Darren Coyne
Lismore city’s cyclists had a win last night that could eventually result in dedicated bike lanes around the central business district.
Cr Vanessa Ekins successfully moved a motion aimed at improving bike safety as part of the council’s CBD traffic study, due to commence next year.
As a result, a study will be completed that will look at such things as painted bike lanes and an education campaign to remind drivers that they share the road.
She said many people were already riding in the CBD but car drivers often disregarded their right to the road.
‘Bike riders are entitled to at least a tenth of the road but car drivers don’t think about that,’ she said.
‘But if you’ve got a bike path they will.
‘Painted bikes on the road will also let drivers know they are sharing the space.’
Cr Ekins also suggested an education campaign to stop people riding or skating in areas they shouldn’t.
The slogan for such a campaign could be ‘Walk your bike, carry your board’, and it could be communicated easily to school assemblies and to the general public with appropriate signs.
In her motion, Cr Ekins said ‘I highly recommend that an investigation into safe cycling in the CBD be carried out’.
‘However I believe it appropriate to leave all options open and not pre-empt the outcome of the investigations.
‘I suggest the painted bicycle lanes is one of many solutions.’
She said the investigation should also consider safety and comfort, access, interaction with other road users, cycleway capacity, safe intersections for cyclists and connections to others places.
Cr Ekins raised the possibility of the measures being funded by the CBD/Riverbank group, which involves four councilors, the president of the chamber of commerce, and the chair of the Lismore Business Panel.
She said the cost of painting bike lanes would be around $100 a metre for a 1.2 metre wide bike lane.
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