Hook turns, a staple of Melbourne’s traffic system, have made their way to Hobart’s CBD—but not for cars.
The City of Hobart has recently rolled out ‘wait left to turn right’ hook turn markings on Argyle Street specifically for cyclists.
New boxes on the left side of the intersections at Liverpool and Bathurst streets provide a designated space for riders to stop and wait before turning right across northbound traffic.
Alison Hetherington from the Bicycle Network said the additions to cycling infrastructure come in preparation for new cycle lanes on Liverpool and Bathurst streets between Campbell and Argyle streets.
“On some of those multi-lane roads where you’ve got three or four lanes of traffic and traffic is really heavy, you’re riding on the left as you’re supposed to,” she told Local Radio.
“If you can’t get across those three lanes of traffic to turn right, what you can do is just keep going through the intersection, pull over out of the way of the traffic behind you … and when the lights change you can turn right.”
Once cyclists are in the box, they wait for the Argyle Street light to turn red and the opposite signals to turn green before proceeding.
“Make sure you look behind you because so many cars are running red lights in Hobart that you don’t want to get cleaned up,” Hetherington warned.
Bicycle hook turns are legal in Tasmania under the Road Rules 2009, though they are not commonly performed.
Hetherington said motorists who see a cyclist stopped in the middle of the intersection can just continue straight past them.
“Where the cyclist is supposed to sit is not blocking the pedestrian crossing and not blocking the traffic lane,” she said.
Cycle lanes in the CBD have previously faced criticism from locals and city councillors, with plans to trial dual cycle lanes on Collins Street currently under consideration by the City of Hobart.
Last week, the council was forced to remove parking on Campbell Street, shifted to make way for a separated cycle lane, after emergency services raised concerns about vehicles overstaying the clearway parking rules and blocking traffic.
