Update (22 October 2020):
This recent report on a new roundabout proposed in Horsham has unfortunately resulted in some confusion.
To be clear, Bicycle Network has never reviewed, nor endorsed the plans for this intersection. Our report on the council announcement of the project was not meant to imply Bicycle Network involvement.
We understand that this project dates back to 2017, but was not proceeded with at that time. Now it has been resurrected.
The TAC, which is co-funding the project with the local council, has undertaken to investigate the current design and ensure that it complies with contemporary practice.
8 October 2020
One of Horsham's busiest intersections is being upgraded to incorporate bike lanes and improve safety for roundabout riders.
The Hamilton-Firebrace Street roundabout will be upgraded by the end of the year to include green bike lane treatments to highlight and allocate space in the roundabout for bike riders.
Hamilton Street already has on-road bike lanes, but in the current design these disappear at the intersection, causing bikes and other vehicles to merge together, sometimes dangerously, as they negotiate the roundabout.
The new design, which is commonly used in Melbourne and other rural cities such as Ballarat, has been approved by the Transport Accident Commission safety audit and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Chief Executive Officer of the Horsham Rural City Council said the project was a key priority of the Horsham Bicycle Advisory Committee.
“Hamilton Street has on-road bicycle lanes each way but riders are forced to merge with vehicles at the roundabout,” Mr Bhalla said.
“Due to the number of community facilities located on Hamilton Street and its role as a connector to off and on road paths, the bicycle committee has identified this route as a priority.
“This is first step in Council’s goal to have more visible cycling pathways around the city as identified in the Horsham Urban Transport Plan,” he said.
The project is being jointly funding by HRCC and the Transport Accident Commission.
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