Frankly I don’t care where you ride or how many reasons you have for demanding more and more road space that you won’t have to pay for.

However I do care about are the numbers of bike riders on the pavements, I do care about the bike riders who use pedestrian crossings. I care about the bike riders who ignore traffic lights, I care about the number of bike riders who don’t give hand signals, I care about the bike riders who think my car is something to lean on when I stop at traffic lights.  I also care about bike riders who have no idea what lights are used for even in the dark. 

Oh and yes I care that I have to pay to drive on the roads and pay insurance and you don’t so is there any wonder why so many drivers and pedestrians don’t care where you ride as so many of your mates don’t give a toss about anybody but themselves.

I am not sure why there is often such a strong reaction to people on bikes - they come in all shapes and sizes, are grandchildren and even grandmothers, and anything in between.
The point I am trying to make is that there has been actually very little spend on bike infrastructure in Tasmania’s capital city, bucking current trends and wisdom seen just about everywhere else.
Perhaps if thought is provided to improve safety, by linked bike lanes across Greater Hobart, there would be more consideration by all road users, cyclists included.
And by the way, it is legal to ride on footpaths in Tas apart from areas with specific by-laws.

Oh dear dave!  Thanks for that gem of a post!

“road space that you won’t have to pay for”

1) You do realise that your precious cars registration contributes 1/10th of f-all to road building and maintenance, right? (and that most cyclists have cars and pay rego anyway)

2) I care about drivers who ignore basic road rules, I care about the number of drivers who don’t use their indicators, I care about the car drivers who think my car is something they can bump and scrape against in the car park, I care about the car drivers who open their doors and change lanes without looking properly first,  I care about hit and run drivers,  I also care about car drivers who have no idea what brakes are used for even in the dark.

3) So is there any wonder why so many cyclists think that so many of your mates don’t give a toss about anybody but themselves?

4) With all that said..I’m not stupid enough to think that just because you behave like a twat while driving your pink polka dot car, that that means everyone else that drives a pink polka dot car behaves like a twat on the road.

Actually Dave road troll I can’t be bothered pointing out the numerous factual and logical whoopsies that you flung out among the projectile spittle.
Thank you Helen for this contribution. Bicycle infrastructure around Hobart is sparse and disconnected and there are many worthy areas of investment. Bring it on!

Cycle facilities around the city and outskirts are satisfactory given the proportion of cyclists when compared with those of us who prefer to utilise other modes of transport.

The city urgently needs a road bypass behind the city in order to move increasing volumes of traffic at daily peak hours, especially for those regulars in cars, trucks and delivery vans as well as for welcoming visitors and new settlers to Kingborough, huon Channell and Bruni.

A modern road engineering example of global excellence would become an important feature for Hobart. A Highway link from the Southern Outlet to the Western suburbs is essential to remove and pacify traffic usage onto the Southern Outlet. The Davey/ Macquarie St link the city approaches to the Tasman Bridge and the increasingly dangerous and narrow Brooker Highway must be a priority for the State Government, DEIR in conjunction with the local councils, bringing into line acceptable road infrastructure.

Without constructive thinking planning for the expansion of the liveability of modern Hobart the city will remain with its outdated attitudes towards road infrastructure indefinitely.

‘Those of us who prefer to utilise other modes of transport’ can go sniff petrol because that’s not the point of this article. Bicycle facilities are manifestly inadequate and have been for some time. Why not 1km of new cycleway per thousand of population per year? That sounds reasonable. Please. For all of us, even the lazy cynics hiding in their 4 wheels.

Thanks Helen for your article. I get a lot of people saying to me ‘I used to ride everywhere in Canberra/Townsville/Melbourne [name a mainland city], but it’s too dangerous in Tasmanian towns so I drive’. There doesn’t need to be much of a decrease in traffic volume before the roads feel very much less cluttered. We can build highways to cope with increasing demand, but we should also think about reducing demand in the first place. If you haven’t see this TED talk about reducing congestion, definitely worth a look:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jonas_eliasson_how_to_solve_traffic_jams.html

Could someone please explain to me why cyclists or at least some cyclists believe that they have the right to their own sections of road? They have access, in Tasmania, to the pavement and the road so which bit will they give up for their own bits of road I wonder? 

I for one would like to think t might be the pavement and that they might leave that for pedestrians. 

By the way I don’t own a four wheel drive (#6) I own a nine year old Toyota hatch back.  And for the record I’m not even against cyclists I just want some of you to take greater responsibility for your actions, some a minority to obey the law and the highway code and to stop assuming that because you are fit and able to ride a non polluting bike that you are in some way morally superior to those who can’t or chose not to.

As to the two cyclists who were seen in North Hobart two days ago one on the who was riding on the pavement with a baby strapped to her back holding a conversation with her friend who was peddling along on the road the latter was seen to avoid two red lights by swerving onto the pavement it’s people like you I am taking about.

#7 Emma Pharo,  I too thank Helen for the article. least I stressed the need for a city bypass #5. As time passes unless the future city fathers dont bother to address this issue first of all it is pointless to promote cycling to the extent that it attempts to push motorists sideways.
At present the balance is generally reasonable.
Sorry about the SBR cycle plan, it would mess up traffic flow, routine and parking.
I am all for Ald Jeff Briscoe’s BP waterfront cycle /walking path, cost is an issue, I reckon bite the bullet, fund it and build it.
Really silly for Hobart for not having a waterfront path, I cannot see any problems linking it through Salamanca /IXL to the Tasman Bridge/Western suburbs paths! Can either you or Helen forsee any problems?
Back to Jeff’s BP baby, completion would give the city an extra tick by Lonely Planet, a bit more encouragement for city cycle hire to budget travellers perhaps.  A great benefit to Uni students, visitors and families out after work and weekends.

@#7 Emma; I have heard similar. 

I do not believe the problem lies within the Hobart City Council area - it is the outlying areas such as the road between Old Beach & Risdon Vale or Lauderdale & Rokeby that are the biggest problems in my opinion (and dare I mention it… the Tasman Bridge)

#8 Dave says: “Could someone please explain to me why cyclists or at least some cyclists believe that they have the right to their own sections of road?”

= For the same reason that motorists or at least some motorists believe that they have the right to their own sections of road…?

#10 ” For the same reason that motorists or at least some motorists believe that they have the right to their own sections of road”. I now look forward to the day when your bikes are taxed, tested and every cyclist carries a licence plus compulsory third party insurance and before someone screams that they already do pay for their cars you can’t have two bites at the same cherry.  And I ask why do you need access to the pavement, the road and your own cycle lanes?  Isn’t it time you at least gave up riding on the pavement or are you simply too greedy?

Dave,Cyclists are allowed on the pavements as long as they have a bell.Sorry to say that you sound like the architypal intolerant Antipodean motor car driver.Do you feel threatened by the possibility that cyclistd may invade your fumed world and take away ten bobs worth of precious road space?
Try being a bit more tolerant and giving.None of this stuff is going to happen anyway.