Community acts over bike lanes

Community acts over bike lanes

By Gus Gulson

SYDNEY — On the morning of August 14, three men dressed in overalls and orange safety vests, and carrying paint, brushes, witches hats and road safety barriers, started work on Abercrombie Street in Chippendale.

Road works take place every day of the week. These were not council or RTA workers, however, but members of the Ministry of Spontaneous Bike Lanes.

The action resulted from a discussion two days earlier about cycling in Sydney and in particular the very unsafe route from Newtown to the central business district.

There are plenty of council bike plans around, but they take a long time to get done and, even when completed, are often inadequate. Fed up with waiting while being exposed to danger every day, local cyclists formed the ministry and took action.

The newly painted bike lane is designated by a dotted (if somewhat wonky) line and a stencil of a bicycle. Just as the painting was finished, the police turned up. After some discussion and a recommendation to "go through the proper channels in future", they departed without charges being laid.

The ministry hopes to update its road-painting equipment and technique and to continue to target unsafe roads.

From GLW issue 243