Safety First Cycling Website Third Business Plan Defined Terms Third Business Plan Summary of Annexures Third Business Plan Letter to Minister for Health and Ageing
Annexure "A"
Strategy to reduce the dangers to cyclists at approx. 30% of 23,000 circa timber bridges across Australia by reducing width and/or depth of gaps in between some longitudinal planks by inserting suitable fill
1. Local councils are responsible for 88% of 23,000 timber bridges across Australia
Annexure “A1” [1 pg] is an extract from
the Sydney Morning Herald - News and Features -
“Money for roads not a 'slush' fund”
by Harvey Grennan on
15 March 2005
which ‘inter alia’ quotes that
local government is
responsible for 85% of the entire Australian road network. According to Councillor
Paul Bell, President, Australian Local Government Association,
“the Australian road network contains
26,000 timber bridges, a third of which are more than 50 years old.”
NSW RTA’s website includes “Timber bridge management strategy” dated January 2002 which acknowledges that it is constantly under pressure to replace or significantly upgrade many of the remaining timber bridges on NSW roads, because –
(i) they do not meet current width and loading standards;
(ii) local community pressure for improved access and/or
(iii) large maintenance burden timber bridges impose.
The RTA in most states, and local councils within each state, has a programme to replace timber bridges. For example, a dangerous 20m timber bridge at Glenhaven in Sydney’s NW was replaced by a marvellous 40m concrete structure in late 2007.
Queensland Government "Timber Bridge Maintenance Manual" inter alia provides a wealth of valuable knowledge on repairing or replacing timber bridges, but alas nothing specifically on reducing the width and depth of gaps that grab bicycle wheels.
Consequently, in 2008 there is probably 23,000 circa timber bridges remaining across Australia - 3,000 less than in 2005. And the number is falling. However, many of these 23,000 have planks that run down the length of the bridge (ie. longitudinal) with large gaps like the below timber bridge 5km West of Wisemans Ferry on River Rd which has caught four cyclists' wheels that the Website Developer knows of.
The Website Developer could have similarly slipped the wheels of his bike into at least six of the gaps on this Dangerous Timber Bridge. Click on the Website Developer's e-mails with Hratch Tadevosian, Roads Operations Manager, at Baulkham Hills Shire Council. At the behest of the Website Developer's e-mails, BHSC inserted bituminous material into some of the gaps on 20 May 2008. It was a rough 'n ready repair job which has reduced the danger of a fall by about 50%. That is, a cyclist with 23mm wheels would have to cycle over it up to 30 times before he fell, whereas prior to BHSC reducing the depth of some of the gaps it likely only required up to 15 crossings to bring a cyclist down
In August 2001 NSW RTA controlled –
* 58 of the 82 surviving timber truss bridges; and
* 82 of the approx 4,000 timber beam bridges.
This highlights Councillor Paul Bell, President, Australian Local Government Association, afore-mentioned assertion that local councils are responsible for 88% circa of all timber bridges used by vehicles, which includes bicycles - Annexure "C".
2. Danger for cyclists at approx. 30% of 23,000 circa timber bridges
The Website Developer is aware of two cyclists deaths on Dangerous Timber Bridges in the late ‘80s due to broken necks after their wheel dropped into a gap between two adjacent longitudinal planks, thereby grabbing their bike wheel. Those two cyclists kept propelling forward, snapping their necks on impact.
The Website Developer understands that –
(i) one was a participant of an annual Bicycle Victoria ride; and
(ii) another was in a triathlon in western NSW.
In 1994 the Website Developer met a male cyclist in his mid-30s at Moorong Spinal Rehab Centre, Ryde NSW, who severely damaged his spinal cord whilst on a Sunday morning training ride. Upon crossing a timber bridge, the front wheel of his bike became caught between two planks and immediately materially slowing it. He kept going at 30km p/h.
Annexure “A2” titled "Extracts from Australian websites re bicycle accidents on pick-a-plank bridges" includes mention of a horrific fall near Mansfield in Stage 9 of the prestigious 2004 Herald Sun Tour.
Dangerous Timber Bridges are the most unsuspecting risk for cyclists riding in country towns. And there are 23,000 circa remaining timber bridges, one third over 50 years old, albeit some have planks which run perpendicular to the bridge which usually renders them safer. Curiously cyclists are generally more cautious crossing latitudinal planks, probably because they are often bumpy. In the wet, timber bridges are materially more dangerous due to the diminished Coefficient Of Friction (COF).
On the ANZAC long w’end in 2004, Muggaccinos cycled to Wisemans Ferry for the 3rd year in a row and encountered two very dangerous timber bridges:
(a) “Allens Creek” 5km west of Spencer where Brenda Baldwin suffered a painful fall in 2003.
The Allens Creek bridge had previously had several of the rotten planks replaced. Unfortunately there were large gaps due to the replacement timber planks being narrower than the former planks. Allens Creek bridge has since been replaced by a concrete bridge.
Muggaccinos.com has conducted long weekend holiday visits to cycle in Patterson, Wiseman’s Ferry, Cessnock, Dungog, Gloucester, Nowendoc, Picton, Mittagong, Cowra, Mudgee, Berry, Kangaroo Valley, Robertson.
We have often encountered timber bridges with planks that run down the length of the bridge where bike wheels could get caught due to >25mm gaps between planks.
These bridges are often colloquially known as "pick a plank" bridges, as too many cyclists foolishly/lazily try to “pick-a-plank” to cycle over such bridges, instead of dismounting and walking their bikes the length of the bridge. If you drift of the plank, it can be disastrous.
The risk of serious injury is obviously a function of –
(i) the width/length of the gap between adjoining parallel planks, and
(ii) whether a clearly visible Risk Warning, in the form of a Dedicated Cycling Blackspot Warning Sign, appears at each end of the Dangerous Timber Bridge.
An impediment to some cyclists walking, in lieu of cycling, over a timber bridge can be if the cyclist isn’t wearing mountain bike style cycling shoes with a recessed cleat. That is, the cyclist is wearing a road style cycling shoe with an extruding cleat which renders walking less stable.
There would not be a seasoned road cyclist in Australia who has not heard about a cyclist suffering a nasty fall on a timber bridge. Most have themselves at some time experienced their wheel getting caught whereupon they reappraised the dangers of not dismounting. Alas, the vast majority of inexperienced new cyclists are unaware that cycling one’s wheel into a gap between two adjacent planks on a timber bridge could end in paraplegia or death.
3. High cost of Serious Cycling Accidents on some timber bridges, often due to cycling inexperience
Discounting diminished QOL and DOL, and reduced productivity, the monetary cost to private and public health authorities of treating people who suffer paraplegia due to a trauma accidents would exceed $100,000 p.a. per person over the initial 5 years.
The Website Developer’s father fell thru a roof at 76 years of age, thereby becoming a paraplegic. His father–
(a) spent the next 6 weeks at Royal North Shore Hospital Spinal Unit following spinal surgery;
(b) spent the next 4½ months at Moorong Rehabilitation centre at Ryde; and
(c) then required treatment by visiting nurses who assisted him daily from 9am to 10:30am until his death.
Serious Cycling Accident (xiii) of Annexure "E" details an horrific cycling accident suffered by Dr Ann Collins on a timber bridge at Coffs Harbour following her wheel becoming caught between two timber planks. Ann and her bike plummeted 40' off the bridge onto rocks/gravel. Dr Collins was evacuated by helicopter and spent a total of 4 months in four hospitals (Coffs Harbour Hospital, St George Private Hospital, Liverpool Hospital and Westmead Rehabilitation Centre) before becoming well enough to be discharged. Her medical costs are already substantive and she may not be able to return to full time work as a dental surgeon.
Governments are encouraging Australians to try commuter cycling for short trips to reduce Climate Change and to Improve Personal Health And Fitness. Casual empiricism suggests that 30% of the 23,000 timber bridges are dangerous, made more so because of many cyclists’ ignorance and foolishness.
4. Seeking a cost effective treatment to materially diminish the likelihood of two adjoining parallel longitudinal planks grabbing a wheel
Millions of dollars are not available to replace or re-align planks where cavities/gaps exist. However, the dangers in a lot of the worst gaps could be substantially reduced or eliminated by retired/caring adults (with engineering expertise) hammering in hard rubber or timber wedges and shims, thereby materially diminishing the incidence of serious injury.
The Website Developer doesn’t contend that hard rubber or timber wedges could be inserted in all gaps. However, that could be a cost-effective treatment for a lot of dangerous bridges, particularly at timber bridges which do not carry large trucks such as (b) above.
Other treatments could be to:
> insert -
* mastic
expansion joints; or
* tar based bituminous or asphalt solution that sets hard; or
> lay down a rubber mat or layer of asphalt or layer of concrete - a long rubber mat/conveyer belt has successfully been laid down on a long plank bridge on the Tumut Plains (near Snowy Mountain Highway) which has materially diminished the danger on that bridge.
Separately, provide a dedicated Cycling Blackspot sign at each Dangerous Timber Bridge approach, as proposed in Annexure "B1".
Click on the Website Developer's e-mail to NSW RTA of 26 May 2008 in Annexure "B3" titled "Does RTA have any technical information to reduce the width and depth of gaps >25mm wide between longitudinal timber planks on timber bridges to mitigate potentially costly cyclists falls".
5. The ACT has led the way in addressing Dangerous Timber Bridges
Per capita the ACT probably has the highest number of Cyclists in Australia. Pedal Power ACT is the largest and most progressive Cycling Organisation in the ACT. Its website provides Report a Hazard capability for cyclists in the ACT to report a cycling hazard.
Pedal Power ACT has worked with the ACT government and local councils to remove some of the dangers of timber bridges:
6. Proposed article in a national cycle magazine to publicise -
* danger of opting to pick-a-plank when crossing longitudinal timber bridges; and
* ease of using Safety First Cycling Website, as their website to reduce accidents and road rage
The Website Developer sees merit in an article published in a national cycle magazine, perhaps Bicycling Australia, which –
(a) sets out the enormity of the problem (23,000 timber bridges in Australia of which a third are over 50 years old, many with planks running longitudinally down the bridge with gaps >25mm wide);
(b) publicises some of the serious injuries and deaths which have occurred when a road cyclist’s tyre has become caught - to discourage the pick-a-plank practice. As noted in Annexure "E", on Thurs 10 April Dr Ann Collins was propelled 40’ of a timber bridge in Coffs Harbour after getting her wheel caught, suffering several fractures to three limbs;
(c) seeks readers, who know of a Dangerous Timber Bridge to Log A Safety Related Report in the 1st of the Three Safety Related Categories by entering a Cycling Hazard Report under the first Cycling Hazard Type, namely Dangerous Timber Bridges.
(d) seeks to co-opt a few retired engineers to form
separate working parties in the largest states to
visit
Dangerous
Timber Bridges and materially reduce the depth and width
of the cavities, predicated upon RTA or local councils paying their
out-of-pocket costs to –
(i) visit these bridges; and
(ii) carry out remedial work by inserting rubber wedges/shims, or mastic expansion joints or spread tar based asphalt solution that sets hard or lay down a rubber mat or layer of asphalt or layer of concrete.
(e) scope within Safety First Cycling Website for concerned cyclists to Log A Safety Related Report for "inter alia" a Dangerous Timber Bridge which automatically transmits an e-mail of the URL to the Cycling Hazard Report to the e-mail address of the appropriate Roads Authority under an explanatory covering memo requesting said local council or RTA to repair the Dangerous Timber Bridge, pursuant to section 45 “Special non-feasance protection for roads authorities” (for NSW) or similar tort law for other Australian states.