Comments on: Learning from Ilam Road

By: Rob V

Rob V — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 06:55:57 +0000

Any cycling initiative is to be welcomed, but there seem to have been quite a number of compromises here leading to confusion
1. Cycles are directed both onto the footpath and over the bus stop (at least going south – they seem to have changed the north side)
2. The placement of the green paint seems to be rather arbitrary.
3. It’s not obvious whether cyclists going in either direction may use the western footpath.
4. The width of the cycle path suddenly changes in width. .

Seems to me to be a case of trying to fit everything in too small a space. It might have been better to move the bus stops?

By: Oaf

Oaf — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 21:02:35 +0000

1) No warning about the cordoning off today due to further resurfacing! Almost cycled into the first set of barriers.
2) The areas where buses stops is an area of “conflict”. Routing the lane around the back of the bus stops is clumsy, I feel, and brings you into further conflict with pedestrians.
3) The surfacing episode, where they had to completely re-do a section, has been farcical.
4) Someone has already hit one of the concrete “separators” and damaged it.

By: dxer

dxer — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 01:10:10 +0000

hi, ive had two bad flats using ilam cycle way in the 6 months after work (allways carry an old tube), so not a big fan, the amount of junk and glass on the roads now is terrible, regular sweep would go a long way.

By: Colin Stokes

Colin Stokes — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 00:30:13 +0000

In reply to Forrest. I agree. Main commuter roads (collector roads) should be designed with sufficient space for efficient motoring AND cycling. Christchurch City Council's Infrastructure Design Standards (ISD2010) requires this but council staff have been ignoring these Standards and doing deals with developers to ELIMINATE cycle provision and CONGEST traffic including the elimination of right turn medians (such as in Living G Yaldhurst).

By: Forrest

Forrest — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 22:42:33 +0000

While safety should be emphasized in design, if the cycleways are to be used as a viable transportation alternative to cars/buses/feet, they need to be designed for that too. It seems like there is an over-emphasis on safety. “Get the cyclists out of the way where they can’t be hit,” instead of “promote cycling as a safe and EFFICIENT/ENJOYABLE transportation alternative.”

By: LennyBoy

LennyBoy — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 22:02:04 +0000

The green surfacing is finally going down now!

By: Colin Stokes

Colin Stokes — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 20:27:48 +0000

Its good to see staff at the council saw fit to consider cycle safety here.

In the Living G Yaldhurst mixed residential commercial zone, council staff permitted the developer to completely eliminat the required cycle lanes without any consultation forcing cyclists to share 3.2m travel lanes with buses, trucks and cars. Staff also permitted the elimination of the required turning median and recessed parking safety features making the roads even more dangerous. Hopefully the new Councillors will require these dangers to be remedied before the roads vest and casualties occur.

By: Olly Powell

Olly Powell — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 04:07:00 +0000

I’ve probably said enough on this subject in previous post already. Mostly like the design, but don’t think much of the seperators. Would prefer a 50mm ramp then a row of pavers, then another 50mm ramp. Enough said.

Just a note about the bus stops. I acually laid a complaint with ECAN and the police last week, because I’ve noticed that busses approaching from behind are routinely honking their horns at me while I’m passing the bus stops. I get the feeling the bus drivers are trying to get cyclists to go into the diversion all the time, rather than just to get around a parked bus. Hopefully the green markings will clear things up a bit, as might a bit of a reminder of the road rules from TransMetro to their drivers.

By: Forrest

Forrest — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 20:55:35 +0000

I’m quite disappointed with the Ilam Road cycleway, especially between Creyke Rd and the University. It seems like the quality of the lane was not considered during construction; the accumulation of debris as well as the steep, horizontal slope make riding challenging. Even at a slow speed, cycling two-abreast is very challenging in this lane. Designing cycle lanes for two-abreast riding is a no-brainer as the social aspect of a ride is very important! Especially with the emphasis on recreational urban cycling coinciding with commuting routes, I hope that quality is emphasized in the construction of our future bicycle routes so the paths are enjoyable to use. This is the way to attract more people to ride their bikes!

By: Cedric

Cedric — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:40:41 +0000

I certainly hope that the design of Ilam Rd isn’t used elswhere as a standard design. I feel it would be a better design if the foot path were widened and included as cycleway all in one. it would use a lesser footprint of the road reserve. the shape and design of the separator kerb could then be modified to be more user friendly and better aesthetics. having the gaps as they are, many motorists seem to think that is their access for car parking. A continuous barrier with ramped sides would be better looking and more user friendly. Harakeke St has a variation offering a full cycle lane and does not offer the same level of confusion. Also if cyclists are to cross a road and use a pedestrian crossing, then they should walk their bikes across the road. A pedestrian crossing has certain legal status which offers protection to pedestrians only. A cyclist when riding a bike is not a pedestrian and the laws pertaining to a cyclist crossing the road is no different to other vehicles. Being adjacent to a University, one would think that the users would understand road rules and comply with them. Again I stress, Cyclists also need educating about riding on the road as there is no formal requirement or competency test to understand the road rules for cyclists.