Kingston's Bay Trail

I STRONGLY REJECT the proposal to narrow Beach Road. I have been a resident/ratepayer of Beach Road for over 26 years and in that time have witnessed a massive increase in the volume of traffic. I find it beyond comprehension that any so-called Councillor could even entertain the idea of narrowing such an EXTREMELY BUSY IMPORTANT part of the network, also ignoring the community and waste ratepayers money on a new Bay Trail Plan. Surely, motorists, beachgoers, pedestrians and residents are more important that the minimal loss of vegetation. It is obvious that the 5 COUNCILLORS, who not even live in the precinct, are proposing such idiotic changes to promote themselves as being important and not respecting the ratepayers who keep them employed. It is IMPERATIVE that the FIVE OBJECTING COUNCILLORS be reminded of their duties to the ratepayers and they WILL BE REMEMBERED when we net cast our voted.

The congestion along this stretch of Beach Road in the morning and evening peaks is dangerous as it is. I fully support the path and think it will make it much safer for the many high school kids currently forced to ride on Beach Road during the morning peak but narrowing the road and letting cars park in the left lane, literally turning a two lane road into a one lane road has not been well thought through and I hope VicRoads rejects the proposal.

I support completing the bike path, but do not support the changed proposal of narrowing beach road. The environmental argument seems weak given the status and history of the vegetation and I believe the amenity and safety for road users, including cars and serious road cyclists, plus beach goers requiring parking, is more important.

I am a local resident near Beach Road in Parkdale and I do not support narrowing the road. I have a family with young children and am a driver, cyclist, and user of the local beaches and believe safety will be compromised by narrowing the road. The community has previously supported a proposal that did not include narrowing the road, and now it seems this Council is ignoring this consultation.
Do not narrow Beach Road.

I do not understand how you can possibly consider that narrowing the width of lanes on Beach Road can be in any way consistent with safety or congestion.
Pursue this path and the death of the first cyclist will be on your minds forever. Was it your fault?
Do not narrow Beach Road.
Patrick Cox
33 Glenelg Drive
Mentone

This last section of the baytrail must be done the same way as the section between Charman Road and Mentone LSC. To narrow any area of Beach Road is ludicrous to the extreme. You only have to be on Beach Road any morning peak to see what the narrowing of the road before Charman Road does to traffic congestion.

Dear Council members,
The community does not support the Narrowing of Beach Road. A decision was to build the bike trail in September 2016. Stick to this decision. The council members who have a private agenda do not have a right to change the decision on there own accord.
I do not support the narrowing of Beach Road at the slightest degree, as this is an extremely dangerous to the local community, cyclists, vehicles and pedestrains.
DO NOT NARROW BEACH ROAD

I am in favour of the byke trail, but not the backtrack of councils September decision which entails the narrowing of beach road even to the slightest degree is dangerous.The value of a life versus foreshore scrub. Stay with the original decision. the community has spoken already Get on with the trail.

The Kingston Bay trail is a huge waste of Taxpayer monies. Having walked the trail as it stands now the Sunday before last I found three other pedestrians using it and no sign of any bikes except on Beach road. Bikes will not use the trail in great numbers except perhaps some young children with their parents. Narrowing Beach road will certainly make it more dangerous for the majority of cyclists that use it. As it is, the only car fatality in the Bayside/ Kingston area of Beach road that I know of in the last twenty years occurred late at night near Charman Road in the one lane area of Beach road. We all have to draw our own conclusions on what caused that accident as their were no witnesses. I can think of much better uses of Taxpayer monies than wasting dollars on a resource that is hardly used and certainly of nowhere near a majority benefit to the ratepayers of Kingston. I have no doubt that this proposal will cause more accidents some of which may result in fatalities and as a high value project be of very little benefit to the citizens of Kingston.

After attending yesterday's RSL meeting, where four councilors were expected to speak in support of the original baytrail plans, but were called to an other council meeting, my wife and I want to see the council go back to the plans to continue the trail as originally proposed. The narrowing of Beach Road is absolutely dangerous for cyclists, walkers, families wanting to access the beach and cars. As a regular daily walkers along the track from Mentone LSC to Ricketts Point we enjoy the safety of the baytrail. The distance between the cars and us is reassuring and keeps us fit at our age. We are both 70. Please reconsider and rest assured, you will have many happy residents again. Kind regards Hans & Irene Zinsstag

I do not agree with narrowing beach road due to the safety and parking issues that will ensue. This issue has already received full community support and the Bay trail should go ahead as previously planned

I am a rate payer who does not want Beach Rd narrowed. We live off Beach Rd and are very worried about the extra trafficking and car parking that will naturally fill our street if this happens. Also why should my rates pay for bike riders from all over Melbourne to ride on this trail. You are elected to look after the Kingston community, please listen to the people that pay rates. Sue Gardner

The latest Council proposal for the Bay Trail is unacceptable for a multitude of reasons. We previously were consulted and overwhelmingly voted for the original proposal which left the amenity of Beach Rd in tact. Stop wasting rate payers money. Get on with the original proposal which had the support of the vast majority of residents.

Is Council assuming that cyclists use the cycling track provided? An occasional cyclist, mother with pram , person with dog are seen to use these paths provided. CYCLISTS IN THEIR THOUSANDS clog the road and prevent drivers from using it, especially at weekends. I live in Mentone and to narrow this road to Mordialloc would be a crime and definitely cause innumerable accidents - some fatal I am sure.

*Safety 1st- cyclists, vehicles and pedestrians
*Residents wishes 1st - beach road residents, side street residents, different council residents
*Consultation 1st - no one was told the back of kerb trail was to narrow Beach Road. That wasn't what we agreed on or what we were consulted on
*Amentity 1st - traffic flow, parking availability, beach use
*Progress 1st - should speak for itself

The amended proposal doesn't cover any of these

Leave the road alone

The bay trail project has been 20 years coming or even more if I remember. I am a cyclist and have been appalled at the hate being spread on this issue all because a handful of Marxists want more parking. The facts are as per the peak cycling body is that this proposal will be safer and will assist in reducing fatalities and that is one Vics Cycle body support it. I want this to proceed. No longer can Governments build infrastructure without entitled individual setting up vested interest groups. Build it now.

The bay trail project has been 20 years coming or even more if I remember. I am a cyclist and havr been appalled at the hate being spread on this issue all because a handful of Marxists want more parking. The facts are as per the peak cycling body is that this proposal will be safer and will assist in reducing fatalities and that is one Vics Cycle body support it. I want this to proceed. No longer can Governments build infrastructure without entitled individual setting up vested interest groups. Build it now.

Community asked for a back of kerb trail with nothing to do with narrowing of lanes coming into it. Cr West has tried on too many occasions to get the narrowing of beach road over the line and this his tipped us all over. The safety it compromises, the congestion it increases, the parking implications, the negative effect in local sporting groups and business's. The narrowing of beach road was never consulted on and the community, as a whole, are finally standing up and saying NO.
Do Not Narrow Beach Road

I fully support the bay trail plan and wish the council would proceed asap. It is disappointing to see a small vocal disgruntled group stopping progress to this long over due piece of infrastructure. You only have to visit the Face Book page 'Do Not Narrow Beach Road' to see how misguided the arguments are of this small angry group. Also disappointing to see the endless personal attacks against Cr West a democratically elected official.
From a safety perspective I note that you cannot enter a lane legally unless the adjacent lane is clear of traffic so given Beach Road is only 2 lanes in each direction this change will have no impact access (you need two lanes clear both before and after the narrowing). Also regarding bike safety, to provide a safe passing distance you already need to change lanes for cyclists so a small reduction will make no impact (you will still need to change lanes for cyclist with the lane reduction).
The councilors were democratically elected and have now made a decision on the bay trail. I truly hope this small angry group does not hold the community hostage any longer.

As a Parkdale resident I want the Bay Trail to be completed to Mordialloc, but am angry that the previous extensive community consultation that was already completed and approved by council has been disregarded by Cr West with this new proposition to narrow Beach Rd to preserve a small amount of vegetation which could easily be offset planted elsewhere. As I understand it over 80% of previous community consultation wanted Back of Kerb option with NO narrowing of Beach Rd. Please do not narrow Beach Rd - it will compromise safety of car users, cyclists, people parking for the beach/schools/shops by pushing all these road users closer together as well as increasing traffic management difficulty for events that use Beach Rd such as triathlons etc, and decreasing informal parking along the road (by creating formal kerbs) which is used in summer for beach goers. Please council listen to your residents.