I did a “SPR Thursday” ride this morning – yes, I know it’s Wednesday.
Please take note that Preston Point Road requires even more care than the previous posting about the roadworks suggests.
The rains we had yesterday have washed out some big potholes (eg. I think one is about 10″ wide, about 6″ deep). There’s also sand and gravel washed from the potholes around the area all over the road.. So it’s dicey.
The potholes start roughly where the playground on your left as you descend the hill ( Wolsely Road TJ on your right) and there’s another set at the next TJ (Coolgardie Rd). Since it’s well before the roadworks, and we’ll be doing a fair speed down the hill, please take special care here. It will still be dark.
Also don’t forget that after the roundabout, and amongst the roadworks, there is a step up in the road surface of about 1-2″. It hurts and for the younger guys, think of the children you may want to have.
Cheers,
AW
thanks andrew – and for the older guys, “the children we don’t want to have”…
Can’t stress enough just how dangerous this section is currently. When I hit it for the first time this morning, it was pitch black – no light whatsoever other than a few lumens here and there. There have been new road islands added and that curvy curb thing going on – pot holes galore, sand, gravel, uneven surfaces. The works. So it was inevitable I suppose, that I’d hear the crunch of carbon (or it could have been skull – I really couldn’t tell, but the sound behind me was absolutely horrible) at some point along it. Luckily the chaps concerned were ok – but please please kill your speed RIGHT DOWN when descending Preston Point Rd hill. do not attempt to overtake anyone at speed there whilst it’s dark because you’ll likelycollide with a cone, island, curbing, .. the list is endless. Be safe.
4 of us came down at the back of the fast group this morning. it seems that amongst the potholes and start/end of new road surface, was also a strip in the centre of the road that had not been resurfaced. therefore it was a good 2-3cm lower than the rest of the road. poor street lighting and black on black road surface meant that it was not seen until after we picked ourselves off the ground. minimal damage at this stage, but starting to feel pretty stiff and sore.
this was before the roundabout opposite the army barracks. a couple of cones and the start and at the end of this strip that sat in between two new islands. once your wheel when into it, there was no getting out.
Sad news – but at the risk of being boringly repetative – can people please start writing letters !! and mention the new traffic islands being a danger to cyclists as they narrow the road lanes and force overtaking cars to drive very (dangerously) close to cyclists; the condition of the road; inadequate lighting and lack of consideration for providing a safe cycling route with the new layout when before it was a relatively safe cycling route.
Qu. – are there warning signs in place warning that the road surface is uneven ?
Please write separate letters to (i) Mayor of East Freo; (ii) Director Gen of Dept of Transport; (iii) Commissioner of Main Roads (iv) Minister of Transport.- its State Govt Black Spot funding paying for the road works – (confirmed on the East Freo website) & letters received by Ministers have to be answered and attract a lot of internal attention !
If you don’t shout then no-one will hear. The issue is being raised inside Govt circles and now is the time to add your support
Yep, i’ll write some letters. I received an email from adele carles earlier this week (in addition to the other one mentioned elsewhere) to say that she is taking up the issue with MRD. the more we can add, the better..
wrt your question about warning signs, i didn’t see any, so whether or not there were any there is almost irrelevant, because it is self evident to say that any signs/warnings were inadequate…
ouch…not good!!! hope all are ok
I rode solo and diverted to the north of the oval (between the tennis club and yacht club)
noticed alot of solo’s and pairs doing the same thing ( saw bunches pounding normal route).
Might be the safer alternative for now.
was looking into alternatives today (after the crash, of course). with the bigger groups, it may be better to stay on canning hwy and turn left up pt walter road to miss preston point road altogether.
Terrible to hear that people had a fall. Was hoping someone would read this before the ride, and mention it before hand.
Here’s to a speedy recovery
i did read it, and was looking for potholes and the step up/down. what got us was the gap between the lanes that wasn’t sealed and was a couple of cm’s lower.
I did WAR yesterday- the whole road was blocked off we detoured at the roundabout to go around past the left bank. Glad we did by the sound of it.
This is really appalling. I hope this is not out of line, but I would suggest the following to those that fell:
1. file an incident report with the police ASAP
2. write a letter to the Town of East Freo and Main Roads stating what happened and that you consider they were neglient in failing to place adequate warning about the condition of the road and that they breached their duty of care to ensure that the road was suitable for use by cyclists. I would state that as a result, you hold them liable for the injuries and damage you and your bike received and ask them to compensate you for them.
More fun ngames on PPR – not . Usual ride along there last night – 7 of us coming up the hill from the river, turn left onto PPR at 7.00 pm no worries – heading east along PPR sitting on 30+, paired and blocking off the very little traffic (one car) up to the Petra St roundabout – no worries. Straight through the roundabout & onto the next section of PPR with the red asphalt side bike lane – singled out onto the bike lane with me in front – no worries . . . . car overtook, cut straight across my front wheel, only just missing me and drove on with the car’s left hand wheels in the middle of the bike lane for 50 metres or so before moving back into the main traffic lane. Thanks again East Freo Council for creating a new location where car centric road rage against cyclists is just going to escalate,
Well, I have written and sent my 4 letters, and a colleague here at work is also pursuing the matter with ToEF. Am atwitter in anticipation…
With ‘friends’ like this – http://btawa.org.au/campaigns/traffic-speed/point-walter-road/ who needs…..
I have submitted Incident / Hazard reports and written letters to the Town of East Fremantle (TofEF) after riding this devilish piece of road and being struck by an overtaking car on it last week.
After threatening to sue anyone involved with the design and implementation of these road alterations I have received a lengthy and detailed reply from David Vaughan, the Acting CEO of TofEF.
The crux of his letter is that this area is a designated Main Roads Blackspot and receives funding as such. Further “improvements” are planned including another roundabout.
He states “Cycling was given due consideration in the development of the project.”, that the work is based on “professional advice” “sound engineering principles” and “in accordance with appropriate standards”.
His recommendation was that because it is not “part of a dedicated cycle route nor part of the Perth Bicycle Network”, cyclists should avoid the road and chose “shorter and less trafficked routes in the local road network” including Riverside Road which has a “shared path and sealed shoulder”.
As much as I dislike the lack of consideration, the stupid design and the inevitable dangerous conflict it creates between cyclists and other road users, the fact that it is there and there to stay makes me agree with his recommendation.
Pay it off – avoid it altogether – don’t risk it either as a solo rider or in a group – find an alternative and think of Preston Point Road fondly in your memories only.
To do otherwise will be to invite conflict and inevitably to suffer the consequences.
Guys don’t roll over so easily . . . there is some momentum happening and we need to keep the pressure up & write letters ‘above the Council’
Since – its State & Federal Govt money used to fund this ‘black spot’ project. Neither would be happy if they knew their road safety funding has been used with the outcome beng significantly more dangerous for cyclists. Both tiers of Govt are trying to develop cylcling as an alternative to cars.
So next steps are to; – write to Troy Buswell as Min of Transport (its his funding); also write to the local Comunity newspaper (Freo Herald) to the RAC – they’re always interested in taking up Road Safety issues and also to Fed Min of Transport as its also their funding too . . . .please – the more individual letters the better.!