Bellarine Times Apr 20

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Bellarine Times

Tuesday 20 April 2010

VOL 3. No 16

www.bellarinetimes.com.au

FREE WEEKLY

Wallington Primary School Preps, Meridien and Jack, were invited on a tour of their new multi-purpose room, arts centre and kitchen/canteen/dining space, funded through the Federal Government’s Building the Education Revolution programme. Joining them on the tour were Wallington principal, Julie Burley, Member for Corangamite, Darren Cheeseman, and representatives of construction contractor, Rendine, Lee Whillance and Maurice Delvecchio. Turn to Your Education on Page 13 for more school improvement news. Photo: ALISON MARTIN

SAFE ROADS? Poor state of Bellarine roads highlighted by audit which has identified 400 hazards

BY ALISON MARTIN CYCLISTS are questioning the safety of Bellarine roads after an audit revealed an alarming 400 local hazards. With the Bellarine being earmarked as a key training venue for the world’s best cyclists, who will converge on the region for the UCI Championships later this year, the state of local roads remains a major concern. Road conditions, coupled with road user behaviour, has cyclists calling for action in the wake of two cycling fatalities and many accidents in the Bellarine-Surf Coast region over the past 12 months. Local cyclists have launched their own Bike Safe initiative to promote positive ideas to make the roads safer, as well as carrying out an audit of roads in the region. Bike Safe committee member and Ocean Grove

Surf Forecast

cyclist, Steve Draper, said one aim of the campaign was to stimulate urgently needed infrastructure maintenance and physical changes so cyclists could share the road with motorists safely. “We really need to address some serious concerns about the safety of our roads,” he said. “This not only affects recreational and sporting event cyclists but also other major cycling events, commuters and children being encouraged to ride to school.” Draper said the UCI Championships would require professionals to train on the Bellarine, where many roads had hazards threatening the safety of cyclists and motorists. The Bike Safe group identified some key roads used by cyclists that do not have bike lanes or shoulders and labelled them “extremely hazardous”. “These include 13th Beach Road, Horseshoe Bend Road, Mt Duneed Road/Lower Duneed Road,

Murradoc Road, Portarlington-Queenscliff Road, Blackgate Road, Bluestone School Road, Shell Road, Moolap Station Road and Coombs/Hendy Main Road,” Draper said. “Bike Safe is calling for infrastructure to be improved to keep up with the growth in our region and bike lanes to be built at least on these roads. “There are many other dangerous roads but the group recognises there have to be priorities. “The second type of regional roads used are those with bike lanes or shoulders, which according to the VicRoads standards should be 2.5 metres wide for 100km/h zones; two metres wide for 80km/h; and 1.5 metres wide for 60km/h zones. “They should also be appropriately signed and maintained but considering that criteria, there are only a few bike lanes that conform to the standards in our region.” Draper said the Bike Safe group had also sent

teams of cyclists to audit some of the well-known regional roads with bike lanes or shoulders. The cyclists took photos and identified the hazards, including loose gravel, debris, glass, potholes, overgrown trees, lane narrowing and unfinished, poor edges breaking away and no signs. They rated each hazard from one, indicating it needed work, to five, which was considered potentially life threatening. “Disturbingly, there are already 398 hazards identified, with 249 rated between three and five. This report is being forwarded to VicRoads,” Draper said. Bike Safe has also raised concerns with large rides held in the region, including the Great Ocean and Otway Classic Ride involving 3,500 riders; Great Ocean Road Victorian Bike Ride with 5,000 riders; Round the Bay in a Day involving 10,000 riders; and Amy Gillet ride with 2,500 riders.

WED 1-2ft inconsistent, WSW 22° THU 1-2ft building, NNW 23° FRI 3-4ft WNW lumpy 19° SAT 2-3ft+ building WSW 18°

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