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Annexure B1
67 Coronga Crescent Killara NSW 2071 11 January 2008 The Manager Request for a meeting concerning four Cycling Blackspots in two national parks north of Sydney which have caused several bad accidents
Purpose of meeting is to - Background: Public mindset regarding the merits of cycling has changed materially even in the last 12 months, primarily due to Climate Change and an accelerating level of obesity. All levels of government are now extolling the merits of cycling. My name is Philip Johnston. I am a committed road cyclist who has organised gratis regular +100km Sunday recreational bicycle rides for over 12 years. I maintain 2 websites for ardent hill climbers: Sydney and the Illawarra are blessed with many beaut hills. The 2nd website above provides co-ordinates to over 60 of them to enable cyclists to log their climb times on an individual time trial basis. I recently retired from a career in infrastructure Project Development with Commonwealth Bank. I am not an advocate for dedicated cycle paths, unless robust patronage projections can justify the high cost. Sydney is equipped with hundreds of roads around its perimeter where cyclists can ride in relative safety, particularly early on Sundays.
Risk Warnings: I know several other bicycle ride organisers, amongst both recreational and cycle racing clubs and groups. From time to time, we discuss bicycle accidents in the same way that parachute instructors take a close interest in fatal parachute accidents. We refer to locations where a disproportionately high number of road cycle accidents occur as Blackspots. 4
Blackspots: Unfortunately, these Cycling Blackspots are located where novice, inexperienced cyclists are presently flocking to add recreational outdoor exercise to their lifestyle. Annexure B2 [2 pgs] provides details of these 4 Cycling Blackspots and some of the accidents which have occurred at each of them. In the same manner that ride organisers are required under law to warn ride participants of all obvious dangers, my fellow ride organisers and I consider that dedicated cyclist warning signs should be provided to warn of an imminent Cycling Blackspot, and thereby reduce the likelihood of further accidents of the severity noted in Annexure B2. We also consider that where feasible the cause of the danger should be eliminated or diminished. In the case of the 1st Cycling Blackspot in Annexure B2, the high incidence of serious accidents warrant the narrow road approaching West Head Lookout at Commodore Heights to also be widened by at least 2 metres on the RHS and banked at least 400mm on the LHS for a length of approx 100 metres which would materially assist cyclists to hold that section of the road, albeit the Dedicated “Cyclists Blackspot” Warning Sign should also materially mitigate the likelihood of further accidents such as suffered by Jhonnie Blampied. Finally, I am not seeking to achieve a precedent for a plethora of Dedicated “Cyclists Blackspot” Warning Signs which would mitigate the impact of warning signs and may encourage complacency and increase sign litter. There are a few other Cycling Blackspots on Sydney’s Northside which I would like to discuss with you. Road cycling is growing in popularity at a much greater rate than previously. Consequently there are more novice cyclists who are unaware of the dangers to life and limb associated with these Cycling Blackspots. NB: If you e-mail me scribepj@tpg.com.au and it will assist you consider this letter, I will e-mail you this letter which contains a few URLs. Yours faithfully Philip J. Johnston --------------------------------------------------
67 Coronga Crescent Killara NSW 2071 8 February 2008 The Manager Request for a meeting concerning four Cycling Blackspots in two national parks north of Sydney which have caused several bad accidents Purpose of
meeting is to - I refer to my enclosed letter to The Manager, Road Safety Sydney dated 11 January 2008 [2 pgs] which provided an Annexure B2 [2 pgs] which provided details of bicycle accidents at 4 Cycling Blackspots. I have embellished the enclosed Annexure to include details of a further bicycle accident at the West Head Cycling Blackspot where Cathy Shelley broke her collarbone in 2004. It is the same Cycling Blackspot that Jhonnie Blampied suffered a sickening accident because he had no warning of the patent danger. I look
forward to meeting with you concerning my request to - Yours faithfully Philip J. Johnston --------------------------------------------------
67 Coronga Crescent Killara NSW 2071 29 March 2008 The Manager Request for a meeting concerning four Blackspots in two national parks north of Sydney which have caused several bad accidents Purpose of
meeting is to - I refer to my – (i) enclosed letter to The Manager, Road Safety Sydney dated 11 January 2008 [2 pgs] which provided an Annexure [2 pgs] which provided details of bicycle accidents at 4 Cycling Blackspot explained therein; and (ii) follow-up letter dated 8 February 2008. Please acknowledge receipt of my afore-referenced letters. Yours faithfully
Philip J. Johnston |
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