Location based detailed comments

Please refer to the various figures provided and referred to in the Treatment section above. In addition an overview sketch map is provided to assist in the location of these detailed comments along the proposed route marked from a) to z) when travelling from west to east. All the comments are ordered in this direction for consistency. At various points reference will also be made to Cycle Facility Design Principles or Special Treatments as outlined above.

1. Delhi Road. Access should be maintained eastbound and westbound between the M2 and Delhi Road in both directions. The Delhi Road intersection with Epping Road needs to cater to cyclists in all directions as well with painted lines across the intersection.
2. Pittwater Road. The intersection between Pittwater Road and Epping Road is an important entry point for the cyclists feeding from North Ryde into the new cycle lanes eastbound on Epping Road. Treatment 2 is expected to start from this point which will mark the start of the commuter and recreational cycle facilities to the east. Note that a metal expansion joint currently exists on Epping Road at this intersection when travelling east and poses a hazard to cyclists. It should be treated appropriately.
3. Epping Road intersection with the M2. At this point we propose that Treatment 1 (which was suggested by Hyder Consulting and basically follows Austroads 14, Figure 4-32) be retrofitted to the existing freeway to allow safe ingress and egress to the cycle facilities on Epping Road and the M2. Note that the underpass should be built with good visibility on the corners leading into the tunnels. Also note that the ramps themselves should be fitted with provision for a cycle lane to bring cyclists on and off Epping Road at this point (Austroads 14, Figure 4-32). Cyclists should also be able to travel in the cycle lane under the Pittwater Rd intersection over-bridge and onto the main part of the M2. For the rest of the hill down to the Lane Cove River, Treatment 2 will be in place.
4. Magdala Road Bridge. This footbridge currently brings cyclists and walkers from East and North Ryde to Epping Road. The link comes in at the intersection with Mowbray Rd, which is going to be completely realigned as part of the project. It is important that this link be kept open to cyclists and walkers. In particular, a pedestrian crossing is required to enable cyclists to cross to the north side of Epping Road for cyclists travelling to and from the Magdala Rd Bridge east and west on Epping Road as well as to and from Mowbray Road. If possible this crossing should be an re-constructed underpass suitable for cycles, although if the tunnel does not allow for this then an appropriate crossing on the surface of the new intersection is required.
5. Mowbray Road Intersection. Access must be maintained for cyclists to travel in every direction to and from Mowbray Road. With the realignment of the bottom section of Mowbray Road provision should be made for cycle lanes to give access up the hill. Currently it is a narrow and difficult section to cycle on the uphill side. It is particularly important to provide for cyclists climbing the hill as is pointed out in Austroads 14, 4.2.5 because this is where the speed differentials will be the greatest. In addition to the cycle facilities the reconstruction of Mowbray Road must allow for pedestrian footpaths along both sides of the new road. At the intersection itself clear provision should be allowed for cyclists travelling across the intersection in all directions. in particular green pavement should be marked to indicate cycle facilities at the proposed left turn slip lane and on the outside of the right turn across the intersection above the tunnel to and from Mowbray Rd.
6. Uphill Grade from Lane Cove River. This section is a difficult grade for cycling and will result in a large speed differential between cyclists depending on experience and fitness. It should be expected that a reasonable amount of cycles overtaking cycles would take place on the uphill section. In this area it is critical that the widest treatment possible is provided. To stop cars using the cycle lane it could be protected by frequent use of blisters or a narrow median strip. Such a barrier would also give more confidence to cyclists with large vehicles passing close by. The treatment here should be Treatment 2 (see attached figure). Consideration should be given on this section for pathway links from Epping Rd to Mowbray Road West and to Cumberland Ave. It is important to note that any reduction in width in the cycle lane or other compromises in this section should be matched by compromises in other parts of the roadway as well to ensure that cyclists are not losing out in favour of other road users.
7. Intersections with Shell Service Station and Sam Johnson Way. Special treatments will be required for the crossing in and out of the Shell Service Station complex. We suggest that speed humps be constructed on the entrance and exit from the Service Station to keep the speed of vehicles as low as possible in this key conflict zone. The U-turn bay could be improved by incorporating it to the main entry to the Service Station. This would reduce the crossings of the cycle lane by two. Clear paths in contrasting green pavement for cyclists must be provided to safely pass the road and service intersections. At bus lay-bys enough room should be left in the kerb lane for a cyclist to pass a stationary bus in the bus-lay by. The bus lay by would need to be about 4.5m wide. Consideration should be given to removing the left turning slip lane at Sam Johnson Way for westbound motorists given the danger to cyclists. If possible this should be replaced by a normal signalised left turn. If the left slip lane is retained then it should be marked in contrasting colour as shown in Austroads 14, 5-3. At lights which don't affect cycle flow a straight-through treatment such as Austroads 14, figure 5-21 should be used.
8. Uphill Grade from Stringybark Creek. This will be another slow section eastbound but a fast one westbound similar to f) above. An appropriate treatment is required for the intersection at Moore St and Johnson Crescent including green pavement and wide bus lay-bys.
9. Tantallon Oval and Road. At Tantallon Oval it was agreed to end Treatment 2 and changeover to Treatment 3a. If the left turn lane is required then a short section of cycle path will go through Tantallon Oval up until Tantallon Road eastbound. If no left turn lane is required then the cycle lane can proceed on the road. If the cycle facility does use the park then a high quality wide crossing of the gutter and footpath is required. In particular all sharp corners should be avoided and vegetation should be very low around the path. For westbound cyclists coloured pavement should be provided at Munro St.
10. Epping Road east of Tantallon. Eastbound cyclists will cross Epping Rd at the Tantallon Rd lights to the southern side and will continue along a two-way separated eastbound cycle path as shown on figure 3a. Bus stops will be treated as shown in Treatment 3b. This treatment is required to remove conflict between bus passengers and cyclists. With a cycle path on one side only and staggered bus lay-bys, this treatment should be able to be accommodated all the way to Centennial Ave, by reducing the centre median strip and using some of the Council Park adjacent to the intersection.
11. Centennial Ave Intersection. The consultant's proposal was to use Treatment 4 around this intersection, however, by using a section of Turrumburra Park to the west of the Centennial Ave intersection Treatment 3a can be continued right up until the intersection removing the need to compromise on the separate two-way cycle path.
    We are willing to compromise on the quality of the cycle path where there is no option, however, our examination of the plans indicates that the section to the east of the Centennial Ave intersection can also be redesigned to incorporate cycle path Treatments 3a and 3b. The proposal to maintain the left turn lane is the key issue that we request be reviewed.
    To the east of the intersection we query the need for a left turn lane south into Centennial Ave, which requires extra road space necessitating a downgrading of the cycle facilities. A standard intersection with left turning traffic from the left traffic lane without the extra lane is preferred. The configuration shown is not designed for bus priority at the traffic lights so that may not be an issue.
    Even though the regional traffic demand for this turn into Centennial Ave appears to be high, we would question the need to cater to this demand when it means a compromise to other users. The aim of the entire project is to reduce Epping Road down to a lesser route and we question the sense in catering to existing, or higher, volumes of traffic using the north to south corridor. The only outcome can be even higher levels of use. Where the cycle facility is compromised down to lower treatment levels, we expect that compromises need to be made in other areas such as forgoing a left turn lane for cars.
    If after further consultation with us the left turn lane must be built, then Treatment 4 should be constructed for the shortest possible length until treatment 3a can provide separation from pedestrians again. Attention should be paid to all the design points mentioned under Treatment 4.
12. Epping Road east of Centennial. Between Centennial Ave and Longueville Rd the cycle facility provided should be Treatments 3a and 3b for the longest possible distance by using up the lane space marked as "optional landscaping" on the plan. If a left turn lane is not required east of Centennial Ave then Treatments 3a and 3b can be continuous. Otherwise, immediately east of Centennial Ave, there will be a short section of Treatment 4 before it reverts again to Treatment 3a and 3b.
    At the intersection with Coxs Rd, we request the use of green coloured pavement across the intersection to indicate to turning motorists that cycles could come from either side along the two-way cycle path.
13. Longueville Rd Intersection. On the west of Longueville Rd for about 100m there is a narrowing of the available space for a cycle path and at the same time an increase in pedestrian traffic. This situation continues across the intersection for a short distance until Phoenix St. For this section Treatment 4 should be used, which has a path width of 4.0m to cater for the heavy mixed use. (See Austroads 14, Figure 6.19 (F).) In the next short section to Phoenix St some of the adjacent garden may be able to be used to widen the shared pathway to ensure a width of 4m.
    At the intersection the priority bus traffic signal should also trigger the cyclist traffic green light.
    Green pavement should be laid across Phoenix and Kimberley Streets.
    Treatment 3a and 3b should be possible for about 150m in this section. We understand that some property acquisition is being considered east ot Phoenix St to ensure that there is enough width to accommodate the major bus interchange as well as cycle path and footpath as shown in Treatment 3b. Further to the east Longueville road narrows down again and the cycle way moves on to a shared path again towards the pacific Highway.
14. Pacific Highway intersection ramp. For this section we were presented with four possible options at the meeting. Our preferred option is a grade separation that allows the main west-east cycle facility to stay level as shown in our Treatment 5. Note that the underpass under the ramp should have good lighting, and broad corners in order to provide excellent sight lines for a design speed of about 20km/hr. To safely accomplish this the path width may need to be over 3m wide. At the eastern end of the underpass we will have two way cycle traffic adjacent to fast moving motor traffic and we require a separation from the traffic of full "New Jersey Barriers".
    At the same time a 3m wide path is required to run up to the Pacific Highway pedestrian crossing. In order to maintain adequate width we suggest that the existing two lane slip lane off the Pacific Highway to Longueville Rd be reduced to one lane. The traffic must merge to one lane by the bottom of the ramp and we feel that, in keeping with the reduced capacity on the Epping Rd corridor that that this another reasonable compromise in order to provide a wide shared pathway to the upper level.
15. Pacific Highway crossing. In addition to the underpass mentioned above an at-grade crossing at the Pacific Highway will be necessary to allow cyclists free movement in all directions to connect the Pacific Highway to Longueville Rd/Gore Hill Freeway. The crossing must follow the recognised design principles. In particular wide lipless kerb ramps, holding rails and adequate spaces for bikes to wait on the traffic island.
    The intersection will be joined to the cycle path by the shared footpath to the west and a separate cycle path to the east. All these paths must be 3m wide to cater to two-way cyclists on the lowest gradient possible.
16. Broughton Road Connection. This shared cycle/pedestrian link was designed by Hyder Consulting (sketch 17 April) to provide access from the Pacific Highway to Broughton Rd Artarmon. We endorse this extra connection as an important mechanism to link the community again. To gain access at the Pacific Highway end there should be a wide kerb ramp allowing cyclists travelling south on the highway to turn onto the new link. In addition the footpath here needs to be wide and clearly marked as a share cycle path down to the Pacific Highway Crossing 30m to the south.
17. Gore Hill Freeway east of Pacific Highway. For the remainder of the project to the east, we understand that a separated commuter cycle path will be constructed. We have shown this in Treatment 6 as outside the sound wall barrier. This is the preferred option to allow multiple local connections and a lower stress cycling environment. However, it looks like the first section east of the Pacific Highway may be proposed for inside the sound barrier. Wherever that is the case, a full "New Jersey Barrier" should provide traffic separation between the two-way cycle path and the Gore Hill Freeway.
    The design of this facility should follow Austroads 14 for a design speed of 30km/hr on flat sections. On downhill sections the design speed should be 40km/hr.
    Gradients for the majority of the facility should be 3% or less. Some sections of 5% gradient are acceptable but we request further specific consultation on those sections during the design phase. In most cases earthworks can be used to reduce the gradient. In extreme cases the gradient could exceed 5% for very short distances of 20m or so but must not be greater than 10% at any point. (Refer Austroads 14, 6.3.6)
    Even though this will be designed as a separate cycle path, we expect that in this area many other users will use the path because it provides an important local link. Therefore adequate signage and access should be incorporated.
18. Reserve Road and Hampden Road intersections. Good links to local roads (Punch St and Lambs, Hampden and Reserve Roads) must be maintained at these points. This includes well lit underpasses with good sight lines.
    By this stage of the cycle facility it is expected to be outside the freeway sound barrier which will provide a more pleasant environment.
19. North Shore Railway intersection. In future there will be a major regional cycle path north to south along the railway corridor. Therefore this point in future will be a major cycle intersection and this should be kept in mind during detailed design. The link will probably from from the Francis St side.
    All links to local cycle paths in this area should be consistent and smooth. Therefore instead of kinking down to Francis Street and back again the cycle path should continue straight along the Freeway edge with no deviations. Cyclists continuing along the commuter cycle path should be able to safely continue at 30km/hr without concerns about local squeeze points and barriers. Intersections with local streets and cycle paths should provide curved entries and exits where possible.
20. Railway line to Park Road. Along this section the cycle path runs under the freeway and along the local creek. The present draft design is not appropriate to the design speed required for the cycle path. We cannot determine what gradients are proposed but they should be under 5%. The two bridges across the creek in this section must be realigned to run in the direction of the cycle path rather than perpendicular to the creeks to allow the design speed of 30km/hr. There should be no tight corners or poor sight lines. The bridges over the creeks should allow a usable deck area of 3m, which means that the bridges need to be 4m wide between the railings to allow for handlebar and pedal clearance. The side railings/fences on the bridges must be of a construction not to snag on handlebars or pedals if a cyclist veers off course.
21. Artarmon Reserve / Willoughby Road. In this area a range of local cycle paths link to the proposed facility. All these links should be maintained with careful design allowing commuting speeds to be maintained along the new east-west pathway. Intersections with local paths should be designed with this objective. Signposting in this area will be particularly important.
22. Links back to Gore Hill Freeway. At this point the separated cycle path facility ends and commuting cyclists will be directed back onto the Gore Hill Freeway cycle lanes (breakdown lanes). Treatment 7 should be constructed. Existing links between the local cycle routes and the cycle lanes on the Gore Hill Freeway should be maintained and streamlined to allow a transition between treatments 6 and 7. The current links use the emergency phone bays and they need to be redesigned to better integrate with the breakdown lanes. Signage and line marking needs to be explicit that commuting cyclists travelling away from the city should take the route away from the Gore Hill Freeway. The route needs to be clearly designated as the commuter cycle route to Artarmon. We suggest that the entry and exit points are protected by New Jersey Barriers as shown.
23. Gore Hill South East of Willoughby Road. Treatment 7 should be used along this section. We understand that some extra road widening will need to take place to allow this treatment. It is critical that the commuter link from North Ryde continue to the city along this section. The Willoughby Rd entrance and exit ramps to the freeway require grade separation treatment to ensure cyclist safety as per Treatment 1.
24. Merremburn Ave. This is the nominal end of the current major works except for the Falcon Street ramps, but the cycle lane will continue on to North Sydney along the existing freeway edge.
25. Cammeray Golf Course. A link to the local pathway at the Cammeray Golf course is required to allow for cyclists to exit back to local destinations. This small task should be considered an important part of linking the commuter cycle path to local feeder routes. If it cannot be undertaken out of the major project funding then we recommend that the RTA take on this as a separately funded project that could be carried out as quickly as possible.
26. Falcon Street ramps. We understand that ramps for motor vehicles are being constructed at Falcon Street as part of the main Lane Cover Tunnel project. At this stage we are not aware of the design proposals for this area and we request detailed plans in order for us to make an informed comment. In general, at the same time as motor traffic facilities are upgraded at Falcon St integrated, cycle facilities must be constructed to allow cyclists to enter and leave the Freeway at this point. There must be no downgrading of existing cycle access along the Warringah Freeway as part of the Falcon St construction.