Petition for Cycle Lanes on the Hibiscus Coast - Hibberdene to Port Edward

Imagine flying above the coast on a short trip from Hibberdene to Port Edward. Looking out the window of the plane you can see bicycle lanes as a continuous, single, coloured strip unifying the entire Hibiscus coast from one end to the other.

There is a great “road safety need” for South African motorists to be made aware that roads are not built solely for their use. Roads are frequently used by pedestrians, dog walkers, joggers and cyclists alike. Road demarcations , together with appropriate signage,  will help drivers become more aware of the presence of cyclists. It is also known that cyclists generally feel safer when using cycle lanes.

Bike lanes are defined as “a portion of the roadway which has been designated by striping, signing and pavement marking for the preferential or exclusive use by cyclists”. Bicycle lanes make the movements of both motorists and cyclists more predictable and as with other bicycle facilities there are advantages to all road users in striping them on the roadway.



Bicycle-friendly cities such as London and Amsterdam in Europe and various cities in the U.S have developed extensive bike lane networks since the 1970′s and more recently large cities such as Tucson, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle have begun to stripe bike lanes on their arterial and collector streets as a way of encouraging bicycle use.

There are a number of innovative bike lane designs that have been tried and tested to overcome particular barriers to cycling, or to solve a problem in a particular location.

  • Coloured bike lanes have been a feature of bicycle infrastructure in the Netherlands (red), Denmark (blue), France (green) and many other countries for many years. In the United Kingdom, both red and green pigments are used to delineate bike lanes and bike boxes.
  • A growing number of communities are using shared bus and bike lanes to give preferential treatment to both bikes and public transport.
  • While bike lanes should normally carry cyclists in the direction of traffic, there are some locations where there is a strong demand for cyclists to travel against the normal flow of traffic, or to travel in both directions on a one-way street.

34  Great Reasons To Have One Continuous Cycle Lane between Hibberdene and Port Edward 

  1. Unifying the Hibiscus coast with a single, continuous demarcated cycle strip
  2. Our Hibiscus Coast Will be Seen to Join the Global Environmental Initiative in Lowering our Carbon Footprint
  3. Tourism Spin off – The Hibiscus Coast as a Quality Road Biking Destination
  4. Giving Citizens a Cost Effective Alternative to Public Transport
  5. A Local Governmental Alternative to a High Quality Transportation System
  6. More Resources for Public Use
  7. High-Tech Business Is Attracted by a Perceived Better Quality of Life
  8. Improved Personal Finances
  9. Promoting a healthy lifestyle – Better Physical Health
  10. Better Mental and Emotional Health
  11. Fewer Overweight and Obese Citizens
  12. More Free Time
  13. More Beauty
  14. Greater Mobility
  15. Inclusion of all Cultures and Age Groups, including Senior Citizens
  16. More Equitable Living for Low Income Earners
  17. Increased Sense of Community
  18. Individual Opportunities for Safer Travel
  19. Less Congested Roads
  20. Safer, Quieter Neighbourhoods – Lowering Noise Pollution
  21. Enhanced and More Credible Metropolitan Image
  22. Better Air Quality
  23. Visually More Appealing Metropolitan Area
  24. Cleaner Surface and Ground Water
  25. Quieter City
  26. Slowed Pace of Global Warming
  27. More Sustainable Lifestyle
  28. Recognition for Leadership in Sound Environmental Policy
  29. Readiness for Other Environmental Initiatives
  30. Enhanced Quality of Life for Women
  31. Promote an Internationally Recognized Sport Right Here on The Hibiscus Coast
  32. Increase in Local Property Values.
  33. Correlation with Overall Wealth.
  34. Enhance the Opportunity for Local Business Growth

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