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21-05-2007, 07:42pm
Hi all,
I know Iâ€m not well known for my seriousness but I have a proposition to put to the group as a whole.
I have recently taken it upon myself to “make a difference†to one of my favorite stretches of road. Over the past four years I have been witness to the gradual decline in the quality of the road surface, the maintenance of the shoulders (unsurfaced shoulders), and the control of roadside vegetation. On top of this there has been a motorcycle fatality two years ago (a young rider hit and killed by a vehicle on the wrong side of the road in a corner), a serious motorcycle collision with an on-coming car (admittedly it was from all accounts the riders fault yet there was no way the car could have avoided the collision due to the lack of clearance and shoulder on the road) and another recent crash where a bike lost rear wheel traction (from what we can gather due to poor road surface in that corner). Not to forget about numerous looses and minor crashes of bikes that have gone unreported to police. For example, every motoGP that has happened since I have lived here, the Monday after the race weekend I find at minimum of two sets of slide marks leading off different corners to damage in the trees and pieces of bikes left on the side of the road.
Ready for the clincher? The road is only (according to Vicroads) 8.2 kilometers in length. The road I refer to is the Bunarong Coastal road, also know as, Bunarong Coastal Drive, aka, Bunarong Road, that follows the cliff top between Cape Paterson and Inverloch in South Gippsland, a half hours drive East of Phillip Island.
After making some casual enquires at the local council I was informed that the road was a VicRoads issue. Vicroads than informed me that it was a Parks Victoria issue as the road runs though a Marine National Park and of course they claim it is a council problem. So I set out to establish liability and found some fantastic stuff.
Your gunna love this. On the 14/2/2004 as a part of the Motorcycle Safety Levy Black Spot Program, Bunarong road as a black spot was dealt with. The problem/deficiency as outlined in the table of recognized black spots stated; Curved alignment with unseal shoulders and inconsistent delineation. Some hazardous culverts at Surf Pde. (For your information Surf Parade corner is within 300 meters of the Eastern end of the 8.2 km stretch.) I continue to quote the table; Treatment, Improve delineation (include curve markers, speed advisory signs and linemarking) along length, culvert extension and safety barrier at Surfe Pde.
Whatâ€d it cost you ask??? To do what they say they did. Would you believe they have stated $64,000. Yeah the corner at Surf Pde is great, but itâ€s only one ruddy corner outa heaps that were/are in worse condition and in more vital locations. Plus, if you read the rest of the table you will find as I did that less was spent in other places and far more achieved.
Here is the deal. The road gets heaps of use, itâ€s advertised in the tourist info for the area as a fantastic coastal drive with great views and a major tourist attraction (Eagles Nest, south Gippslands poor equivalent to the 12 apostils). It is a regular ride for push bikers especially over summer and it is DANGEROUS for everybody not just us.
The condition of the road.
At present, there is no recognizable shoulder on either side of the road for at least 95% of its length. The surface is shinning over in places from buses, transports and car use. The local native vegetation is growing so close to the road that it is visibly being pruned by vehicles as they pass by. The vegetation is so overgrown that what would be considered safe corners are now blind corners and where car parks are off to the side of the road there is no visibility for vehicles wishing to pull out and rejoin the road. Pushbikes have no other option but to ride in the lane to avoid the trees and stay off soft sand edges and poorly maintained culverts that are within a meter of the lane in places.
Ok so you have read all this and you now ask whatâ€s he going on about?
Letâ€s do something. If you have a favorite road near you that you can see needs some repairs speak out. See if itâ€s listed as a blackspot under the Motorcycle Safety Levy scheme. Find out who is responsible for its condition, and front them. If not for yourself, or other motorcyclist, do it for the sake that your voice might save a life! Even if itâ€s a cage driver, we canâ€t, as responsible road users see these problems and do nothing. I have gathered all the information, (Black spot reports, Council documentation outlining VicRoads responsibility and the agreement with Parks Victoria for the maintenance of the road, maps, tourist broachers that advertise the road and police figures on accidents on the road) needed to support my case for action, all acquired in less than two hours. Iâ€m ready and GOING to act.
Why else have I posted this here?
If nobody has issue with it I would like to attach the “Australian Hayabusa Club†name to this endeavor, along with the Primary School that I work at and numerous other organizations and individuals that have shown support for my action.
Let me know if this is ok as soon as possible before I approach those who NEED to be told.
Thank you for reading all of this and I hope that it has inspired at least one other to think similarly.
Your friend
Geoff.
I know Iâ€m not well known for my seriousness but I have a proposition to put to the group as a whole.
I have recently taken it upon myself to “make a difference†to one of my favorite stretches of road. Over the past four years I have been witness to the gradual decline in the quality of the road surface, the maintenance of the shoulders (unsurfaced shoulders), and the control of roadside vegetation. On top of this there has been a motorcycle fatality two years ago (a young rider hit and killed by a vehicle on the wrong side of the road in a corner), a serious motorcycle collision with an on-coming car (admittedly it was from all accounts the riders fault yet there was no way the car could have avoided the collision due to the lack of clearance and shoulder on the road) and another recent crash where a bike lost rear wheel traction (from what we can gather due to poor road surface in that corner). Not to forget about numerous looses and minor crashes of bikes that have gone unreported to police. For example, every motoGP that has happened since I have lived here, the Monday after the race weekend I find at minimum of two sets of slide marks leading off different corners to damage in the trees and pieces of bikes left on the side of the road.
Ready for the clincher? The road is only (according to Vicroads) 8.2 kilometers in length. The road I refer to is the Bunarong Coastal road, also know as, Bunarong Coastal Drive, aka, Bunarong Road, that follows the cliff top between Cape Paterson and Inverloch in South Gippsland, a half hours drive East of Phillip Island.
After making some casual enquires at the local council I was informed that the road was a VicRoads issue. Vicroads than informed me that it was a Parks Victoria issue as the road runs though a Marine National Park and of course they claim it is a council problem. So I set out to establish liability and found some fantastic stuff.
Your gunna love this. On the 14/2/2004 as a part of the Motorcycle Safety Levy Black Spot Program, Bunarong road as a black spot was dealt with. The problem/deficiency as outlined in the table of recognized black spots stated; Curved alignment with unseal shoulders and inconsistent delineation. Some hazardous culverts at Surf Pde. (For your information Surf Parade corner is within 300 meters of the Eastern end of the 8.2 km stretch.) I continue to quote the table; Treatment, Improve delineation (include curve markers, speed advisory signs and linemarking) along length, culvert extension and safety barrier at Surfe Pde.
Whatâ€d it cost you ask??? To do what they say they did. Would you believe they have stated $64,000. Yeah the corner at Surf Pde is great, but itâ€s only one ruddy corner outa heaps that were/are in worse condition and in more vital locations. Plus, if you read the rest of the table you will find as I did that less was spent in other places and far more achieved.
Here is the deal. The road gets heaps of use, itâ€s advertised in the tourist info for the area as a fantastic coastal drive with great views and a major tourist attraction (Eagles Nest, south Gippslands poor equivalent to the 12 apostils). It is a regular ride for push bikers especially over summer and it is DANGEROUS for everybody not just us.
The condition of the road.
At present, there is no recognizable shoulder on either side of the road for at least 95% of its length. The surface is shinning over in places from buses, transports and car use. The local native vegetation is growing so close to the road that it is visibly being pruned by vehicles as they pass by. The vegetation is so overgrown that what would be considered safe corners are now blind corners and where car parks are off to the side of the road there is no visibility for vehicles wishing to pull out and rejoin the road. Pushbikes have no other option but to ride in the lane to avoid the trees and stay off soft sand edges and poorly maintained culverts that are within a meter of the lane in places.
Ok so you have read all this and you now ask whatâ€s he going on about?
Letâ€s do something. If you have a favorite road near you that you can see needs some repairs speak out. See if itâ€s listed as a blackspot under the Motorcycle Safety Levy scheme. Find out who is responsible for its condition, and front them. If not for yourself, or other motorcyclist, do it for the sake that your voice might save a life! Even if itâ€s a cage driver, we canâ€t, as responsible road users see these problems and do nothing. I have gathered all the information, (Black spot reports, Council documentation outlining VicRoads responsibility and the agreement with Parks Victoria for the maintenance of the road, maps, tourist broachers that advertise the road and police figures on accidents on the road) needed to support my case for action, all acquired in less than two hours. Iâ€m ready and GOING to act.
Why else have I posted this here?
If nobody has issue with it I would like to attach the “Australian Hayabusa Club†name to this endeavor, along with the Primary School that I work at and numerous other organizations and individuals that have shown support for my action.
Let me know if this is ok as soon as possible before I approach those who NEED to be told.
Thank you for reading all of this and I hope that it has inspired at least one other to think similarly.
Your friend
Geoff.
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