructure that caters for all ages and abilities so that the next generation of senior citizens are able to have more freedom of movement.
I can’t believe how ridiculous some people are. They don’t even realise their contribution to society is negative. They can never see things from another persons perspective properly.
Looks like someone was wanting a whinge. I volunteered to stop driving due to medical reasons. Sometimes I walk. Sometimes I am reliant on a mobility scooter. Properly designed and made paths for pedestrians and cyclists are also good for the disabled and elderly relying on a mobility device.
Car dependency creates busy stroads that you have to cross just to get to the bus stop on the other side but they are worried about a mixed use lane that is 3 meters wide at most where most users are able to stop on a dime?
That leap-frogging situation is so relatable. Happens here in Wellington, NZ as well. Incredibly dangerous, and as an asthmatic, the fumes are horrific.
As a cyclist myself (though not in Australia), I am afraid I must agree that 'island bus stops' are a serious problem. I am not saying that the problem is worse than not having a cycleway, or even that it amounts to a human rights issue. But it's definitely a problem. Going too fast and feeling entitled to exclusive use of a part of the road is not a problematic behaviour exclusive to car drivers. I live in Berlin, where we have a lot of 'island bus stops'. My experience there as a cyclist: Especially when a bus is stopping there, passengers are not aware at all of the cycleway. If there is a crowd, I have to get off my bike and wait until I can pass slowly. Otherwise, I must at least carefully observe all pedestrians and anticipate their behaviour. I _think_ I always do that, but sometimes it feels like I am the only cyclist who does. Frail old people tend to be scared of cyclists, and they have a point, especially in these locations. I see near-accidents all the time. I'm afraid you can't solve this problem with any amount of paint and signage. Even a pedestrian/cyclist traffic light would be unlikely to help much. Nothing short of guard railing like at an unguarded railway level crossing is going to really solve this. Or changing the routing: Either make the cyclists cross the buses rather than the passengers, or let the cyclists make a considerable detour away from the car lane to make the 'bus stop island' really large. The latter would help because then the passengers are no longer single-mindedly concentrating on the bus to the exclusion of everything else.
Island bus stops aren't a perfect design solution but they are a solid compromise in a difficult situation. Your suggestion about the size of the bus stop is a good one - the size of the stop should definitely correlate with the amount of pedestrian traffic it will receive. For bigger stops, a crossing on each end could help, too.
as someone from Melbourne where the tram stops are in the middle of the road and you have to cross 'car-ways' to get to them, I don't understand the problem
While the streets around Melbourne's trams could definitely be more pedestrian friendly, I do think the biggest problem with the middle of the road stops, accessibility-wise, is level boarding rather than crossing the road - mostly drivers and cyclists have been good at stopping for trams when I've visited
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism There are accessible stops that are level with the tram and have crossings, there's just also sometimes nothing but a sign on the side of the road.
The first half of this video I was all ready to come down here and tell you all about the NFBUK and their bizarre crusade against floating bus stops, but it turns out I don't need to. Their bizarre crusade is inspiring bizarre crusades in Australia. The sensible part of their complaint is that for blind people, if even 1% of cyclists do not stop at those pedestrian crossings on to the bus stop island then it is nerve-wracking every time for them to cross. The fear of collision the greater problem than any actual collisions. The less sensible part of their complaint is that the only solution they have presented for this problem is abandoning bus stop bypasses altogether and throwing cyclists under the bus. (Not a metaphor) I can think of two ways to solve this problem off the top of my head, one is a campaign (education and enforcement) to improve cyclist behaviour, the other is a tiny boom gate like at rail level crossings that can be activated by anyone who needs it. We also have a couple of traffic lights on CS3 along the Embankment which could potentially work. The infrastructure ideas might feel a bit like over-engineering for what is a tiny problem but it's not like they need to be all that complicated or expensive and it will certainly make these groups feel like they are not being dismissed and ignored. There are also some bus stop / cycleway designs that should be abandoned, such as the "bus stop boarder" which is that one where the cycleway goes between the shelter and the bus. I think the intention is that cyclists should stop and wait whenever there is a bus at the stop, but I can't even confirm for sure that that is the intention so anyone cycling along the cycleway would have no idea at all. If cyclists are expected to stop for every bus it fails at the goal of making cycling convenient and attractive. Just stop building them and use one of the better designs.
Definitely agree, it is super important that the island bus stops are built to be as safe and accessible as possible. I think City of Sydney mostly does a good job but I've seen some terrible shared path bus stops in the eastern suburbs that make me worried for people getting on and off busses. Traffic lights or boom gates for people who need them could be really helpful - like how in Tokyo you don't need to press a button to activate a crossing at a traffic light, but you can press it to activate the sound if you have low/no vision. A similar optional light and sound signalled crossing could work well for island bus stops.
> the "bus stop boarder" which is that one where the cycleway goes between the shelter and the bus. I think the intention is that cyclists should stop and wait whenever there is a bus at the stop This completely defeats the purpose. If that truly is the intention, it's bad not just in execution, but even in conception.
@@JimCullen Someone (else) tell Melbourne city council this. They're putting 'boarder' bike paths in between tram stops and the waiting areas - even where there's plenty of space. So dumb.
As a full time motorcyclist and ex road cyclist (I still cycle off road), cars need to be curtailed. The level of on road anxiety compared to 20 years ago is insane, the rise of the SUV and continued push for more roads rather than PT/cycling etc is painful.
I biked this route every day for years, and later with my then small kids and everything Chris says about the risks with the current set up is true. It was always hairy. Now my kids are older, they can't safely ride this route to their primary school. The Moore park route promoted by the Paddington Soc. isn't an alternative for getting to the north side of Oxford St and their school near 5 ways.
If you're interested in doing a story on what's happening with the Sydney Harbour Bridge ramp, feel free to reach out. It's even bigger than Oxford Street.
well if you're blind it is hardly your fault. But yes that pedestrian that stepped into the cyclway without looking and walked into a cyclist was infuriating. However generally in the UK if they did that on the road the motorist would be held liable for the accident.
I get where you're coming from but that's a pretty tasteless comment considering the main concern about the island bus stops was that they weren't safe for blind people
nice video, I'm in Brisbane so jealous to see the bike paths... but also my parents are in their 80's now and still trying to ride. It definitely is enabling and it also provides dignity too, my father has had trouble walking for ages but on an electric recumbent bicycle he goes 30 km a day. Whereas when his walking with a wheely walker he finds it really hard on the footpaths (if they exist) and gets more comments walking, like you need to use or lose it which annoys him as the loss of mobility is medically related (although I'm sure people mean well). His fitter than most people his age or younger, just can't balance anymore to walk like everyone else.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism No worries, I’m realising how important advocacy is in this space. Previously I always assumed the council would put in footpaths for example, but that is definitely not a given. So great work in making this video. Thanks!
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism uuh bunnel also in all seriousness whats u opinion on the hobart northern suburbs transit issue, lrt or brt? theyre maintaining the cycleway with the lrt apparently (idk how) but the brt they will bulldoze the cycleway :( im not a hobartian but both modes should be made accessible
When you were mentioning the bus Islands, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, so photo of one would help. And mentioning particular stops where you checked the crash data I would like to have seen photos of those as well just out of curiosity.
That's true, a clear explanation of island bus stops when I first mentioned them would have been a good idea. I feel that showing the crash data at each bus stop would have got a bit repetitive but you're very welcome to check out the crash map linked in source 4 in the description and visit the bus stops at each street I mention in Google Maps :)
@@BigBlueMan118that’s pretty late to the video. I also had troubles understanding what “island” meant until the photo came up. Showing it earlier would have been an improvement (this isn’t an attack, just a recommendation)
@@spikelea522 I honestly didnt think this was an issue but if people did then fair enough, I also had assumed most people watching content like the Video were aware of this news story and/or this issue.
Completely agree especially about the suspicions that complaints like this are disingenuous, but (you knew there would would be abut) the UK evidence shows that the issues around island busstops are not trivial, especially for disabled and need to be taken seriously. As you say design is very important and while Oxford St might have high standards, there is a real risk that some councils might do it on the cheap and TfNSW needs to ensure standards are set and adhered to. Education/expectations are always important; a key difference between the UK ( and Australia) and e.g. Netherlands is that people getting off a bus don't expect to encounter bikes.
100% agree. Ensuring that the island bus stops, and cycleways in general, are built to be as as safe as possible is key. But the best way to go about this is to do what most active transport campaigners are already doing, which is ensuring plenty of infrastructure gets built to a high standard, not stopping perfectly good infrastructure being built. There are plenty of potentially dangerous shared paths and cycleways that become shared paths at intersections that should be fixed that deserve the attention that these island bus stops are getting.
@@gazza9622 Easily - mode shift from cars. Not sure how replacing car lanes and shared paths with cycleways and regular footpaths would delay pedestrians.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism more movements at an intersection = higher intersection cycle time. Traffic engineering 101. Bike lanes through Bondi junction have had a massive impact on traffic queue lengths and overall higher intersection cycle times. So yes. Bike phases = pedestrian wait delay.
Just saw the 'plan C' proposal for Oxford Street. What are your views? It looks OK to have a commuter cycle route on More Park Rd and human friendly traffic calming on Oxford St - but I'm deeply sceptical about the motives if the proponents and the conspiracy theories.
I think the idea has merit but it's stated goals don't line up with how they're planning to execute it. From what I can see it's basically the current situation with wider footpaths, lower speed limits and bus bays for bus stops - all good ideas, except potentially the bus bays, but they don't do anything to actually discourage car traffic and the only thing that makes the area safer for cyclists is the speed limit reduction, which isn't sufficient for all ages and abilities to cycle on it if there's still high traffic since cyclists would still have to ride in the bus (they say "shared" so I presume with cars too??) lane as they do now. Oxford Street is an arterial road and while it could be significantly calmed by reducing private car use and electrifying public transport, cyclists will always need separation from the high volumes of public transport that use the corridor imo.
The only thing tha will fix traffic and commute times is...less cars. That means better PT, better active transport options, and arguably with a government that is happy to leave people behind...a cheaper (or free) option. It's so crazy that people lack the criticial thinking capabilities to be so enamoured with the current way of living and moving in society. Where commutes can be 2-3hrs form the outskirts of a city, at a time in society when we've got the most people working from home as we ever have (covid excluded but then most people weren't really working either then). As for rights. lol...eh. It's so stupid that it doesn't even require a response. Great, civil, well laid out, vid!
Bike paths are tremendously beneficial for people who can't drive, and rely on some sort of mobility device to get around. After watching your video, I dived into the archive and pulled together a quick compendium of some of the mobility devices that I've seen over the last 2 years. This might prove useful at some point, showing how a bike path or shared path benefits more than just cyclists. ua-cam.com/video/tJV3mke3_S8/v-deo.html
"they can't fall over cause they got three wheels" The Honda ATC has entered the chat... Seriously though, those trikes are backwards. Two wheels at the front is actually stable, but the reverse can lead to head plants on sharp turns, like, say a roo jumps in front of you.
We're not talking about seniors speeding around on performance ATCs here, we're talking trikes that are pedal assisted up to 25km/h max (and have slower settings) that are easier than a bike to mount and dismount without falling.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism Absolutely, but three wheels in that configuration with a high centre of gravity is inherently unstable on turning. That sort of layout is stable with a low cog (think children's trikes where their bums are nearly on the ground, or modified motorcycles with big low heavy engines). Two wheels forward, one behind, is the more stable configuration. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm arguing with you. I really enjoyed your video, and will watch more. But those trikes are definitely going to get someone hurt
Oh boy Chris - I have been waiting the whole time since the article came out for your video about it! Oxford St is such a shithole at the moment just like Parramatta Road it needs a total rethink and cycling is one of if not the key element in that transformation alongside reducing car movements, more greenery and improving public transport in the corridor. I think Oxford St would be significantly improved if you just extended the T4 from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach and then reduced the space for cars, but I also just hope both roads if they ever get light rail would get green grass track that would be such a massive upgrade. Just on the video itself, do these people complaining not know that cycling infrastructure is extremely useful for people with disabilities for goodness sake? Go to Copenhagen or Utrecht and you will see HUNDREDS of people with all types of disability issues riding all types of vehicles.
Definitely agree re: the T4! The 333 and the arterial roads to Bondi Beach do far too much heavy lifting atm. The great thing about the current consultation is it's about activating Oxford St in general so mentioning greenery and better public transport alongside the cycleway is definitely on the table. It is strange that it's so little known how useful cycleways are for people with certain disabilities - even in Broken Hill of all places I saw people in mobility scooters using the painted bike lanes to avoid the kerb ramps!
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism Yeah exactly, I think people are willfully ignorant, just like many people are about vegan/vegetarian diets or even just cutting way back on meat consumption. Just on the public transport corridors in the East Chris, I know you like looking at documents and studies just as much as I do, check out this modelling study on train and bus demand (pp.38-39), it might be useful for a future video and it makes it so obvious that a short extension of the T4 would have a big impact on removing massive bus demand, we can clearly see the demand for Beaches mass transit in the bus demand map too: www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-08/Transport%20Modelling%20Report%20for%20Sydney.pdf
I hope for their own sake the complainants never visit Melbourne. Our floating tram stops - where pedestrians have to cross a car lane as well as a bike lane - would blow their tiny minds!
I've always felt they were less than ideal when visiting Melbourne, but they certainly get the job done with far fewer problems than might be expected haha
I'm genuinely interested in why you would make the pedestrian crossing a zebra crossing? Is there so much cycle traffic at peak hours that pedestrians going to and from the stop would not be able to get there unless the bikes stopped? Seems to me the more common sense approach would be cycles have right of way and pedestrians check before crossing
There needs to be a hierarchy with pedestrians ALWAYS on the top. Lycraboyracers need to be made aware that the space between a bus stop and the footpath is a pedestrian zone and pedestrians always have priority.
Agree with Jack. It's about making the use of the bus stop as safe as possible, and avoiding discrimination. Blind people, children, people in wheelchairs etc. may find crossing the cycleway uncomfortable or difficult without the pedestrian crossing, and it is important cyclists slow down and prepare to give way in areas where pedestrians might be crossing in large numbers
Let's face it, the safety of the elderly & disabled is just an excuse. I'd put money this is either just a bunch of old NIMBYs or are a front for someone else who doesn't want the cycleway there; maybe retailers or developers. Was this a clearway previously or was there on street parking?
They're removing a lane of traffic for it and keeping the on peak bus lane/off peak parking that is currently there, just moving it a lane over. Some businesses on Oxford St have been vocal against the cycleway but I also wouldn't put it past it being a group of old residents just being very resistant to change
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism > Some businesses on Oxford St have been vocal against the cycleway gods I hate this. There's a fantastic episode of the Urbanist Agenda podcast (hosted by Not Just Bikes' Jason Slaughter) about how business owners hate bike lanes, and how their arguments are usually nonsense. Like one case where they were complaining that customers would have nowhere to park, but it turned out that actually the parking in front of their business was taking up nearly full-time by *the owner themselves.*
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism current traffic volumes on Oxford St cannot fit in a single lane during peaks. Every right turn movement into side streets is being banned and pushed down to 1 intersection.
@@gazza9622 The point is not to maintain current car traffic volumes (which are impairing Oxford St's ability to function as a vibrant place due to noise/air pollution and added difficulty crossing the road, among other things) but to finally allow people of all ages and abilities to bike down Oxford St, as many have wanted to for a long time, thus replacing car traffic with bike traffic, which is more space efficient and safe as well as less polluting
I am an elderly man and I live near Hyde Park and Oxford Street. I don't know if it is just an Australian thing, but young men on bicycles do terrorize pedestrians by riding fast and close to pedestrians in the Park. I never seem to see any female cyclists being a problem, but the men appear to not understand that a cyclist approaching from behind and passing so close I feel the air moving from their passage is not the right thing to do. This frightens the sh*t out of people, and I literally jump. Not good for my heart, and one day I am likely to fall, and at my age I cannot stand up from the ground without assistance. In Toronto, a man was imprisoned yesterday because he knocked an 89 year old woman down, and she died from head and neck injuries caused by the fall. Falling is a very serious problem for elderly people. I have also experienced Sydney cyclists disregarding cycleways and riding at high speed on the footpath. The proliferation of aggressive male cyclists in central Sydney has created understandable resistance to encouraging more bicycle usage in the area. I couldn't believe it when you illustrated your point with an aggressive male cyclist riding too fast, and ignoring the safety of pedestrians. That knocking down of a pedestrian was not caused by a lack of fencing, it was purely caused by a cyclist disregarding the safety of fellow users of the road, and by his speed. It was reckless disregard for public safety. Fences are also a problem. They visually "narrow" the wide boulevard, and diminish this aesthetic enjoyment of our street for the locals. A better solution is to put the cycleways in side streets that are less busy and with less foot traffic. It would also be nice for young men to learn that life is not improved by getting somewhere a few seconds quicker. We seem to have less aggression in cars these days, which is a good thing, but why is it that bicycles seem to bring out the aggression in a certain portion of young males? Perhaps cyclists need to be required to get cycling licenses, after a test, and be in the position of losing their license if they cause accidents and injuries, or ride too fast.
The behaviour of young men on all forms of transportation is statistically a huge problem, especially driving - being a young man is one of the biggest risk factors for dying or causing death on the road to the point that France is attempting to address toxic masculinity as part of their road safety strategy. Australia could certainly take a similar approach to France and try to address the toxic transport behaviour of young men through cultural change; this is tricky, though, as educational interventions have been shown to generally be pretty ineffective when it comes to road safety. I would also push back against your point against drivers becoming less aggressive and cyclists becoming more aggressive. The death count on our roads has stopped dropping. Cyclists are not killing more people despite increasing in number. Anecdotally, I have nearly been killed at a pedestrian crossing by scofflaw drivers multiple times but never felt threatened at a pedestrian crossing by a cyclist. I have been close-passed by cyclists as a pedestrian, however, but ONLY on shared paths, which proper cycling infrastructure uses sparingly. I have been close-passed by drivers while cycling MUCH more frequently than I have been by cyclists while walking. Cycleways, though, are not a cause of this problem but a solution. These aggressive cyclists are separated from pedestrians when cycleways are built. Not all will use them, like you mentioned, but often this can be a factor of design (cycleways only being on one side of the road, starting and ending unpredictably, etc.). Aggressive male cyclists were also the biggest protestors against cycleways when they were initially built in the 2000s. They didn't see the point as they were fine riding on the road or occasionally the footpath, not thinking about the safety and potential cycling uptake of less aggressive and confident cyclists, and the safety of pedestrians. Fences are a problem in 99% of situations, I agree. I do think they have a place with island bus stops, though, since the bus stops are a place for waiting and for big crowds, rather than walking around. The fences are not built on the actual footpath, but only the bus stop, where the crowds and waiting occur. I was considering adding a disclaimer that I was not endorsing the behaviour of the cyclists in those clips, but I figured they were so obviously doing the wrong thing that I didn't need to, because their behaviour could clearly never be endorsed. Just because I was discussing how infrastructure could play a role in mitigating damage caused by bad behaviour, doesn't mean such bad behaviour wasn't bad. Part of the reason for the crash was aggressive riding, yes. Another contributing factor was that the pedestrian was crossing at an angle - not an unreasonable thing for the pedestrian to do, and they had every right to - but it meant they didn't see the cyclist and walked into the side of them. It's not about pointing fingers, just understanding how such situations can be avoided in future. The "narrowing" effect of the fences could also have served a similar purpose to street trees, signalling obstacles to the brain of the cyclist and causing them to slow. Cyclist licences may be a nice idea in theory, but in reality they are discriminatory and unsafe (similar to helmet laws - they lessen the number of cyclists, resulting in less safety in numbers, and result in big fines for the people who can least afford them) and come from an emotional reaction to perceptions of danger rather than the actual statistical reality around danger on the road. If cyclists knock someone over or injure someone, they can be charged with assault or similar, like if they were a pedestrian.
Yes, it would actually be safer for blind people to cross traffic lanes after getting off the bus because they can hear the cars coming, bikes dont make noise which makes them dangerous.
@@njwithersI think this trivialises what is a real issue. Disabled bus users need to feel safe. There is no requirement/expectation that cyclists bell on approach to a bus stop. The issues are not insurmountable but good design needs to address all this.
A cycleway will separate cyclists for pedestrians - currently cyclists have to take the footpath if they feel unsafe on the roads. A skyway would be pretty expensive and difficult to link to shops and side streets. One of the benefits of cycling is the ease of stopping and parking anywhere compared to a car
Cyclists in Sydney have no pedestrian concern. Why else have we had to have 2 rangers at Pyrmont bridge for around 20 years (still there) to get cyclists to slow down
I'd love to know the answer to that question, too. They never seem to do anything since there's very little if any unsafe behaviour going on and the speed limit is advisory and difficult to follow while maintaining balance
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism oh they will fang it as soon as they hit the narrow path the goes to the Slip Inn. On that path I've had my knuckles smashed as they passed, seen a guy hit and an older lady knocked down. In all 3 cases they were in Lycra and kept going. I've visited all Scandinavian capitals and as an avid jaywalker they (cyclists) just saunter in their work attire. In Asia, Vietnam for example the cyclists (now more motorcycles these days) are very vigilant around pedestrians
@@goodyearspokane I never saw that kind of behaviour when Pyrmont Bridge was my regular work commute, which makes me hope it's quite rare, but that's absolutely terrible. Sports cyclists should definitely be on the road, especially since the lycra crowd have historically been some of the biggest anti-cycleway voices since they don't understand the point - more cycleways will mean most cyclists are the Scandinavian types who, in Australia, are usually afraid to bike because of the dangerous infrastructure. More cycleways, especially on streets like Oxford Street, will also separate cyclists from pedestrians more and lead to less collisions like that happening.
People who are 80 aren't boomers; they are the silent generation. If you're going to use boomer in a comment to attempt to describe a group, get educated first.
Chris, have you ever ridden a tricycle? They are far from stable, particularly in turns, they’re very easy to roll. Since they don’t lean in turns, they want to lift the inside rear wheel. Ones with two front wheels instead tend to be a lot more stable but don’t seem to be as common. Not disputing the rest of this, but this stuck out to me as something ai would not be encouraging aging people to take up.
I personally haven't ridden a tricycle but I've heard good things about them for seniors due to the added stability and I know some people who have switched from bicycles to recumbent tricycles as they've aged and it's worked well for them. I'd imagine that safety would vary from trike to trike and while it seems to me tricycles are safer for those with less balance or strength at lower speeds, as you've mentioned they could certainly be more dangerous than a bike taking a corner at higher speeds.
There are plenty of the sort you mention here in Europe especially as cargo bikes, the cycling culture in Sydney just isn't quite as developed yet but even with the limited infrastructure+priority for cycling in Aus cargobikes are appearing.
Have your say on Oxford Street East: www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/oxford-street-east
Loved this question:
11. Please indicate your gender: Required
Man
Woman
Non-binary
Prefer not to say
Prefer to self-describe
So an answer is required but you can prefer not to say. Typical computer form.
@@marcellouswp31 Classic haha, I'm sure it makes the data easier to wrangle somehow
@@marcellouswp31 Not dissimilar to the Australian approach to voting.
Imma lodge a human rights complaint about roads.
same
As a disabled cyclist, cycleways are a huge benefit, and can be the difference between cycling and not cycling at all. I hate it when non-disabled people claim to speak for disabled people and mischaracterise our needs.
One of the complainants is partially deaf which played into his shared path experience, but it didn't have very much to do with the island bus stops complaint and you're right, the fact that he was claiming to speak on behalf of blind people for his anti-cycleway agenda was terrible
My job is literally to advocate about disability rights and call out discrimination. This is NOT discrimination, and is by far one of the worst claims of discrimination ever! The Oxford Street Cycleway will help people with a disability. Improved pathways, improved access to public transport, less reliant upon cars. And even if you do need someone to drive you because of your disability, it will benefit you with less people using the road! I have seen the project and the work that they’ve been doing, and I don’t just have no concerns about it. I think it will make the whole community more accessible! Well done on talking about this, Chris!
Thanks Matthew! Glad to hear you agree, it's frustrating to see people oppose infrastructure that will make transport more accessible on the basis that it will somehow make it less accessible. Btw, did I see you near Sydney Grammar school a couple of weeks ago?
It’ll be used 95% by Uber eats riders. Will not take cars off the road.
@@gazza9622 Bike use has gone up in City of Sydney 168% since 2010, mostly where they've built cycleways. Cycleways do get more people to ride.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism 1.68x in 14 years is woeful statistics.
@@gazza9622 That's around 7.5% a year, car traffic has been pretty flat over the same period
So a bike lane that mobility scooters and such things can use, is discriminating against disabled and elderly people, but a road, where you need to be rather able bodied to drive, is not? Got it!
I saw an old fulla in a mobility scooter using a cycle lane here in Wellington, NZ. I simply biked around him, zero issues.
Taxies. honestly I think one of the largest market segments for taxies are elderly people that can't drive.
but I do think cycleways are a great solution for mobility scooters (and those other electric scooters)
As a dyed-in-the-wool petrol head.
Cars need to be banned from city centres.
We need to seriously rethink the zoning and setup of our cities to improve them for the environment, housing, job opportunities etc.
100% spot on
Excellent video ChrisTopher, Sydney has come a long way since the dark days of Duncan Gay and the bicycle commute is so much easier and safer than ever. I was one of the Bus drivers that drove down Oxford Street and I'm also a cyclist, so I do keep the 1 M rule and Oxford street was atrocious, I've taken off a few car doors with the bus as well when they were swung in my path. I'm not doing that job anymore as I'm retired but am looking forward to when that bikeway is completed so I can bring my bike up and ride it. I'm not currently living in Sydney but i regard it as my City and thanks to you and Sheriff, I'm keeping up with what's happening there.
I’ve seen concern from a bus driver about the leap frogging with cyclists on Oxford st. I’m sure the bus drivers will appreciate the separation
Definitely!
Thanks for the video, Chris - nice work. I'm a non-cycling, pro-cycleway Paddington resident (I provided feedback a couple of weeks ago). The anti-cycleway campaign manages to be simultaneously pathetically predictable, maddening and hilarious. In theory the campaign should be a stroad wedge - Paddington residents really should be behind the cycleway (make Oxford St less of a car sewer) with the transiting drivers from Bondi, Waverley, Bronte being against - but I don't see it breaking that way.
It is very odd that a lot of the opposition is coming from the residents. I think a lot of them may have grown up in the area and have reached the point they they just don't want it to change, even for the better
Well put Mr Topher! My mother gave up cycling in her 80s not because she lacked the strength to push the pedals but because if you want to ride anywhere in Ramsgate that is not along the Botany Bay foreshore, then you're on the road, a vulnerable road user exposed to motor traffic. Regrettably I did not put her plight to the Human Rights Commission when she was alive.
Impressive that your mother kept cycling into her 70s! Unfortunate that she couldn't keep going due to infrastructure, though - I had an internship in Ramsgate and have experienced the hostile roads firsthand. We'll have to keep pushing for infrastructure that caters for all ages and abilities so that the next generation of senior citizens are able to have more freedom of movement.
I can’t believe how ridiculous some people are. They don’t even realise their contribution to society is negative. They can never see things from another persons perspective properly.
every street and road ever created violates my human rights because i cant cross them safely
Looks like someone was wanting a whinge.
I volunteered to stop driving due to medical reasons. Sometimes I walk. Sometimes I am reliant on a mobility scooter. Properly designed and made paths for pedestrians and cyclists are also good for the disabled and elderly relying on a mobility device.
Car dependency creates busy stroads that you have to cross just to get to the bus stop on the other side but they are worried about a mixed use lane that is 3 meters wide at most where most users are able to stop on a dime?
Yep, definitely a strange set of priorities
That leap-frogging situation is so relatable. Happens here in Wellington, NZ as well. Incredibly dangerous, and as an asthmatic, the fumes are horrific.
I find the fumes horrible without asthma so I can only imagine!
“The more I thought about it the more conspiracy theories I came up with…”
These comments don't work here
Pretty much a direct quote from the anti-cycleway guy
As a cyclist myself (though not in Australia), I am afraid I must agree that 'island bus stops' are a serious problem. I am not saying that the problem is worse than not having a cycleway, or even that it amounts to a human rights issue. But it's definitely a problem.
Going too fast and feeling entitled to exclusive use of a part of the road is not a problematic behaviour exclusive to car drivers. I live in Berlin, where we have a lot of 'island bus stops'. My experience there as a cyclist: Especially when a bus is stopping there, passengers are not aware at all of the cycleway. If there is a crowd, I have to get off my bike and wait until I can pass slowly. Otherwise, I must at least carefully observe all pedestrians and anticipate their behaviour. I _think_ I always do that, but sometimes it feels like I am the only cyclist who does. Frail old people tend to be scared of cyclists, and they have a point, especially in these locations. I see near-accidents all the time.
I'm afraid you can't solve this problem with any amount of paint and signage. Even a pedestrian/cyclist traffic light would be unlikely to help much. Nothing short of guard railing like at an unguarded railway level crossing is going to really solve this. Or changing the routing: Either make the cyclists cross the buses rather than the passengers, or let the cyclists make a considerable detour away from the car lane to make the 'bus stop island' really large. The latter would help because then the passengers are no longer single-mindedly concentrating on the bus to the exclusion of everything else.
Island bus stops aren't a perfect design solution but they are a solid compromise in a difficult situation. Your suggestion about the size of the bus stop is a good one - the size of the stop should definitely correlate with the amount of pedestrian traffic it will receive. For bigger stops, a crossing on each end could help, too.
as someone from Melbourne where the tram stops are in the middle of the road and you have to cross 'car-ways' to get to them, I don't understand the problem
Was watching this all "Wow, I didn't know our entire tram network was a human rights violation." lol
While the streets around Melbourne's trams could definitely be more pedestrian friendly, I do think the biggest problem with the middle of the road stops, accessibility-wise, is level boarding rather than crossing the road - mostly drivers and cyclists have been good at stopping for trams when I've visited
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism There are accessible stops that are level with the tram and have crossings, there's just also sometimes nothing but a sign on the side of the road.
The first half of this video I was all ready to come down here and tell you all about the NFBUK and their bizarre crusade against floating bus stops, but it turns out I don't need to. Their bizarre crusade is inspiring bizarre crusades in Australia.
The sensible part of their complaint is that for blind people, if even 1% of cyclists do not stop at those pedestrian crossings on to the bus stop island then it is nerve-wracking every time for them to cross. The fear of collision the greater problem than any actual collisions. The less sensible part of their complaint is that the only solution they have presented for this problem is abandoning bus stop bypasses altogether and throwing cyclists under the bus. (Not a metaphor)
I can think of two ways to solve this problem off the top of my head, one is a campaign (education and enforcement) to improve cyclist behaviour, the other is a tiny boom gate like at rail level crossings that can be activated by anyone who needs it. We also have a couple of traffic lights on CS3 along the Embankment which could potentially work. The infrastructure ideas might feel a bit like over-engineering for what is a tiny problem but it's not like they need to be all that complicated or expensive and it will certainly make these groups feel like they are not being dismissed and ignored.
There are also some bus stop / cycleway designs that should be abandoned, such as the "bus stop boarder" which is that one where the cycleway goes between the shelter and the bus. I think the intention is that cyclists should stop and wait whenever there is a bus at the stop, but I can't even confirm for sure that that is the intention so anyone cycling along the cycleway would have no idea at all. If cyclists are expected to stop for every bus it fails at the goal of making cycling convenient and attractive. Just stop building them and use one of the better designs.
Definitely agree, it is super important that the island bus stops are built to be as safe and accessible as possible. I think City of Sydney mostly does a good job but I've seen some terrible shared path bus stops in the eastern suburbs that make me worried for people getting on and off busses. Traffic lights or boom gates for people who need them could be really helpful - like how in Tokyo you don't need to press a button to activate a crossing at a traffic light, but you can press it to activate the sound if you have low/no vision. A similar optional light and sound signalled crossing could work well for island bus stops.
> the "bus stop boarder" which is that one where the cycleway goes between the shelter and the bus. I think the intention is that cyclists should stop and wait whenever there is a bus at the stop
This completely defeats the purpose. If that truly is the intention, it's bad not just in execution, but even in conception.
@@JimCullen Someone (else) tell Melbourne city council this. They're putting 'boarder' bike paths in between tram stops and the waiting areas - even where there's plenty of space. So dumb.
As a full time motorcyclist and ex road cyclist (I still cycle off road), cars need to be curtailed. The level of on road anxiety compared to 20 years ago is insane, the rise of the SUV and continued push for more roads rather than PT/cycling etc is painful.
I biked this route every day for years, and later with my then small kids and everything Chris says about the risks with the current set up is true. It was always hairy. Now my kids are older, they can't safely ride this route to their primary school. The Moore park route promoted by the Paddington Soc. isn't an alternative for getting to the north side of Oxford St and their school near 5 ways.
If you're interested in doing a story on what's happening with the Sydney Harbour Bridge ramp, feel free to reach out. It's even bigger than Oxford Street.
Perhaps I will 👀 there's definitely been some outrageous opposition
People who don't watch where they are walking are going to have a rough time in general...
well if you're blind it is hardly your fault. But yes that pedestrian that stepped into the cyclway without looking and walked into a cyclist was infuriating. However generally in the UK if they did that on the road the motorist would be held liable for the accident.
I get where you're coming from but that's a pretty tasteless comment considering the main concern about the island bus stops was that they weren't safe for blind people
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism I’m talking about the main complainant who was on his phone… which is a general issue whether you’re in a bike lane or not.
nice video, I'm in Brisbane so jealous to see the bike paths... but also my parents are in their 80's now and still trying to ride. It definitely is enabling and it also provides dignity too, my father has had trouble walking for ages but on an electric recumbent bicycle he goes 30 km a day.
Whereas when his walking with a wheely walker he finds it really hard on the footpaths (if they exist) and gets more comments walking, like you need to use or lose it which annoys him as the loss of mobility is medically related (although I'm sure people mean well). His fitter than most people his age or younger, just can't balance anymore to walk like everyone else.
Thanks for sharing your father's story. Hopefully his community had infrastructure that helps him get around safely
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism No worries, I’m realising how important advocacy is in this space. Previously I always assumed the council would put in footpaths for example, but that is definitely not a given.
So great work in making this video. Thanks!
Petition for Chris Topher to make a video on Wallerawang train station
Petition for Chris to be nsw minister for transport
Bunnel or Wallerawang? I'm torn
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism uuh bunnel
also in all seriousness whats u opinion on the hobart northern suburbs transit issue, lrt or brt? theyre maintaining the cycleway with the lrt apparently (idk how) but the brt they will bulldoze the cycleway :( im not a hobartian but both modes should be made accessible
@@metricstormtrooper him and sharath can co run it
hmmm nice design better than some of the paths we have in Auckland New Zealand
imma lodge a human rights complaint over tasmania's lack of trains
@@tasmanianmapping seconded
Yep, it's pretty good! I'm looking forward to when the whole oxford st cycleway is built
When you were mentioning the bus Islands, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, so photo of one would help. And mentioning particular stops where you checked the crash data I would like to have seen photos of those as well just out of curiosity.
He did show photos of the bus islands? And videos clips.
That's true, a clear explanation of island bus stops when I first mentioned them would have been a good idea. I feel that showing the crash data at each bus stop would have got a bit repetitive but you're very welcome to check out the crash map linked in source 4 in the description and visit the bus stops at each street I mention in Google Maps :)
He did, you can see them @8:23 and @8:39 and @9:49, not to be rude but google is also your friend.
@@BigBlueMan118that’s pretty late to the video. I also had troubles understanding what “island” meant until the photo came up. Showing it earlier would have been an improvement (this isn’t an attack, just a recommendation)
@@spikelea522 I honestly didnt think this was an issue but if people did then fair enough, I also had assumed most people watching content like the Video were aware of this news story and/or this issue.
Completely agree especially about the suspicions that complaints like this are disingenuous, but (you knew there would would be abut) the UK evidence shows that the issues around island busstops are not trivial, especially for disabled and need to be taken seriously. As you say design is very important and while Oxford St might have high standards, there is a real risk that some councils might do it on the cheap and TfNSW needs to ensure standards are set and adhered to. Education/expectations are always important; a key difference between the UK ( and Australia) and e.g. Netherlands is that people getting off a bus don't expect to encounter bikes.
100% agree. Ensuring that the island bus stops, and cycleways in general, are built to be as as safe as possible is key. But the best way to go about this is to do what most active transport campaigners are already doing, which is ensuring plenty of infrastructure gets built to a high standard, not stopping perfectly good infrastructure being built. There are plenty of potentially dangerous shared paths and cycleways that become shared paths at intersections that should be fixed that deserve the attention that these island bus stops are getting.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanismand how would you “fix” this without creating additional delays to not only motorists, but pedestrians?
@@gazza9622 Easily - mode shift from cars. Not sure how replacing car lanes and shared paths with cycleways and regular footpaths would delay pedestrians.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism more movements at an intersection = higher intersection cycle time. Traffic engineering 101. Bike lanes through Bondi junction have had a massive impact on traffic queue lengths and overall higher intersection cycle times. So yes. Bike phases = pedestrian wait delay.
@@gazza9622Maybe 'Traffic Engineering 101' is the problem that needs fixing.
Great work on this video.
Thanks!
Wish they just called them microbiology lanes. That would encompass all manners of human and battery powered mobility options.
Micromobility? I do think it would be a more accurate name
THIS IS A FANTASTIC VIDEO CHRIS! you can be Australia's not just bikes. Thanks from Canberra!
Thanks! Very flattering comparison 🤩
ps. this is my new character now sorry. I have given up and resorted to shitposting out of desparation. apologies
it's better for me in my wheelchair to have a bike lane. I hate having to go on the road.
Just saw the 'plan C' proposal for Oxford Street. What are your views? It looks OK to have a commuter cycle route on More Park Rd and human friendly traffic calming on Oxford St - but I'm deeply sceptical about the motives if the proponents and the conspiracy theories.
I think the idea has merit but it's stated goals don't line up with how they're planning to execute it. From what I can see it's basically the current situation with wider footpaths, lower speed limits and bus bays for bus stops - all good ideas, except potentially the bus bays, but they don't do anything to actually discourage car traffic and the only thing that makes the area safer for cyclists is the speed limit reduction, which isn't sufficient for all ages and abilities to cycle on it if there's still high traffic since cyclists would still have to ride in the bus (they say "shared" so I presume with cars too??) lane as they do now. Oxford Street is an arterial road and while it could be significantly calmed by reducing private car use and electrifying public transport, cyclists will always need separation from the high volumes of public transport that use the corridor imo.
The only thing tha will fix traffic and commute times is...less cars. That means better PT, better active transport options, and arguably with a government that is happy to leave people behind...a cheaper (or free) option. It's so crazy that people lack the criticial thinking capabilities to be so enamoured with the current way of living and moving in society. Where commutes can be 2-3hrs form the outskirts of a city, at a time in society when we've got the most people working from home as we ever have (covid excluded but then most people weren't really working either then).
As for rights. lol...eh. It's so stupid that it doesn't even require a response.
Great, civil, well laid out, vid!
Thanks!
"Sharath"?!? There's only one Sharath who is building Australia beautifully. (13:41)
Yep, he was one of my first supporters the absolute legend
Bike paths are tremendously beneficial for people who can't drive, and rely on some sort of mobility device to get around. After watching your video, I dived into the archive and pulled together a quick compendium of some of the mobility devices that I've seen over the last 2 years. This might prove useful at some point, showing how a bike path or shared path benefits more than just cyclists. ua-cam.com/video/tJV3mke3_S8/v-deo.html
Excellent montage! Active transport infrastructure really is beneficial for so many people
"they can't fall over cause they got three wheels" The Honda ATC has entered the chat... Seriously though, those trikes are backwards. Two wheels at the front is actually stable, but the reverse can lead to head plants on sharp turns, like, say a roo jumps in front of you.
We're not talking about seniors speeding around on performance ATCs here, we're talking trikes that are pedal assisted up to 25km/h max (and have slower settings) that are easier than a bike to mount and dismount without falling.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism Absolutely, but three wheels in that configuration with a high centre of gravity is inherently unstable on turning. That sort of layout is stable with a low cog (think children's trikes where their bums are nearly on the ground, or modified motorcycles with big low heavy engines). Two wheels forward, one behind, is the more stable configuration.
I'm sorry if it feels like I'm arguing with you. I really enjoyed your video, and will watch more. But those trikes are definitely going to get someone hurt
Oh boy Chris - I have been waiting the whole time since the article came out for your video about it! Oxford St is such a shithole at the moment just like Parramatta Road it needs a total rethink and cycling is one of if not the key element in that transformation alongside reducing car movements, more greenery and improving public transport in the corridor. I think Oxford St would be significantly improved if you just extended the T4 from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach and then reduced the space for cars, but I also just hope both roads if they ever get light rail would get green grass track that would be such a massive upgrade.
Just on the video itself, do these people complaining not know that cycling infrastructure is extremely useful for people with disabilities for goodness sake? Go to Copenhagen or Utrecht and you will see HUNDREDS of people with all types of disability issues riding all types of vehicles.
Definitely agree re: the T4! The 333 and the arterial roads to Bondi Beach do far too much heavy lifting atm. The great thing about the current consultation is it's about activating Oxford St in general so mentioning greenery and better public transport alongside the cycleway is definitely on the table.
It is strange that it's so little known how useful cycleways are for people with certain disabilities - even in Broken Hill of all places I saw people in mobility scooters using the painted bike lanes to avoid the kerb ramps!
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism Yeah exactly, I think people are willfully ignorant, just like many people are about vegan/vegetarian diets or even just cutting way back on meat consumption.
Just on the public transport corridors in the East Chris, I know you like looking at documents and studies just as much as I do, check out this modelling study on train and bus demand (pp.38-39), it might be useful for a future video and it makes it so obvious that a short extension of the T4 would have a big impact on removing massive bus demand, we can clearly see the demand for Beaches mass transit in the bus demand map too:
www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-08/Transport%20Modelling%20Report%20for%20Sydney.pdf
I hope for their own sake the complainants never visit Melbourne. Our floating tram stops - where pedestrians have to cross a car lane as well as a bike lane - would blow their tiny minds!
I've always felt they were less than ideal when visiting Melbourne, but they certainly get the job done with far fewer problems than might be expected haha
these anti cycle way complainers strike me as NIBYs wanting to take away anything that they
It does seem like it
I'm genuinely interested in why you would make the pedestrian crossing a zebra crossing? Is there so much cycle traffic at peak hours that pedestrians going to and from the stop would not be able to get there unless the bikes stopped? Seems to me the more common sense approach would be cycles have right of way and pedestrians check before crossing
Correct.
There needs to be a hierarchy with pedestrians ALWAYS on the top. Lycraboyracers need to be made aware that the space between a bus stop and the footpath is a pedestrian zone and pedestrians always have priority.
Agree with Jack. It's about making the use of the bus stop as safe as possible, and avoiding discrimination. Blind people, children, people in wheelchairs etc. may find crossing the cycleway uncomfortable or difficult without the pedestrian crossing, and it is important cyclists slow down and prepare to give way in areas where pedestrians might be crossing in large numbers
Let's face it, the safety of the elderly & disabled is just an excuse. I'd put money this is either just a bunch of old NIMBYs or are a front for someone else who doesn't want the cycleway there; maybe retailers or developers. Was this a clearway previously or was there on street parking?
They're removing a lane of traffic for it and keeping the on peak bus lane/off peak parking that is currently there, just moving it a lane over. Some businesses on Oxford St have been vocal against the cycleway but I also wouldn't put it past it being a group of old residents just being very resistant to change
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism > Some businesses on Oxford St have been vocal against the cycleway
gods I hate this. There's a fantastic episode of the Urbanist Agenda podcast (hosted by Not Just Bikes' Jason Slaughter) about how business owners hate bike lanes, and how their arguments are usually nonsense. Like one case where they were complaining that customers would have nowhere to park, but it turned out that actually the parking in front of their business was taking up nearly full-time by *the owner themselves.*
@@JimCullen I remember that episode, some of the claims by those business owners were ridiculous
pretty sure they're doing their best to make cars the only option
Unfortunately :( that's why it's important we give feedback!
The 'story' in a nutshell. Rich old white man yells at clouds.
100%
The cycleway design is going to grid lock the whole area.
How so?
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism current traffic volumes on Oxford St cannot fit in a single lane during peaks. Every right turn movement into side streets is being banned and pushed down to 1 intersection.
@@gazza9622 The point is not to maintain current car traffic volumes (which are impairing Oxford St's ability to function as a vibrant place due to noise/air pollution and added difficulty crossing the road, among other things) but to finally allow people of all ages and abilities to bike down Oxford St, as many have wanted to for a long time, thus replacing car traffic with bike traffic, which is more space efficient and safe as well as less polluting
It won't grid lock the folks walking, on bicycles, or other mobility contraptions, so that's ok.
Perfectly ok.
@@petergibson7287 you mean Uber eats riders?
I am an elderly man and I live near Hyde Park and Oxford Street. I don't know if it is just an Australian thing, but young men on bicycles do terrorize pedestrians by riding fast and close to pedestrians in the Park. I never seem to see any female cyclists being a problem, but the men appear to not understand that a cyclist approaching from behind and passing so close I feel the air moving from their passage is not the right thing to do. This frightens the sh*t out of people, and I literally jump. Not good for my heart, and one day I am likely to fall, and at my age I cannot stand up from the ground without assistance.
In Toronto, a man was imprisoned yesterday because he knocked an 89 year old woman down, and she died from head and neck injuries caused by the fall. Falling is a very serious problem for elderly people.
I have also experienced Sydney cyclists disregarding cycleways and riding at high speed on the footpath. The proliferation of aggressive male cyclists in central Sydney has created understandable resistance to encouraging more bicycle usage in the area.
I couldn't believe it when you illustrated your point with an aggressive male cyclist riding too fast, and ignoring the safety of pedestrians. That knocking down of a pedestrian was not caused by a lack of fencing, it was purely caused by a cyclist disregarding the safety of fellow users of the road, and by his speed. It was reckless disregard for public safety.
Fences are also a problem. They visually "narrow" the wide boulevard, and diminish this aesthetic enjoyment of our street for the locals. A better solution is to put the cycleways in side streets that are less busy and with less foot traffic. It would also be nice for young men to learn that life is not improved by getting somewhere a few seconds quicker. We seem to have less aggression in cars these days, which is a good thing, but why is it that bicycles seem to bring out the aggression in a certain portion of young males?
Perhaps cyclists need to be required to get cycling licenses, after a test, and be in the position of losing their license if they cause accidents and injuries, or ride too fast.
The behaviour of young men on all forms of transportation is statistically a huge problem, especially driving - being a young man is one of the biggest risk factors for dying or causing death on the road to the point that France is attempting to address toxic masculinity as part of their road safety strategy. Australia could certainly take a similar approach to France and try to address the toxic transport behaviour of young men through cultural change; this is tricky, though, as educational interventions have been shown to generally be pretty ineffective when it comes to road safety. I would also push back against your point against drivers becoming less aggressive and cyclists becoming more aggressive. The death count on our roads has stopped dropping. Cyclists are not killing more people despite increasing in number. Anecdotally, I have nearly been killed at a pedestrian crossing by scofflaw drivers multiple times but never felt threatened at a pedestrian crossing by a cyclist. I have been close-passed by cyclists as a pedestrian, however, but ONLY on shared paths, which proper cycling infrastructure uses sparingly. I have been close-passed by drivers while cycling MUCH more frequently than I have been by cyclists while walking.
Cycleways, though, are not a cause of this problem but a solution. These aggressive cyclists are separated from pedestrians when cycleways are built. Not all will use them, like you mentioned, but often this can be a factor of design (cycleways only being on one side of the road, starting and ending unpredictably, etc.). Aggressive male cyclists were also the biggest protestors against cycleways when they were initially built in the 2000s. They didn't see the point as they were fine riding on the road or occasionally the footpath, not thinking about the safety and potential cycling uptake of less aggressive and confident cyclists, and the safety of pedestrians.
Fences are a problem in 99% of situations, I agree. I do think they have a place with island bus stops, though, since the bus stops are a place for waiting and for big crowds, rather than walking around. The fences are not built on the actual footpath, but only the bus stop, where the crowds and waiting occur.
I was considering adding a disclaimer that I was not endorsing the behaviour of the cyclists in those clips, but I figured they were so obviously doing the wrong thing that I didn't need to, because their behaviour could clearly never be endorsed. Just because I was discussing how infrastructure could play a role in mitigating damage caused by bad behaviour, doesn't mean such bad behaviour wasn't bad. Part of the reason for the crash was aggressive riding, yes. Another contributing factor was that the pedestrian was crossing at an angle - not an unreasonable thing for the pedestrian to do, and they had every right to - but it meant they didn't see the cyclist and walked into the side of them. It's not about pointing fingers, just understanding how such situations can be avoided in future. The "narrowing" effect of the fences could also have served a similar purpose to street trees, signalling obstacles to the brain of the cyclist and causing them to slow.
Cyclist licences may be a nice idea in theory, but in reality they are discriminatory and unsafe (similar to helmet laws - they lessen the number of cyclists, resulting in less safety in numbers, and result in big fines for the people who can least afford them) and come from an emotional reaction to perceptions of danger rather than the actual statistical reality around danger on the road. If cyclists knock someone over or injure someone, they can be charged with assault or similar, like if they were a pedestrian.
I think roads are obviously way worse...
Definitely
I’m here because I wanted you to see if there’s a guy named Chris topher
well now you know
Most Pedestrians dont look where they are going. Evidence in the Vidios.
I understand where you're coming from but the main concern about the island bus stops was that they were unsafe for blind people...
I gave a cycleway my baby to kiss, and it bit him, on the head.
It's true, I was there
it's Gadigal avenue, not Gadigal street. I can't even google gadigal street.
Whoops, my bad. Not sure how I made that mistake, I used to ride down there most days haha
archetypal wowsers
Wowser is such a good word
Yes, it would actually be safer for blind people to cross traffic lanes after getting off the bus because they can hear the cars coming, bikes dont make noise which makes them dangerous.
Bike bells exist.
@@njwithersI think this trivialises what is a real issue. Disabled bus users need to feel safe. There is no requirement/expectation that cyclists bell on approach to a bus stop. The issues are not insurmountable but good design needs to address all this.
Ahhhh boomers.
Do the sums. Anyone over 80 was born before the end of WW2. By definition not a boomer. If you gave to find an alternative term fir your prejudice.
Not so much that they're boomers, more that they're resistant to their area changing, which can happen at any age
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism Exactly. We all need to get the ageism out and focus on the issues.
It's actually a good case with Merits. A skyway would be better. Keep cyclists away from pedestrians.
A cycleway will separate cyclists for pedestrians - currently cyclists have to take the footpath if they feel unsafe on the roads. A skyway would be pretty expensive and difficult to link to shops and side streets. One of the benefits of cycling is the ease of stopping and parking anywhere compared to a car
Cyclists in Sydney have no pedestrian concern. Why else have we had to have 2 rangers at Pyrmont bridge for around 20 years (still there) to get cyclists to slow down
I'd love to know the answer to that question, too. They never seem to do anything since there's very little if any unsafe behaviour going on and the speed limit is advisory and difficult to follow while maintaining balance
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism oh they will fang it as soon as they hit the narrow path the goes to the Slip Inn. On that path I've had my knuckles smashed as they passed, seen a guy hit and an older lady knocked down. In all 3 cases they were in Lycra and kept going. I've visited all Scandinavian capitals and as an avid jaywalker they (cyclists) just saunter in their work attire. In Asia, Vietnam for example the cyclists (now more motorcycles these days) are very vigilant around pedestrians
@@goodyearspokane I never saw that kind of behaviour when Pyrmont Bridge was my regular work commute, which makes me hope it's quite rare, but that's absolutely terrible. Sports cyclists should definitely be on the road, especially since the lycra crowd have historically been some of the biggest anti-cycleway voices since they don't understand the point - more cycleways will mean most cyclists are the Scandinavian types who, in Australia, are usually afraid to bike because of the dangerous infrastructure. More cycleways, especially on streets like Oxford Street, will also separate cyclists from pedestrians more and lead to less collisions like that happening.
@@ChrisTopher_Urbanism it's usually Lycra to work, shower and change I find
@@goodyearspokane Still counts as sports if Lycra's involved in my opinion! 😜
80 year old boomer will do what 80 year old boomers do
We can do without casual ageism. Chris. Very disappointed that you gave this offensive comment a ❤. I expect better from you.
80 year old aren't boomers. If you are going to be offensively ageist, you could at least learn to add up.
People who are 80 aren't boomers; they are the silent generation.
If you're going to use boomer in a comment to attempt to describe a group, get educated first.
Chris, have you ever ridden a tricycle? They are far from stable, particularly in turns, they’re very easy to roll. Since they don’t lean in turns, they want to lift the inside rear wheel. Ones with two front wheels instead tend to be a lot more stable but don’t seem to be as common. Not disputing the rest of this, but this stuck out to me as something ai would not be encouraging aging people to take up.
I personally haven't ridden a tricycle but I've heard good things about them for seniors due to the added stability and I know some people who have switched from bicycles to recumbent tricycles as they've aged and it's worked well for them. I'd imagine that safety would vary from trike to trike and while it seems to me tricycles are safer for those with less balance or strength at lower speeds, as you've mentioned they could certainly be more dangerous than a bike taking a corner at higher speeds.
There are plenty of the sort you mention here in Europe especially as cargo bikes, the cycling culture in Sydney just isn't quite as developed yet but even with the limited infrastructure+priority for cycling in Aus cargobikes are appearing.