Curtin Ave Cottesloe

[flashpixx]

My opinion on Curtin Av is that there are a few small areas that with some changes would vastly improve the safety. Firstly, at each of the traffic lights the bike lane needs to be installed so it is continuous through the intersection rather than pushing the bikes back into the cars. Secondly, the roundabout at the southern end of Marine Parade (I think it is called that - the road that runs along cottesloe beach) needs to be re-thought - best option would be a section of grade separated path for those coming down the hill towards fremantle, going the other way actually isn't too unsafe but maybe a lane that runs through the roundabout going up the hill. Thirdly, just make sure that there is a proper on road bike lane the full length all the way down to Tydeman Rd.

Agree re the bike lane at the lights. No room for a bike at Eric heading Sth in particular. Two cars + a bike don't go. Add a truck and it's dicing with death!
Heading Sth through the Marine Pde roundabout is OK as there is a footpath that can be used (not sure of legality, but appears to be designed to allow cyclists to keep out of roundabout). I actually find going north far more dangerous
Have to deal with cars turning left into Marine Pde across you, turning right in Marine (from the Nth), and doing a U Turn Marine heading East - U Turn and heading west)
As for Tydeman... mmm I head for the shared path

[Trucker Jord]

No room for a bike at Eric heading Sth in particular.

The recent realignment at eric st has been a blow for cycling on that stretch of curtin ave. This road is only going to get busier over the coming years so there will probably be more shoulder removed in the future. I made a complaint to Cott council and MainRoads when they were doing the work. MainRoads fobbed me off to the council and the council fobbed me off to MainRoads, who then sent me back to council, council then told me it was a blackspot program (MainRoads) at which point i got fed up with being fobbed off and gave up. I looked up blackspot program at WA MainRoads and couldn't find it. It turns out it was funded by the Federal blackspot project. IMO the 'blackspot' work has created a new blackspot for cyclists on Curtin avenue. i don't really see why they needed three vehicle southbound lanes at that intersection (Two through-lanes and one right turn lane). splitting the traffic into multiple lanes leading up to traffic lights then forcing a !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! 50 meters up the road when they all have to merge again.
- not much detail at to why the project was needed but here is the link: http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au ... 08-13WA-BS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Trucks are always going to be a problem on curtin ave and whilst many of us commuter-type cyclists (and lycra clad mamil's) take a punt on it in lieu of less dangerous route it will never be a great choice for newbies and people wanting to simply get from A to B by bike. my hair stands on end whenever i hear a truck approaching from behind. It also doesn't help having the lazy motorists who regularly drift into the shoulder - some cone dividers or a concrete strip separating the shoulder lane and vehicle lane at strategic points along this road might help? We still need to pressure the council and govt to finish the missing links in the Perth-Fremantle PSP.

[chocwege]

I am on Curtin Avenue regularly - the new alignment at the traffic lights at Eric Street is a real potential danger zone for cyclists. The problem is made worse by the fact that many cars heading south turn left at the lights to cross over the rail line on the bridge so it is dangerous unless you claim the whole lane.

My understanding is that the plan is that the bike path will be extended from Grant Street to Cottesloe Station - but not sure when and based on the council's track record it won't be anytime soon. In the meantime claim the whole left lane and watch out !

The alternative is turning right at Grant Street and head west through to Marine Parade and down the coast that way. Although in my opinion the roundabout at the south end of Marine Parade where it intersects Curtin Avenue is more dangerous coming this way. Also the traffic on Marine Parade and the fact that it is single lane adds more risk of getting doored or having a pedestrian step out in front of you from behind a parked car.

So it's a judgement call on the lesser of two evils at the moment.

[fixed]

Curtin at Eric St. Ride the white line and check behind and gradually hold the line and claim the entire lane. Only way to negotiate this intersection. Also means having to claim the lane over the Eric St hump until the white line comes back

[flashpixx]

- not much detail at to why the project was needed but here is the link: http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au ... 08-13WA-BS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
.

This appears to be a Federally funded project under the "Black Spot" initiative. Guess what - they created a worse black spot!!

So I'm writing to the Feds and to City of Cottesloe with copies to the other party etc... lets see how far it gets handballed.

I wonder in Bicycling WA would be interested?

Thanks fixed for the advice, but I'm not confident/comfortable doing this up the hump (going Sth).

[RoFlmaTiC]

I must be one of the few people that hasn't really been felt a negative impact of the changes? I always used to claim the lane on Curtin ave at Eric st, and after this work still do. In fact I felt there was an improvement because the width of the road south of Eric street has increased so there's less issues with the lane merging (i.e. you can just stick to the left hand of the road and the bike lane restarts again?

[Trucker Jord]

Re: Curtin Ave Cottesloe - Postby farnorth » Sat Aug 09, 2014 10:00 pm
This afternoon I was squeezed out by a roadtrain at the Eric St traffic lights, where the cycle lane disappears and two lanes of traffic need to merge into one as the road heads towards Swanbourne. Coming north, I had stopped for a red light and on the green accelerated away up the slight incline. A truck which was the 3rd or 4th vehicle in the left hand lane cut me off by driving close to the kerb at the merge point and I had to brake to avoid being run off the road or squashed. There should be enough room even for a large vehicle in the merging zone, though I couldn't see whether there was another vehicle on the outside of the truck. Unfortunately I couldn't see the name of the trucking firm (note the rhyming slang) so that's the end of it for today, but someone could easily die there. It's a major route for trucks using Fremantle Docks.

I got two "punishment passes" from a b-double this morning. his trailer came within centimeters of me. Carrying K-LINE shipping containers. I couldn't make out the trucking company but got the trailer rego (1TGC933) and reported to police. The driver purposefully swung his trailer right across the shoulder cycle lane (which i was in). this guy has some serious anger issues. he wound down his window and let it spray for a while up at grant st when i crossed over.

[wellington_street]

- not much detail at to why the project was needed but here is the link: http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au ... 08-13WA-BS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
.

This appears to be a Federally funded project under the "Black Spot" initiative. Guess what - they created a worse black spot!!

So I'm writing to the Feds and to City of Cottesloe with copies to the other party etc... lets see how far it gets handballed.

I wonder in Bicycling WA would be interested?

Thanks fixed for the advice, but I'm not confident/comfortable doing this up the hump (going Sth).

Make sure you ask for a copy of the Road Safety Audit which was done for this project.

If the problems faced by cyclists are not addressed in the RSA then they have used a completely incompetent auditor and if they have ignored issues raised in the RSA then they might be in some trouble. Even moreso if they haven't even done one.

FYI Curtin Avenue is a state-controlled (i.e. Main Roads) road. Don't let Main Roads fob you off. Main Roads also approve all signs and lines in Perth, so they had to approve any alterations to the linemarking - again, don't let them fob you off as they approved the design.

[wellington_street]

A half competent road designer, or roads authority, would do something like this as the cycle lane ends and left traffic lane starts (excuse the crappy paint job):


This encourages the cyclist to claim the lane and makes it clear to vehicles that they have to give way when entering the lane.

Add bicycle symbols in the centre of the lane through the intersection and you have a much safer facility pending completion of the PSP.