Do we need a rethink on footpaths

[esayaf]

I think we do. Normal footpaths are no longer adequate for the way in which they are being used now.
What with those mobility scooters and with South Australia letting bicycles on them too.
They are no longer wide enough

[bluecat*dancing]

We don't even have a footpath just an uneven nature strip which makes it impossible for those with prams and mobility scooters to use, forcing them onto the road which, thanks to ongoing property developments, are becoming busier and busier with more more cars.

[***super_nova***]

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@imastawka wrote:

They speed along and don't care

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I am sure they do care, if cyclist hits you they will also hit the ground.  The thing is around here hardly anybody walks on the footpath, most people drive, so footpaths are underutilised, and they are now "dual purpose".

I used to ride a bike until quite recently, so I can look at the problem from the other side.  I used to use the bell and got abused for that too  LOL.  I did not ring the bell expecting people to move out of my way, I just wanted them be aware of me 

Last winter, one particularly freezing and windy day, I came to our little shopping strip, I parked around the corner and as I walked out on the main street, I was confronted by frightening sight; 1/2  dozen oldies on their scooters, hunched over the handlebars, racing down towards me at top speed!  LOL

There were no other pedestrians  and I felt quite intimidated  🙂

[imastawka]

I am sure they do care, if cyclist hits you they will also hit the ground.

The don't have to actually hit you - just scare the living daylights

out of you and put you off balance, and then you hit the deck.

That's what happened to next door, she tried to jump out of the way

of the flying cyclist, and fell.

And at night?    No lights, no helmets.  How do you report that?

Seriously gunna use my stick one day.     Straight into the spokes  

[digupatin]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

I am sure they do care, if cyclist hits you they will also hit the ground. 

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The last one who hit me didn't care, I could tell by the stream of obscenities I received, and unfortunately he didn't hit the ground, just putting his feet down to steady himself.

If he'd hit the ground there's a good chance that I would have 'accidentailly'  done something that I may have/or not, regretted later;)

[***super_nova***]

If he did not fall over he could not have been going too fast then.  The thing is, when on shared footpath pedestrians need to be aware of what is happening around them, and cyclists need to slow down and not ride too lose to pedestrians.  When walking out of a gate people need to look for cyclists, just like when we reverse out of our drive way we look for pedestrians and traffic.  The footpath does not belong to any one group of users and everybody ha a responsibility for their own safety as well as safety of other user.  The same on the road.

[imastawka]

You sound like my Council.    All   and not real life at all.

All very well to say cyclists should.......but cyclists don't IMO

I look before stepping out my gate, but it doesn't help when they fly around

the bend with their MAMIL suits on!  They're also supposed to give way

to cars before crossing the road, but they don't

It should slow them down, but it doesn't

Of course I look,  d'ya think I want to get hurt?

I can only walk slowly with a cane - they ride at 20kph at least!

Maybe some tacks on the footpath?    

[digupatin]

Have these on me imastawka 🙂

[wise-words]

Do the laws differ in different States? In South Australia, the cops will come after you for cycling on a footpath and even more so if not wearing a stack hat while cycling on footpath and they really will put the fear of God into you.

Now I'm in Melbourne it seems anything goes! Everyone cycles on the footpath and often without a stack hat and at school going home time, you simply can't walk on the footpath at all for all the school kids cycling on it. I guess it's got something to do with our terrible crazy un-safe over crowded roads? I once had a truck drive past me so close that even though I was cycling right in the gutter as near to the kerb as I could be, the truck took the skin off my hand and knocked me over with multiple injuries resulting!!

TOO many cars/trucks on the roads basically. For example if you go to a quiet little place with not much traffic you will see happy cyclists on roads not footpaths.....

Oldies on scooters are the worse as they totally ignore you and yell abuse if you don't get out of their way!!

With so may people and the population set to rise massively over the next few years, main roads will be ridiculous, as will public transport, and perhaps cyclists chosing footpaths will cause so many problems for pedestrians it will eventually move the transport dept. & governments to do what they already do everywhere else in the Western world - build huge ring roads for all heavy traffic where it is simply diverted AROUND suburbs, city centres, small villages and towns instead of going THROUGH,  keeping the roads safer and less polluted? This would solve the problem for nervous cyclists and as for scooters & skate-boarders no doubt that won't change until they cause enough injuries to attract the attention needed for a solution to be found...

[the_great_she_elephant]

It's really all about good manners. Mr Elephant and I have ebikes, we ride them on dual use pathways and I can honestly say we have never had or caused any problems. People coming towards us are always happy to move aside to give us room, if we see walkers in front of us we ring our bells to let them know we are behind them and invariably they too are happy to move aside and let us through ; we call out a cheery "thank you" as we pass them and are almost always met with a  wave and "you're welcome." The only minor problem we've ever had is with joggers plugged into  ipods who simply don't hear our bells - in which case we just slow down until either the path widens, they turn off, or they bcome aware of us.

[bright.ton42]

These are the rules in Victoria ..

You can ride on a footpath if you:

• are a child under the age of 12 
• are an adult supervising a child under the age of 12 
• have been given and are following the conditions on a medical certificate that says you have a disability that makes it difficult for you to ride on the road. You must be able to show the certificate to a police officer or authorised person when asked.

Bike riders must keep to the left on footpaths and shared paths, unless impractical to do so. 
Bike riders must give way to pedestrians on shared paths or footpaths (see above for restrictions regarding bike riding on footpaths).

Are they followed?   NO.   They zoom along, usually young hoons, without regard to anyone or anything.  I usually walk two dogs around here and have to keep looking over my shoulder  If i see them coming towards me that's one thing, but it's the ones who come from behind that are so dangerous, the ones that weave in and out. .