Cyclist sounds safety alarm
A LEADING cycling advocate is calling for urgent funding for infrastructure improvements to Thirteenth Beach Rd before there is a fatality.
Former Bike Safe Geelong president Barton Van Laar said the road was a “cycling hazard”, particularly in summer.
The Barwon Heads road is part of the course for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race but has no shoulders, which means cyclists must ride on the road.
“When there are cyclists coming both ways and a car is trying to get through it is dangerous,” Mr Van Laar said.
“Impatience by vehicles on that road does cause problems.”
The cyclist said that “at the very least” the road should have shoulders to the Barwon Heads 13th Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
Yellow bike symbols and road edge lines preventing parking were painted on Thirteenth Beach Rd after a cyclist was hit by a car in a 2015 road rage incident.
Mr Van Laar said he feared there could be a fatality if safety improvements were not enacted.
“The road is so narrow it is impossible for vehicles to give cyclists a metre space if there are cyclists coming both ways,” he said. “It’s not always the fault of motorists, sometimes 1 Randomly hoarse on the
beach 2 Fumes from the station master are all right, to a point 3 An essential vessel uses a taro they are frustrated because of the poor infrastructure.”
He said he believed the road was “generally safe” for cyclists who rode in a group, but not for those who cycled alone.
Council city services director Guy Wilson-Browne said the council was not considering installing shoulders or bike lanes “due to sensitivities around the sand dunes and important native flora and fauna environments”, but did have some safety concerns.
“Given high volume of cyclists that travel along on Thirteenth Beach Rd, we do have some concerns about the mix of traffic on this road, as well as the limited line of sight for drivers,” Mr WilsonBrowne said.
He said the road was being considered as part of the council’s shared trail master plan, which is currently open for feedback until August 31.
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