400 call for bike lanes

Alex de Vos
About 400 people have signed a petition to build a bike path on a busy road in Torquay.
Cyclist Kenny McMahon, who conducted the survey along Horseshoe Bend Road last weekend, said the response was overwhelming.
“We spoke to a lot of people, motorists as well as well cyclists, and they’re all in favour of a bike lane,” Mr McMahon said.
“They believe it’s a really necessary project.”
The push reignites a community drive for cycling lanes on the road after a failure two years ago to convince Vicroads to carry out the upgrade.
The two-lane road has grown increasingly busy in recent years with the growth of residential estates either side.
Cyclists, commuters leaving town and workers heading to Torquay building projects jostle for position on the road most mornings and after work on weekdays.
Large groups of cyclists use the road on weekends with motorists.
Mr McMahon said he feared for his life cycling along Horseshoe Bend Road.
“I ride along the road about three times a week and I’m concerned for my own safety,” he said.
“Some of the motorists are frightened of hitting cyclists – it’s very dangerous.”
Veteran Torquay cyclist John Randall welcomed Mr McMahon’s push for a bike lane.
“That road is used a lot by cyclists and there is no provision for a cycling track,” Mr Randall said.
Geelong Cycle Club’s Shaun Gilbert praised Mr McMahon’s petition but believed the issue was “bigger than a bike path”.
“If you ride down Horseshoe Bend Road you can see there is no room because of the verge, the power lines and the trees – it would need some major work done.”
But Mr Gilbert was “confident” authorities would address cyclists’ concerns “in the future”.
“It’s a major thoroughfare and it would certainly be advantageous if there was an extra shoulder on the road,” he said.
“I have no doubt it would be considered by government and local council – it’s a worthy cause.”
In 2008 the Independent revealed Vicroads had rejected an application to build a bike path along Horseshoe Bend Road.
The decision outraged cyclists who warned the road was a fatal accident waiting to happen.
Vicroads regional director revealed the roads authority had knocked back the Surf Coast application because the project was not a “high priority”.
“Projects that form part of the principal bicycle network in the metropolitan area or priority bicycle routes in major cities and towns in regional Victoria are given high priority,” the regional director said.