How Much????????

Later edit: Well, never mind nearly half a million dollars being spent on green paint. I expect it was City of Boroondara that perpetrated this outrage of reversal of law. Maybe it was Vic Roads. I am only guessing. A mobile solar powered electric sign went up recently saying something along the lines in normal display, Cyclists avoid car doors, and in the alternating huge green display, Ride on the green. Can you imagine what is said to the first cyclist who complains to a car driver who opened a car door in front of him or her? 'Mate, the sign back there says you should ride on the green. If you did as the sign said, there would not be a problem. It is your fault.' This is so much sending the wrong message. It is the driver's responsibility to not open a car door in front of a cyclist, not the cyclist's responsibility to place him or herself in a position on the road to avoid opening doors. Of course a prudent cyclist will keep clear of car doors, but it should not be necessary. This is a very bad sign and very much sends the wrong message. If this happened in Netherlands or Sweden, governments would fall.

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I was in Glenferrie Road Hawthorn last week. The State Government has funded a special bike lane treatment. Along this stretch of road a cyclist was doored by a stupid and careless car driver who opened her car door as he was riding past. She knocked him into the path of truck which ran over and killed him.

Photo by Sharon Ho.

The bike lanes consists of white paint and green textured paint along the length of Glenferrie Road from Burwood Road to Barkers Road, a distance I suggest of less than one kilometre. I don't like the way the cyclist who is supposed to be on the green marked area is 'told' to give a wide berth to parked cars. No, the onus is on the car driver to not open a car door in front of a cyclist, not the cyclist to give a wide berth to cars. The yellow lines are the tram clearance lines and look how close the cyclist would be to a passing tram. Still, if it saves lives, good.Who knows what the short thin with line and the fatter one between the bike lane and the tram tracks are for and if you can't tell by looking, then that is a fail too.

What I was gobsmacked by were VicRoads signs proudly saying who was responsible for the project and that it cost $431,000. What? Nearly half a million dollars for some paint on the road? Unbelievable. Yes, there was planning work no doubt and various other costs but so much money just to do that?