---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CSIT RTW Bulletin #7: Dec 1999 http://cs.anu.edu.au/csitRTW/bulletins/RTW.7.Dec99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** If you would like to make a contribution to these bulletins, ***** ***** please send it to me by email by the end of the month ***** ``No-one's liberty, property or well-being is safe while legislation is in session.'' - Murphy's Law NEW NATIONAL ROAD RULES: A message from Pedal Power via RTW Co-ordinator Elaine Fotu concerns the new road rules that will be applied to the ACT very soon. It will have an impact on everyone riding regularly, and especially us commuters. 3 issues of potentially SERIOUS CONCERN are outlined below. CYCLISTS MUST *WALK* THEIR BIKES ACROSS PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS: r248: cyclists must not ride across a road, or part of a road, on a children's crossing, marked foot crossing or pedestrian crossing. That means if you commute from ANU to Lyneham via the bike path, you will be obliged to dismount and remount at least 5 times each way! Not only is this inconvenient to the point of discouraging riding altogether - contrary to the current government policies on cycling - it can also be dangerous. Take the intersection of North Road & Barry Drive as an example, where in peak times you can get 5-10 cyclists crossing at once. Dismounting is awkward and requires extra room; thus on the verge of a busy road where other cyclists are congregating it can be indeed quite dangerous. CYCLISTS MUST GIVE WAY TO *EXITING* TRAFFIC ON ROUNDABOUTS: r111 & r119: multilane roundabouts - cyclist in left lane staying on roundabout must give way to traffic exiting from right lane, but cyclist may use right lane to stay on roundabout. Its great to have to be looking 360 degrees at once to see who you have to give way to... OTHER ISSUES: r253: bicycle must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver or pedestrian. Hmmm, this could be interpreted to justify any act of road rage / culpable driving ever made against a cyclist, although to be fair there are also rules covering `menacing driving'. I was a bit disappointed that the legal status of `multi-use paths' (a `bicycle path' must have a sign designating it is for cycle traffic only, which is rarely done in ACT paths) does not seem to be resolved, although that really is a local (ACT) issue rather than a national one. There are also some sensible rules (although I think most of these were already in force). LOBBYING THE ACT MINISTERS (esp Urban Services Minister): If you are concerned as I am about these proposed rules in the ACT, please put your views to your favourite editor, Assembly member and particularly to: Urban Services Minister Brendan Smyth: smyth@dpa.act.gov.au ACT Greens member Kerrie Tucker (Ms): tucker@dpa.act.gov.au Labor shadow minister John Hargreaves: hargreaves@dpa.act.gov.au Health Minister Michael Moore: moore@dpa.act.gov.au Please cc any emails to Neville Reece, Pedal Power's chief lobbyist: reecenrma@one.net.au If you have strong views either way, please feel free to post them to the csitRTW@cs for the rest of us to consider (this Bulletin constitutes my spoke ;). MORE INFO: 1. message from the Jeff Ibbotson, President of Pedal Power, Dec 1999 http://cs.anu.edu.au/csitRTW/letters/NewRulePP.txt 2. Letter to John Hargraves MLA from Jeff Ibbotson, 30 Nov 1999 http://boomer.anu.edu.au/community/pedalpower/lobby/policy.htm#8 3. letters to Brendan Smyth MLA & Michael Moore MLA, Dec 1999 http://boomer.anu.edu.au/community/pedalpower/lobby/other.htm#18 4. emails to the above MLAs from Peter Strazdins, 6 Dec 1999 http://cs.anu.edu.au/csitRTW/letters/NewRulePS.txt 5. document of the new rules that apply to cycling (I've converted it from a word doc, there is a postscript error that may baulk some versions of ghostview on page 10) http://cs.anu.edu.au/csitRTW/doc/AustralianRoadRules.ps 6. replies from some of the above MLAs to Peter Strazdins http://cs.anu.edu.au/csitRTW/letters/NewRulesReplyPS.txt Well thats it for this millennium. Happy cycling! -Peter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- RTW: sponsored by Pedal Power, HealthPact & (ACT) Heart Foundation new sponsor! Mont Adventure Equipment, Queanbeyan oooooooo Be Active for Life ! oooooooo ----------------------------------------------------------------------------