Kingston's Bay Trail

IF indented parking the whole length of the construction and any vegetation removed should be replanted elsewhere. There is enough open space and caparks along the route to accomodate indented parking. The road is iconic for cycling and will get busier both with vehicles. Without indented parking it will push parking into side streets and will Mentone lifesaving when they have events.

I would like to register my disappointment that after the approval of the plan for the Baytrail last September we now have a revised plan to narrow beach road overruling the already consulted upon and approved plan.
Residents including myself do not want to see Beach Road narrowed with a nett loss of parking for beach users
This will impact residents living in side streets but more importantly result in increased risks to road users
Please do not narrow Beach Road

I think we need have a design that keeps current car parking spaces as per the original plans years ago, and not narrow Beach rd.
We have already lost car parking spaces from the first 2 stages, we need all the car parking that we can get for the increasing population of the area

Test

I am a resident, bike rider and motorist. This stretch is long overdue and is much needed. I will feel safer in this bike path and it will be great for tourism. Yes, some vegetation will be lost, but it is a well balanced answer to community need. Thumbs up from me

Do Not Narrow Beach Road.
As a resident for over 50 years, I am appalled by the behavior of this group of 5 councilors causing mayhem because they have the numbers to do so. Unfortunately, the mayor is included in this group, and as such, has forgotten the role of impartiality in conducting Council Meetings. His dress code and manner displays a complete lack of respect for the position he holds and also the citizens he represents. The Council's role should be for the betterment of both the City and it's citizens, and not for their personal agenda as being shown by this group of 5 Councilors.

Support the VicRoads amended plan to standardise the road widths to allow for back-of-kerb trail

I am in support of the proposed Bay Trail. There is obviously confusion in what is proposed. This proposal and improved safety of cyclist is supported by Bicycle Victoria. The road lanes are standardised and are supported by VICROADS and are the same as Beach Road, north of Mentone Life Saving Club through Bayside. When people mention narrowing of the lanes and the impost on traffic, I have had to merge to one lane often because of cars parked on the verges which have intruded into the first lane. Currently there is no parking on the east side from 6-10am on Saturdays and Sundays and there has not been an uproar regarding loss of parking for those times. There may be a loss of 43 parking spaces, but the remaining spaces are safer than what was occurring. This is a loss of 4.75% which is disproportionate to the personal attacks that are being made. There is research that indicates that standard lane widths are safer than wider lanes. I am wondering whether the noise surrounding this plan is more about personal interest than fact.

I am outraged at the council's arrogant, undemocratic plans. I live back from beach road and will be inundated with people whose access to the beach has been stolen from them by this rabble. Also, narrowing beach road will make the road more dangerous for cyclists and drivers trying to get out of the side streets. Finally, the damage it will do to the clubs will be immeasurable. All of this to placate aging 'conservationists' who have had a life time of access to the beach and now want to prevent others from having the same.

the proposal to reduce the width of beach road for the Bay Trail is an exercise that completely disregards traffic safety standards for motorists, cyclists and all users of Beach Road. The absolute disregard for ratepayers opinions at their cost is a mockery of the democratic system of our country. It would be refreshing if some common sense would prevail and that an equitable solution could be reached.

At the moment pedestrians, cyclists and motorists work hard to balance the transport and recreational needs of this Category 1 road.
We have those cycling - for fun, fitness and those racing against the clock.
We have motorists commuting to the city and neighbouring suburbs in peak hour traffic.
We have families - and children themselves - dashing in and out of side streets trying to safely get to and from one of the five senior schools within 1 km of this proposal.
We would be the only municipality in the country to seek to put more pressure on a road that is already buckling under the pressure.
In the sections of Beach Rd that is already narrowed my family has been forced into oncoming traffic many times - to avoid cyclists overtaking (without looking) 3 and 4 wide at peak times.
We have two P Plate drivers in our family who recount near misses on a daily basis with cars, cyclists and buses as they try to park and get in and out of our home.
We see motorists cutting cyclists off leaving little to no reaction time for them to avoid accidents.
We see experienced motorist having accidents and near misses on a daily basis.
We see buses -with right of way over all other users -pulling in and out of traffic as required.
And we see peak hour traffic back up from Mordialloc round about to Parkers Rd (about 1 km) almost ever week night.
Why would our Kingston representatives and officers ever entertain calls to narrow a road which already is unable to balance these increasing and competing transport needs.
I live on Beach Rd - and despite what others may think the narrowing of the road would probably benefit my family long term because it would become so unsafe and impractical that road users would be forced back onto Warrigul Rd, Nepean Hwy and a dangerous rat run of suburban streets to avoid the unavoidable mayhem.
Even though in my heart of hearts i could not support a move that would put the safety of all road users at a greater risk.
Why is this even a consideration? Who or what benefits?
I also cannot believe such important community decisions can be overturned and by those who have been playing politics and openly bragging about securing a majority in our local government.
What a sad day for our community and a sad day for those who seek to represent the voice of our community.
This is a simple issue - we would be the only municipality in the country to consider narrowing a category 1 road that is already at breaking point - Would we ever consider narrowing Nepean Hwy or Warrigul Rd ? Of course not, it doesn't make any sense and will create further carnage.
Spend the money on strategic communication campaign the brings our road users together and supports a safer and respectful shared road approach. Please don't make it harder on us all. Who benefits?
Come on Kingston... don't sit back and allow a political majority to outweigh your community's voice and common sense.




There is no doubt in the existing narrowed sections closer to Charman Rd this balance is

Councillor West, please listen to the majority of your Constituents and scrap your plans to narrow Beach Road.
It will damage your personal standing in the Community if your fellow backers/councillors of the "New Scheme" to continue to push it to fruition.
Surely by now, Council must be aware of this folly in pursuing this amended project.
Why not admit the mistake and go back to the original plan that was finally accepted after all the legal wrangles?

I am totally opposed to what the Council has now voted on (by such a narrow margin). I feel lied to by the Council and as a Kingston resident for almost 35 years it is about time Councillors stop playing games. Go back to what we originally agreed upon! What Rosemary West and her cohorts have done is appalling. No consultation.I REJECT what is happening. Hopefully Vicroads will not back such a stupid plan.I live 100m from Beach Rd, travel to work on it daily and it is already difficult enough to navigate the cyclists - lets not make it worse. There are no heritage listed trees or shrubs that need protecting and the current trail at Mentone Lifesaving is what should be followed. COMMON SENSE needs to prevail. I would also like the CEO to ensure we are not bombarded with anymore false propaganda from the "5". I really resent getting flyers from Kingston which are clearly not true. Do not narrow beach road, stop taking car spots and stop with the current plan which does NOT HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

I can not believe that the path was passed and ready to start building. Now we have this situation of the council collapsing under pressure by some and and wasting our rates and taxes.
Why don't you (the council) after having approved the original plan have enough spine and say no and get on with it. Also keeping in mind that we have enough issues and the safety of Bike riders as it currently stand and you want to narrow the road and compound the issue.
Nat

I do not agree with the current council position to narrow the lanes and remove any parking from Beach Road. I have paid rates to the Kingston Council for 35 years. I think I am entitled to park outside my property at all times. I also think I should be able to have friends and family park outside my property. If we have to park in a side street, it is a 300m up hill walk to my house, which elderly family and friends could not manage. In the past 8 years the amount of traffic on Beach Rd has increased significantly, especially at peak times. The "contest" between cars, serious cyclists and pedestrians continues to be a dangerous "game" played by way too many people - narrowing these lanes will only exacerbate this dangerous pastime. Serious, training cyclist should be made to train at Sandown Park or some other like venue that is meant for such pastimes. The rate payers of Kingston are paying $100,000's to build a bike track, which is ignored by the serious cyclists. Once the bike trail is built, all cyclists should be forced off Beach Rd at peak times - for everyone's safety.

The proposal is well balanced and logical and fully endorsed by me and my family. We support the official posistion of Council as outlined. I am also dismayed at the fear campaign being run by councillors - I wasn't aware that we had oppositions in local government. For god sake accept it, democracy in action is when a majority vote. Worl for your community.

The proposal appears to be similar to Bayside but with some indented parking. I believe we need to keep safe our trees and green life. I do not want a concrete jungle.

I cannot believe that you are wasting our valuable finances on a second Bay Trail option after the original option had been passed and supported by the community (the actual residents of the council you are supposed to honestly and transparently listen to and support).
Not only are you wasting valuable funds pursuing this second option that the majority of our community obviously doesn't support, but the complete lack of transparency and manipulative manner you have gone about implementing a second option that involves narrowing of Beach Road is absolutely appalling.
As a daily user of Beach Road, any narrowing would significantly increase the risk to all users. Your proposed plan would also reduce the number of car parking spaces which impacts day to day users who want to use our beach, which impacts on people's ability to exercise as well as the flow on effect of parking vehicles in side streets, which then increases the risk of accidents due to excessive useage.
I trust common sense will prevail and the original bay trail proceeds immmediately that does not mean any narrowing of Beach Road.

Good Morning, I believe that the Councils two preferred plans do not represent what the residents and proposed users of the Bay Trail really want. That it is actually what the Council Staff and a section of the Councillor's are trying to ram through.
I believe that the proposed two designs did not offer an option that was preferred by the Residents and the future users, so the consultation was skewered from the start.

yours faithfully ,

John O'Brien

We do not want the road narrowed.
Any fool can work out why and VicRoads are no fools.
Being forced, as a community, to defend our safety, our family's safety and our amentity is poor form on the part of the five councillors who despite lack of comment and fact, Vote with it.

The community are well aware of the voting trend and simply won't stand for it.

The disrespect to the community is something that will never be forgiven or forgotten.
It was one councillor who said the words "respect and disrespect" were "fanciful".
THIS statement explains a lot of why we are where we are