Mastodawn

Crashes at Lavenders Bridge, North Bellingen

* Just a short time ago two women were killed and another seriously injured after a motorist 'lost control' near the notorious Lavender Bridge and smashed into two cars parked at the riverside swimming spot. >>
https://coffscoast.newsofthearea.com.au/a-woman-has-tragically-died-in-a-crash-at-bellingen-on-thursday-afternoon

* Today there was another serious incident involving two e-bikes. An ambulance was seen at the crash zone. An injured person was seen lying on the ground. (The ambulance is visible on the Kombu Flood Camera at 2026-05-24 11.26 ) >>
https://kombuwholefoods.com.au/floodcam/

* The long road to a bike-friendly Australia >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/116626357349183983

* In the design of the new 'Lavenders Bridge Replacement' bikes and foot traffic do not seem to be a feature. A lot of bitumen was smeared over the river banks to facilitate the convenience for cars (parking).

Image: North Bellingen, Lavender Bridge Black Spot by design

#MobilityDesign #LavendersBridge #cars #motorists #infrastructure #climate #ActiveTransport #footpaths #SharedStreet #cyclists #ProtectedBikeLanes #dehumanisation #sprawl #suburbia #traffic #aggression #RoadRage #RoadTrauma #CarDependency #FossilFuels #BellingenShire #accidents #crash #pedestrians

BellingenNSW May 23

The long road to a bike-friendly Australia
and the dehumanisation of cyclists

* "At the rate Australian cities are building cycling networks, a cohesive system is probably decades away. What’s taking so long?

"NSW wants to double active transport trips in 20 years...But at the rate Australian cities are building cycling networks, a cohesive system is probably another 50 years away, experts speaking to The Fifth Estate warned. Progress is slow. (One bike bridge was recently installed in Melbourne after 37 years of lobbying and discussion.)"

"A 2024 report by The Australia Institute points out that less than 1 per cent of federal road funding goes to active transport infrastructure."

"Richter was one of 49 bike riders who died on Australian roads last year, up on the average of around 38 deaths per year between 2012-23. (Thousands more were hospitalised with serious injuries during that period.)." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-24/active-transport-cycling-bikes-cities-safety/106710436

* Dehumanization of cyclists predicts self-reported aggressive behaviour toward them: A pilot study >>
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847818308593?dgcid=author

#MobilityDesign #cars #motorists #infrastructure #climate #ActiveTransport #footpaths #SharedStreet #cyclists #ProtectedBikeLanes #dehumanisation #sprawl #suburbia #traffic #aggression #RoadRage #RoadTrauma #CarDependency #FossilFuels #Australia

IMAGE: Children on scooters on a 'normal' Bellingen bitumen streetscape lacking a footpath or a cycle path. Nothing is protecting the flesh and blood from metal and steel.