Cyclists banned from using mixed running section of Newcastle’s light rail.
The chief recommendation of a Transport NSW review into cyclist safety in Newcastle has excluded cyclists from using the mixed running section of the light rail.
Newcastle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Newcastle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A review into the safety of cyclists on Scott Street in the mixed running section of the Newcastle Light Rail has been labelled ‘lazy’ by the president of the Newcastle Cycleways Movement.
Sam Reich has acknowledged all the work involved to improve cyclist safety, but he’s not happy with some of the recommendations, arguing they don’t address the issue.
“We’re very disappointed that’s the outcome,” Mr Reich said.
“We felt there were ways the environment could be changed to better protect the community rather than banning them.”
The safety review was carried out following the tragic death of Danny Egan on July 10, when his bicycle’s front wheel became struck in the light rail track at the intersection of Scott St and Pacific St, before he lost control and fell on the road.
The review has examined crash statistics, road user behaviour and existing road safety mechanisms.
Of the eight recommendations made, the main recommendation is the exclusion of cyclists from using the mixed running section, which extends 340 metres.
The NSW government has gone ahead to say it will adopt all recommendations, which means from today (Wednesday), cyclists will no longer be able to access that section of the Newcastle Light Rail along Scott street.
Permanent signage has also been installed overnight to advise cyclists not to ride in that section of the light rail route.
“This was the lazy option. It is coming across as cyclists being banned from an area,” Mr Reich said.
“The way to address any unsafe environment, is to fix it, not to put up a sign that people can’t go there, that is the last thing you do.
“Signage helps but it is the last resort, signage alone does not make it a safer environment.
“If you’re going to ban some users from accessing Hunter street, it’s going to impact on business and that’s something we want to avoid at all costs.
“If we want a smart city, an activated city, then we have to make it safe for all road users including those vulnerable road users like cyclists.”
Other recommendations included communication between Transport for NSW, City of Newcastle and cycling groups on the changed conditions and safe paths available for cyclists in Newcastle.
Also, the continuation of workshops with key stakeholders to investigate potential solutions that will remove or reduce the risks to cyclists as well as passing on the learnings to other light rail projects.
Transport for NSW will continue to work with the City of Newcastle to identify an appropriate east-west cycle route through the city and also investigate new technologies which could be trialled in the future.
Involved in the review process, on behalf of the Newcastle Cycleways Movement, Mr Reich made a recommendation detailing there should be painted bike lanes at the intersection to show cyclists where to go so they can cross safely.
But released on Tuesday, that recommendation was ignored.
“It was perfectly doable,” he said.
“It would indicate to cyclists where the safe place is to ride.
“It’s very critical we have alternatives to driving in the CBD in Newcastle, because it’s growing with hundreds of families moving in with high rise building being completed.
“We need an active alternative to driving a car.”
Mr Reich has also advocated to invest in future technology, which is being tested abroad.
“Technology that allows for inserts to be put into the rails so that bicycles can ride across and along the rail and not get caught, and when a tram comes over it compresses those inserts,” he added.
“There’s no technology that exists to do that yet, but there’s investigations to try to get someone to develop it, they are trialling some technologies in Europe, but I’m told they’re not ready yet.”
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said the NSW government will adopt all eight recommendations made in the review.
CRASH ANALYSIS
The review analysed data for crashes involving cyclists within the Newcastle LGA, and along the alignment. It also highlights other crashes that may not have been reported to NSW Police, and as a result are not available within the TfNSW crash data.
Between 1 July, 2014 and 24 July 2019, 52 crashes have been reported involving a cyclist in and around the Newcastle city centre.
Of these, 19 were serious injury crashes and one was a fatal crash. A separate fatality occurred in March 2019 when a cyclist was struck by a truck, which was considered a pedestrian crash as the cyclist dismounted from the bicycle.
The majority of these crashes (62%) occurred at an intersection and involved multiple vehicles (90%).
The weather was generally fine (90%), with dry road conditions (90%) and during daylight hours (77%). All crashes were reported within speed limits at 60 kilometres or below.