Descripción

This is the approach to the OWR / M7 onramp eastbound. When OWR was upgraded the shuoulder / bicycle lane was sacrificed from NorWest to the M7 onramp and an alternative offroad SUP constructed without access to the OWR shoulder / M7 onramp. I asked the RMS to realign the island in the photo so that bicycles can access the M7 onramp without entering the 80 k/h traffic lane. This would involve realigning the kerb and gutter and steel fence at the lights, painting a cycle lane across the Norbrick LH entry lane (I have encountered entering traffic here about 4 times a year in the mornign peak hour) and scrubbing some of the painted island further towrads the entrance (which it is illegal to ride on). The response was that I should be using the 80 k/h traffic lane or the SUP (which has no access to the M7 onramp). This is clearly a case of poor planning and lack of consultation (I am not aware of any). Very disappointed with RMS for lack of plannign and suggesting that cyclists share the 80k/h entry lane with tracffic. In their favour they did remove two of the hard bollards that prevented bicycled from crossing the M7 onramp to continue on the OWR shoulder when I asked, after nearly being forced onto the bollards while using the 80 k/h lane on OWR. Risk of incident / accident high. Consequences potentially extreme. Cost to fix high. It woud have cost no more to design the intersection and OWR shoudler and M7 onramp to safely allow bicycle access.