Boroondara Bicycle Users Group has submitted the following serious safety concerns to the Surrey Hills Level Crossing Removal Project and local MPs Paul Hamer (Box Hill) and John Pesutto (Hawthorn).
These relate to recently released artist’s drawings of infrastructure for the Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail that is being built by the LXRP.
Collision risks at shared path crossing at Union Road and in Sunbury crescent
Drawing 11 shows a sight screen erected around the trench at the corner of Union Road and Sunbury Crescent. This will create a hazard for pedestrians and bike riders – a bike rider travelling east will not see a pedestrian walking north out from behind the barrier and vice versa. Collisions between bike riders and walkers and injuries are likely to result.
Collision risks with vehicles where shared path joins Sunbury Crescent
In addition, the shared path ends and joins Sunbury Crescent opposite the truck and car access to the Coles Local Supermarket pictured below. There will be a high risk of collision between bikes, trucks and cars at this location.
We request the shared path be extended along Sunbury Crescent to improve safety for bike riders and walkers.
Collision risks at shared path in Mont Albert Plaza
Drawing 4 shows a similar sight screen blocking visibility where pedestrians cross the shared path from the Mont Albert plaza. This will create a hazard for pedestrians and bike riders with collisions between bike riders and walkers and injuries likely to result.
We request that this safety risk be addressed by modifying the design to allow line of sight between bike riders and pedestrians at this location.
Could you please raise our concerns with the Surrey Hills Level Crossing Removal Project, Melissa Horne, Minister for Roads and Road Safety and Jacinta Allen, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure?
Yours faithfully,
Peter Campbell, Secretary, Boroondara Bicycle Users Group
2 replies on “Dangerous designs on Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert”
Peter I 100% support a bicycle path. There’s needs to be a good route for cyclists. Sunbury crescent is a disaster for a bike path – sheet concrete walls at the bottom end now give cyclists no where to go and a very tight road that has narrowed over these works mean that this not the right place for a bike path ending a Robinson where there are been 2 people hit during the train works. There’s got to be better way to do this. Sunbury is not a good option.
Surely we can get some better outcomes that a lane down a narrowed street that has trucks entering and cara racing through.
Sunbury Crescent is narrow and one lane wide at best when cars are parked in the street. Surely logic dictates that a safer pathway be identified to protect residents, pedestrians, motorists and cyclists. There is also no logical or safe continuation once Robinson Road is reached. Keen to see a more suitable solution proposed!