Advocates split over NSW government's changes to cycling laws

CyclingadvocatesaresplitoverNSWroadsministerDuncanGay’schanges,withdisappointmentinsomequartersatthegovernment’spunitiveapproach“sweetened”byminorimprovementstosafety.

ThenewlawswillrequirecycliststocarryIDandfinesforinfringements,suchasfailingtostopatredlightsorpedestriancrossings,willrisetoupto$425.ThelawscomeintoeffectinMarch.

Aminimumone-metreclearancezoneformotoristsovertakingridersontheroadwillalsobeintroduced.TheAmyGillettFoundation(AGF),whichhascalledforallstatesandterritoriestoadoptclearancezonesthroughits“metrematters”campaign,hasapplaudedtheNSWgovernment’sdecision.

“Oneofthereasonwhyametremattersisweknowwe’renotgoingtogetinfrastructure[likededicatedcyclelanes]oneverystreet,it’sjustnotpossible,”PhoebeDunn,AGF’sCEOsaid.

“Itgivesthemavirtualspace,avirtualsafetyzone,”shesaid.“Thisisaveryeasychangetomakeforgovernments...itcostsverylittlecomparedtoothermeasures.”

“That’sforeverycyclist,notjustthe‘lycrabrigade’.”

Dunnsaidthatone-metreclearancezonesinotherstates,Queenslandinparticular,hadproducedgoodoutcomesforsafetyandachangeinattitudeamongriders,motoristsandthepolice.

However,OmarKhalifa,aformerheadofBicyclesNSWandafounderoftheCyclists’party,saystheminister’sapproachwas“cynical”.Thegovernmenthadofferedtheone-metreclearancezoneasa“sweetener”,hesaid,whilegivingreinto“theAustraliantendencytoregulatepeopleintosubmissioninsteadofactuallyaddressingsomeoftherootcauseproblems”.

Anyreformsshouldaimatgettingmorecyclistsontheroad,Khalifasaid,andhedisagreedthatthemetrerulewasitselfsignificant.

“Ifwe’vejustgottenthisonething...thennoit’snotnearlyenough,”hesaid.

Lowratesofchildrencycling,safetyforcasualridersandcommuters,andthepotentialforsteeperfinestobe“devastating”forlow-incomeridersovershadowedthesafetyimprovement,Khalifasaid.

“[TheNSWGovernment]wouldhavecalculatedthatpeopleliketheAGFwouldcomeinpositively[ontheone-metreclearancezone],andwouldsplitthecyclingcommunity:‘That’sgood,forgettherest’.”

WhileKhalifasaysherespectstheworktheAGFhasdoneinsafety,hesaysthecyclingcommunitydoesn’tspeakwithonevoice,thechanges“maybehelpingtoaccommodatethosepeoplewhoarealreadycyclingbutit’snotchangingthefundamentalsforpeoplewhoarenotalreadycycling”.

TheAGF’schairman,conservativepollsterMarkTextor,saidinastatementhewas“delightedwiththeminister’sdecisiontointroducethetrialanditcapsoffabreakthroughyear”forhisorganisation.

ChrisRissel,aprofessorofpublichealthattheUniversityofSydneysaidtheAGFhadbeenquiteeffectiveinpushingasingle-focusmessage,buthewarnedtherealproblemwastheminister’sownintransigenceoncycling.

RisselsaidtheenvironmentforcyclistsinNSWwas“inadownwardcycle”.

Earlierthisyear,Gaycalledhimself“thebiggestbike-lanescepticinthegovernment”anddescribedinner-citySydneysidersas“anti-roadszealots”.

Theminister’stermwaslikea“nuclearwinter”forcyclists,Risselsaid.

TheNSWgovernment’schangesfollowacampaignbyNewsCorpandtalkbackradioagainsttheCityofSydney’sbuildingofbikelanes,whichculminatedinareviewandtheremovalofthelaneonCollegeStreet.

TheBicycleNetwork’sCEO,CraigRichard,alsohadalowopinionofthereforms,sayingtheycouldbe“thetipoftheiceberg”.

“Thegreatriskisthathavingstarted,itcouldgofurther.They’vebeentalkingaboutalsointroducingcompulsorythird-partyinsuranceforbikeriders...whoknowswhat’scomingnext,it’sscary.”

ButtheAGF’sDunncalledthenewlawsa“positivestep”andcommentedonherorganisation’s“verypositiveworkingrelationshipwiththeNSWgovernment”.