“The work being undertaken on the upstream side will result in a new path surface being constructed. Once that work is completed, Main Roads will begin its work on the new surfacing of the path.” (see below for more details)
From: Armenti, Joey [mailto:Joey.Armenti@dpc.wa.gov.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 20 July 2011 12:52 PM
To: ‘Don Yates’; Adel Young
Cc: ‘benz@highway1.com.au’; Buba, Michael
Subject: RE: RE: Success Hill Reserve Jetty and Guildford Rd Bridge
Don,
Good afternoon. Thanks for the email. A few things:
My advice is that funding under Roads to Recovery is provided by the Federal Government direct to Local Governments.
As the Guilford Road Bridge is a State owned asset, it would not be eligible for funding under this program.
In relation to the work being undertaken – the pedestrian path on the downstream one side of the bridge is heritage listed and is required to be maintained as a timber plank surface and must be maintained as such by Main Roads. The current work on the upstream side of the bridge where the path is of more recent vintage and not subject to the same heritage constraints. The work being undertaken on the upstream side will result in a new path surface being constructed. However works will be delayed over the next several months as the Water Corporation will be re-lining the major sewerage pipe that runs under the path. To do the re-lining Watercorp must access the pipe through the path. Once that work is completed, Main Roads will begin its work on the new surfacing of the path.
Also, Main Roads is looking at flashing warning lights and these are expected to be in place by tonight.
Thank you
Joey Armenti
Heinrich Benz and Martin Whitley re Bassendean PSP
It appears that MainRoads have decided not to provide safe access from Ashfield to the Tonkin Highway to Bassendean PSP – it’s too expensive. If people riding bicycles or walking or on gopher cars want to use the PSP, they have to cross four lines of relentless traffic – impossible during peak hour, and very uncomfortable most of the day. Near Ashfield train station, on the South Side of Guildford road, the Town of Bassendean runs a centre for seniors and people with disabilities. On Collier road, TADWA runs a centre for people with disabilities. People who want to use their gopher cars to go from one to the other will now have to use an uneven, old concrete-slab footpath. The Town of Bassendean has funded a safe connection from the rail crossing at Collier Road to the share path to TADWA at their own expense. I thought it would have been reasonable for MainRoads to provide at least one centre refuge (traffic lights would have been even better) to get vulnerable road users from the PSP into Ashfield.
Guildford Bridge
The only way for cyclist to cross the river in Guildford is Guildford Bridge. The road is four lanes, narrowing to two lanes over the bridge. The footpaths on both sides are built in timber, which is ageing badly and is causing punctures in bicycles, gopher cars and prams. For that reason more and more cyclists abandon the shared path and are using the road to cross the river. Finding a way to provide a smooth surface, for instance asphalt or some rubber matting, would enable vulnerable road users to cross the bridge safely, in relative comfort and without the fear of punctures. MainRoad insists that, because the bridge is heritage listed and needs to be maintained with ”like materials” nothing can be done. However the bridge has been repaired with steel beams, steel posts, concrete, bitumen and PVC sleeves. It is disappointing that the maintenance that favours cars can use modern materials, but for vulnerable road users this does not seem to be possible. Perhaps somebody can help me to get better outcomes for the above problems?
I use the the City to Midland PSP everyday, commuting to work from Guildford to the CBD. I have complained already to Town of Bassendean about the Guildford Rd bridge at Guildford, they told me they would pass on my concerns to Main Roads, but contact at Main Roads said there was no money available.
For a middle aged, female, slow commuter, I do pretty well, it takes me 30mins from Guildford to CBD. I look at all the people waiting to get on the trains and I think “if only they knew how relatively easy it is to cycle in”. Not only am I saving money on parking, fuel and stress, but I am getting my daily exercise in the bucket loads.
Its not only the Guildford Rd bridge that needs fixing, what about completing the PSP from Tonkin Highway all the way to Midland? How many more people would then feel its safe enough to ride all the way into the city or abbreviations of that trip? Oodles I would think. It took me a long time to figure out where to leave my car during the day, because there really isnt anywhere that cycle commuters can do that. Each day I commute from Clackline, and finally decided Guildford was the best place, because I dont have to run the gauntlet of Midland traffic and parking at Bassendean means you get caught in the Guildford Rd bridge squish everyday.
The whole section from Success Hill train station to Tonkin Highway is fraught with danger. Lord Street, get off and walk. Ride along Railway Parade with all the train station traffic, drivers making turns and crossing traffic where they aren’t legally allowed, buses everywhere. Collier Rd, get off and walk across, cars blocking path on-ramp and access to Railway Pde Basso/Ashfield. Take your chances crossing the Railway Museum lines. Then fight amongst the traffic to cross the Midland line in order to join up with the PSP on Guildford Rd.
But the chaos continues once you get to the city. What happens to PSP and bike path for users who want the central cbd? I take a left at Barrack and use the footpaths up to St Georges Tce. I dont like using the footpath, but of course I dont really want to ride up Barrack St against the traffic. I try really hard not to terrorise the pedestrians when I am sharing their path.
Afternoons are another story, here I play in amongst the cars from the Esplanade at Barrack all the way to Wellingston Street again. This is very dangerous and I have had 3 close calls so far, one with car and bus, the other 2 with pedestrians who walk out without looking, because vehicles in centre lane on Barrack have stopped, even though they have green light – pedestrians not expecting cyclist traffic in right lane.
The bike paths to the city are strange – because once they get to the city, they just stop and then what is the rider supposed to do. If you tell me to use the cycle path down around by the river to get to my destination, instead of PSPing to Wellington St, well thats not practical either. The cycle paths just stop on the southern side of Riverside Drive. Once you cross to the northern side of Riverside Drive, there are no more cycle lanes and that is when you get into trouble and thats why more people dont ride into the city, be it for pleasure, commuting or traveling through. Because it is dangerous and Perth roads are nasty, not to mention all the building and constrution currently occuring on CBD roads that just adds to vehiclular traffic congestion and frustration.
It would be great to see regular maintenance on all the PSPs, more PSPs and extended PSPs. Cycle lanes in the CBD on all roads to make things a little more safer for cyclists is a must and something that Government should be providing, not only for cleaner, greener environment but also to walk the talk they are spouting for encouraging a more people friendly city centre.
Thanks very much for your detailed response. We share your frustrations, and we chip away at the problems as they arise, and, more importantly, try to get more money into cycling infrastructure and legislation. The problem with the footpath at Guildford bridge has resulted in both the Town of Bassendean and the local MLA, Martin Whitely, writing to Main Roads.
Hopefully we will get the PSP section from Tonking Highway to the Bassendean train station in the next few months. This will include better traffic management at the two rail crossings.
City of Perth is going to produce a bike plan, which should consider some of the issues raised by people during the public submission process that ended a couple of months ago.
So, whilst your frustration is legitimate, we hope that over time we can improve the environment for people who choose to use a bicycle instead of a car to get to work.
Regards,
Heinrich
To add…
I use this route around three times a week guildford – uwa. I have also tried on numerous occassions to get some attention to the Lord Street crossing, in school times I have seen at least three near misses last year (of school children).
The PSP by Basso station often has cars driving all over it, sometimes hurling abuse at you for riding on the pSP fragment that is there when they are running late to catch a train! I have heard of numerous incidents at the level crossing by the train museum adn have complained myself to various authorities, which, like the psp and lord street situations results in phone tag – people referring you to Main Roads, Bassendean Town, PTA, DPI… its really very tiresome. There must be a better way.
I would love to know more about the extension of the PSP out to Midland. It really is a no-brainer as anyone on this forum could attest.
I have heard a whisper that the psp extension for this year is going to be cement? not asphalt? i really hope not…
cheers
I think the PSP (Principal Shared Path) will be standard design, that is, asphalt. It is the SP (Shared Paths) built by local governments that are often built in concrete to reduce the long-term maintenance costs.
Regards,
1.
As long as all new cycle rails are hidden Inside or below the back of Buildings, it will do nothing to raise the profile of Cyclists in any city.
2.
As long as all new cycle rails are inside buildings, for the entire business day it will not encourage others passing the building to assume there is any cyclist within.
3.
Heritage Buildings.
When the Heritage Buildings were first constructed – in most cases, cars did not exist.
4.
Any parking forward of Heritage Buildings (ie the No Standing areas) might be better raised
to footpath level, and implanted with Cycle Rails.
5.
In this way they will provide visually transparent security to pedestrian traffic from car drivers.
6.
If, by chance the property concerned uses Al Fresco dining – the rails could compliment
such a service.
7.
The installation of rails could, would be subject to the adjacent business not lodging a formal complaint after being notified in advance.
8.
The cycle rails should be properly installed, not just Bolted to the new ‘removable weight’ compact pavers.
9.
If PRINCIPAL SHARED PATHS are required to be constructed to 2.5m wide minimum
10.
What is the width that defines pavements which are Just Ordinary Shared Paths, 1metre
(as I saw sign painted with a Share Path sign -in Mandurah last weekend)
11.
CHOGM.
Love it or hate it – this may be a Once in a Lifetime CHANCE to get some Vulnerable Road User ramps, White Line Marking, new paths – Whatever you feel is needed – WRITE IT IN.
always let them know at least One Way to solve the problem.
12
The City of Perth may well be creating another Bike Plan Document.
Im so old that I well remember two previous ones.
13
Im just so sorry (understatement) that ten years after the completion of the Northbridge Tunnel – that even now even the Line Marking of Aberdeen Street has not been completed to allow cyclists from
Joondalup to get to Bayswater – on a properly marked Cycle Lane – while taking the trouble not to conflict with the Peak Hour Commuters via the Central Rail Station P.S.P
From: Armenti, Joey [mailto:Joey.Armenti@dpc.wa.gov.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 20 July 2011 12:52 PM
To: ‘Don Yates’; Adel Young
Cc: ‘benz@highway1.com.au’; Buba, Michael
Subject: RE: RE: Success Hill Reserve Jetty and Guildford Rd Bridge
Don,
Good afternoon. Thanks for the email. A few things:
My advice is that funding under Roads to Recovery is provided by the Federal Government direct to Local Governments.
As the Guilford Road Bridge is a State owned asset, it would not be eligible for funding under this program.
In relation to the work being undertaken – the pedestrian path on the downstream one side of the bridge is heritage listed and is required to be maintained as a timber plank surface and must be maintained as such by Main Roads. The current work on the upstream side of the bridge where the path is of more recent vintage and not subject to the same heritage constraints. The work being undertaken on the upstream side will result in a new path surface being constructed. However works will be delayed over the next several months as the Water Corporation will be re-lining the major sewerage pipe that runs under the path. To do the re-lining Watercorp must access the pipe through the path. Once that work is completed, Main Roads will begin its work on the new surfacing of the path.
Also, Main Roads is looking at flashing warning lights and these are expected to be in place by tonight.
Thank you
Joey Armenti
http://www.echonewspaper.com.au/newsInfo.asp?id=3862 here is news on the front page of the echo the other week. apparently work is under way tonkin – basso..?
Troy Buswell indicated the path would be built in October…
in case anyone is interested, the psp is progressing from its current end near tonkin hwy to bassneden, albeit at a slow pace. Just before xmas a new fence was erected within the old the length of the area in question, I presume the new path will now be constructed adjacent to this
Yes, as I understand it the path will be between the fence and the road. At a cost of $3.6 mio for less than two kilometres.
Interesting to compare this to the cost of a four-lane cycling superhighway in Sweden: 12.5 miles (18 km) for $7.1 mio.
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/new-cycling-superhighway-not-us.html