Mosman Council removes illegal extension on boom gate near ‘Russian roulette’ rat run

MOSMAN Council has removed an illegal extension on a boom gate near a ‘dangerous’ rat run, after motorcyclists discussed flouting the law.

A cyclist uses the one-way lane while several motorbike riders pass through the open boom gate towards Parriwi Rd during morning peak hour earlier this month. Picture: Annika Enderborg

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MOSMAN Council has removed an unauthorised extension to a boom gate near a “Russian roulette” rat run.

The yellow extension had been installed on the boom gate at the exit to the Spit East car park, outside the Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

A northern beaches motorcyclist who rat runs along Parriwi Rd expressed frustration at the extension and police enforcing the law on an internet forum last month.

A motorcyclist on approach takes advantage of the one-way lane next to the unauthorised yellow extension on the boom gate during morning peak hour earlier this month. Picture: Annika Enderborg

“Turning left from the car park into Parriwi Rd saves a few minutes of Spit Rd congestion in the morning peak,” the rider said.

“All was well for regular riders up until last week, when the boom gate was extended for the sole purpose of preventing riders from going around the side of the boom.”

The same rider passes in front of the boom gate while the other motorcyclist is still waiting behind it. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Neither council nor Roads and Maritime Services installed the extension to the boom gate.

RMS contributed money to council’s project to install the boom gate in mid-2013.

A spokeswoman for the RMS said the council-operated boom gate aimed to prevent rat-running through the car park to access Parriwi Rd in the morning peak period, which bypasses about 1.2km of Spit Rd.

Vehicles race past the boom gate towards Parriwi Rd while residents express frustration at rat runs up their street from the left turn lane, photographed in February 2015. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Parriwi Rd resident Kylie Clarke said she saw 18 cars run through one opening of the boom gate about 8am on a weekday last month.

“They were ignoring the stop sign, despite the fact that the gate tried to lower about five or six times,” she said.

“Motorbikes just circumvent it altogether and they literally use Parriwi Rd as a speedway track to the top — at all hours of the day and night.”

Joanne Lingard one of hundreds of residents who turned up to a public meeting in Mosman to protest the reopening of the notorious Beauty Point rat run, photographed in March 2013. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Parriwi Rd resident Joelle Lawrence said she had to avoid head-on collisions regularly because cars and motorbikes overtook bicycles on blind curves.

“Coming down the road is Russian roulette because you don’t know what’s coming down the hill in your lane,” she said.

The $450,000 traffic calming measures installed along the Beauty Point rat run were deemed ‘ineffective’, photographed in August 2014. Picture: Elenor Tedenborg

Council’s planning and environment director Craig Covich said council, RMS and a consultant were preparing a design for traffic lights to replace the boom gate.

“Residents of Parriwi Rd have indicated a willingness to work with council to fund the installation of the traffic lights,” he said.

“The process is lengthy and it could take anywhere up to 18 months for that to be finalised and installed.”

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