Opinion: Cyclists and pedestrians need to share footpath

AN UGLY incident in Brisbane’s CBD has shone the light on a war taking over our streets. Pedestrians and cyclists are not playing nicely and that must change, writes Jane Fynes-Clinton.

CONFLICTS on the concrete can be bloody, the animosity now regularly being turned up from simmer to boil. Pedestrians and cyclists are not playing nicely.

And with national attention turning to the violence that erupted when a cyclist brushed past a pedestrian in Brisbane’s city heart, resulting in a thump, a broken ankle and a whole lot of aggro, the time has come for responsibility, as well as rights, to be exercised.

Cyclists are much maligned for their haughty speed and poncy posturing.

They are quick to cry victim and always come off second best when they come in conflict with cars.

But bike vs. biped is another matter — in defiance of this week’s violence, where video footage showed the cyclist being set upon by a pedestrian, too often cyclists are clipping walkers, and the outcome is worse for those on foot.

Those engaged in active transport are quick to talk about their rights, rationalising that as taxpayers, it is “my footpath and I have a right to use it”.

#EXCLUSIVE: A Brisbane cyclist has been left with a fractured ankle after a shocking clash with a pedestrian, which was captured on bike-mounted cameras.https://t.co/MyynUjN5tm pic.twitter.com/9tpsrW3MhX

— ABC Brisbane (@abcbrisbane) October 23, 2018

But as much as it is mine, it is also yours. That is the egalitarian nature of public spaces. The ethics of fairly sharing spaces have been eroded by a diminished prioritisation of the collective good that rode in on the wave of the digital revolution.

Studies increasingly find more information has brought greater disconnection, more independence and less interdependence. We have our elbows out and our personal wants sharpened, with those around us becoming an annoying interference in us attaining our desires.

Pedestrians are as bad as cyclists in elevating our expectations and exercising our rights.

We are often the most reckless users of the transport system, and given our boldness, are lucky to get from A to B unscathed.

We break laws with impunity, crossing roads and randomly stepping right on two-way stretches — and we know we will almost never be punished.

We wander as we text, talk or are plugged into a device that simultaneously connects us with what and whom we want but isolates us from our surroundings and other users of the space.

Pity the cyclist for a moment as they struggle to find an acceptable way to notify walkers of their presence. Ring a bell, or excuse themselves and they are being arrogant. Roll behind the walker and they look like a stalker. Startle a biped and they are a danger to ambling society.

We do not share well and part of the problem is most certainly the infrastructure.

A Centre for Accident and Road Safety study in 2014 found that cyclists were far more likely to be involved in a conflict with a pedestrian than a car, and one of the key factors in cyclist-pedestrian conflict was the shared use of the footpath.

In Queensland, cyclists of any age are legally allowed to ride on a footpath unless a sign prohibits it. 

The law says they must give way to pedestrians and ride so as not to inconvenience or endanger other footpath users.

Cyclists are allowed to ride on the footpath in Queensland unless it’s signed otherwise.

Unlike other states, cyclists in Queensland can also ride across pedestrian and zebra crossings.

Queensland is a rarity. In almost every other jurisdiction where cycling is recognised as a valuable form of transport, those astride bikes are separated from those on foot.

The sense behind it is straight forward and logical — it is safer, it is simpler, it helps with social civility.

In Queensland, as in other states, pedestrians and pedallers need to be separated.

Most pedestrians and cyclists endeavour to do the right thing, but the interaction between the groups can be fraught — perhaps with emotions out of proportion to the real problem.

Until our legislators see the light and put cyclists on the roads, where they already have legislated buffers and rights, we need to remember that no group is an intruder on a shared path. It belongs to us all equally.

And rather than squabble and finger point when incidents such as the horror that unfolded in the Brisbane CBD occur, cyclists and pedestrians should work together to demand better infrastructure for all forms of active transport.

Pedestrians should walk predictably when cyclists are likely to be near and not try to dodge them.

Equally, cyclists on footpaths should not test the benevolence of those on foot. If they want to go fast, they should get on the road.

Until the law changes, let’s at the very least keep an eye out for each other.

Dr Jane Fynes-Clinton is a journalist and journalism lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Twitter @janefynes