Some of you may have heard about the proposed changes to Centennial Park, others may not have yet..
Please take the time to read the proposal, it will have a huge impact on the way the park is used by cyclists. Please send an email to the Parklands Trust stating your concerns with the proposed measures and urging them to consider other options...
Here’s the link to the Centennial Park proposal:
Here’s a brief overview & exerts of what people have been including in protest letters etc
The Parklands Trust are proposing changes to address safety concerns about pedestrian access to the children’s cycle track.
Changes include the addition of
· A 20 km/h speed limit zone including white cross hatching to mark the zone
· 2 pedestrian crossings
· 2 speed humps
The Parklands Trust cite the following reasons for the work:
- Cyclists and Motorists building up speed downhill
- Pedestrians can't see cyclists beyond Randwick Gates
- Large Groups of Cyclists
- Car Parking is on the inner side of the road - so users need to cross the road to use the learners cycle track and picnic area.
While the Parklands is trying to make the situation safer for all, what they are proposing while well meaning, is at best ineffectual and at worst dangerous. The cyclist community is also very concerned about the safety of Centennial Park, however the proposals have not been thought through very well.
Cyclists are often treated with disrespect on the roads so Centennial Park provides a rare & welcome environment for cyclists to ride away from traffic and in relative safety. It will have a dramatic impact on cyclist’s enjoyment and use of the park. Introduction of reduced cycle speeds and speed bumps will greatly hamper cyclists ability to cycle and train around the park unobstructed.
- Speed humps will be unpleasant at any speed and possibly dangerous to cyclists riding in groups - basically encouraging cyclists to leave the park and cycle on other roads.
- Reducing the speed limit will not slow riders down (if 30km/h does not work, why would 20km/h.) Why would you make every cyclist a law breaker for speeding?
- Installation of crossings - not sure if they propose to work like normal crossings whereby every vehicle has to stop at the crossing. If this is the case it will make cycling very unpleasant and traffic buildup will be vast. The risk of more accidents will be very high due to confusion caused by pedestrian behaviour .
- Cross Hatch - not great to ride on road markings in the wet - again it might make some difference for the pedestrian, but it will be very dangerous to the cyclist applying brakes. Especially if we are stopping for pedestrians - as you know, riding on paint is slippery.
There could be other solutions which need to be investigated – for example…
- a rethinking of the vehicular traffic and parking solution throughout the park, perhaps provision of dedicated car parks close to the Randwick Gates & Robertson Road gates, & the removal of parking directly opposite the kids cycle track.
- enforcement of speed limits during peak times - radar and otherwise.
- Crossings that are operable during peak time - Weekends after 8am etc. Similar to school crossings.
- Relocation of kids cycle track to centre of park
….there are plenty more ideas out there which need to be presented to the Park Trust
Action – Send a letter
Cyclists are being urged to write a letter to protest the proposed measures & to urge them to consider other options.
Feedback should be sent before 5.00 pm, Friday 30 March 2012 by:
Post: Marked 'Grand Drive Safety Project' to Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, Locked Bag 15, Paddington NSW 2021
Protest Ride
At 7.00am Thursday 29th of March there will be a protest ride in Centennial Park against these measures, 2 laps of the park. The local press and Clover Moore have been contacted, we expect a lot of interest in this event. So far over 300 cyclists have signed up via facebook
All Sydney cyclists are urged to participate!
