Springwood Cycling Club members rode in support of National Road Safety Week on Saturday, May 5.
The riders showed their support by tying yellow ribbons to their bikes or helmets for a loop ride to Richmond via Hawkesbury/Springwood Road and returning via Londonderry and Lapstone hill.
National Road Safety Week is an initiative of the SARAH group (Safer Australian Roads and Highways).
The Springwood Cycling Club along with the Penrith Cycling Club, Western Sydney Mountain Bike Club, and unaffiliated cyclists support the campaign organised by the Blue Mountains Cycling Safety Forum to have the state government provide an emergency breakdown lane on the Great Western Highway between the Metro Petroleum and Todarellos Fruit House.
Forum spokesman David Tritton said that “this is one of the most dangerous sections of the Great Western Highway for cyclists and other vulnerable road users because it is a notorious black spot which contains a number of severe pinch points for cyclists caused by non-compliant road shoulders”.
“This means cyclists must share the traffic lane in a high speed zone which has blind corners and restrictive Armco rails. This section of the highway carries around 28,000 vehicles per day, approximately 12 per cent of which are heavy vehicles, and does not permit motor vehicles to pass safely with at least 1.5 metres clearance as required by NSW traffic law in high speed zones,” said Mr Tritton.
“With less than 12 months to go before the NSW state election it is important that all sides of politics take the unsafe road conditions on the highway between the Metro Petroleum and Todarellos’ fruit house at Faulconbridge seriously.”
Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, and NSW opposition roads spokeswoman Jodie McKay recently visited the site for the second time to inspect the safety problems facing cyclists and motorists.
