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CSIT RTW Bulletin #16: Jul 2001

http://cs.anu.edu.au/csitRTW/bulletins/RTW.16.Jul01.html
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***** If you'd like to make a contribution to the next bulletin, *****
***** please email it to me by the end of Sep 2001 *****

Been quite wet in last few weeks; good wet weather gear and mudguards make it more tolerable though.

More Reason to file Hazard Reports

As reported by the PP Bulletin of Jul 5:

In late May the High Court scrapped the law of nonfeasance. .. The law of nonfeasance has, up until now, granted road owners legal immunity against damages claims when an accident is caused by a fault in the road which has not undergone repair. Its scrapping makes it more likely that governments can be sued for roads, footpaths and bike paths that are in a bad state of repair.

This means that if you notify the Department of Urban Services of a hazard to cyclists there will be a lot more reason for them to fix it.

PP gives you an on-line form for reports of hazards, which they now put in a database, forward to Urban Services and track its progress. Let Urban Services know; report your (un-)favourite Hazard!

Re: NRR and Pedestrian Crossings

In Bulletin 13, the amendment to R248 was that `... the rider of a bicycle may ride across a marked foot crossing if authorised to do so by a traffic control device'.

Well, the form this authorization is taking is of a cute Bicycle signal, next to the Pedestrian Walk signal. A rather expensive solution one might think, and perhaps this explains why they have only appeared on 3 of the 100's of ACT crossings so far ...

Pedal Power Poll: Lights

Do you ride at night? If so, do you some good lights for it? On the Pedal Power web page, there is a poll: currently whether `Should cyclists who ride without lights at night be prosecuted?' . Seems that overwhelmingly the public opinion is YES.

Election Year: Lobby your local MP candidates!

Nows the time when the Pollies are unusually attentive to what members of their constituency ask for. I've had a chance recently to lobby a Democrat candidate for Ginninderra for what I see as the most important cycle-related issue for the area: widening the shared paths, and converting them to segregated pedestrian and bicycle paths. It's a good time to do likewise if you get the chance.

Anyone live in Woden? Katie Gallagher, Labor Candidate for Molonglo, will be running a cycling forum which will be an open discussion of ACT cycling issues. The forum is on 7pm-9pm, Tuesday 31 July, at the Woden Community Service, Corinna St, Woden (sorry about short notice). RSVP: katygallagher@apex .net.au or 0409 330 792. Soup and light refreshments will be served.

Well thats it for these 2 months. Happy cycling! -Peter.

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