26-05-2025
Aussie city's new traffic light feature sparks debate: 'Overkill'
An Aussie city's 'amazing' new road feature has sparked debate among locals, with some drivers hitting out at the 'ridiculous' addition. A bicycle head-start light has been installed at an intersection in the heart of Hobart, allowing those who prefer to travel on two wheels a little leeway.
The recent move is part of the city council's two-year trial project to improve a 700-metre stretch of Collins Street, which also includes additional separate bicycle lanes, roadside dining areas and parking spaces. Authorities have also requested a slower speed limit for the busy stretch.
'Collins Street has been identified and prioritised for pedestrian and cycling use as outlined in the Inner Hobart Transport Network Operations Plan," Neil Noye, City of Hobart's director of strategic and regulatory services, told Yahoo News. It's a joint project between the Tasmanian Government and the City of Hobart.
'The installed lights on Collins Street — as part of the two-year Transforming Collins Street trial — at the intersection of Harrington and Barrack streets provide greater safety for all road users by allowing cyclists to clear the intersection first before vehicles get their green light," Noye said
The head-start traffic light has already been praised online, with 'stoked' locals sharing their excitement over the 'start of better things to come in Tassie'. Bicycle Network Tasmania said the addition 'enables people riding and walking to get ahead of the traffic and be seen by turning vehicles'.
However, not everyone is convinced, with drivers arguing they have been stuck waiting 'for the cyclists lights without a bike in sight'. 'Overkill and another car delay system,' one man said.
Bicycle head-start lights have been used in Australia for more than a decade and are 'very common in Melbourne', a spokesperson for Bicycle Network, the country's biggest bike riding organisation, told Yahoo.
'There was a time when crashes were common — the light would turn green, the bikes would shoot of across the intersection, but a car would run left and strike the people on bikes going straight ahead,' they said.
The signal was developed to 'give bikes several seconds to get out ahead where the drivers who were turning left could see them'. 'It has proven a very successful initiative in terms reducing crashes,' the spokesperson said.
Similarly, road safety authorities have implemented bicycle boxes where cyclists can position themselves in front of queued cars at a red light, also providing them with an advantage at an intersection.
'This is used where there is no head start phase: when the lights for all traffic turn green, bikes are several metres ahead of the car lanes. And the effect is similar to head-starts — a reduction in crashes between bikes and cars at the start of the green phase,' the spokesperson told Yahoo.
'There may be a short period of adjustment for road users in Hobart, but it will not be long before they intuitively understand the function, and it becomes a routine part of driving safely. We will eventually find that one or the other of these two solutions are universally used at most intersections on bikes routes in Australia.'
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Cyclists and motorists have long battled it out on Aussie roads, with tensions often exploding between the two — including an amusing tussle involving a postie that was caught on camera last year.
According to a survey conducted by the Tasmanian Government in 2023, there are a rising number of cyclists in Hobart, racking up 4,800 trips each day — a 50 per cent increase since 2019. At least 450 of those trips were conducted on Collins Street, the City of Hobart states on its website.
'Hobartians riding bikes is good for their health and good for motorists, as it results in less cars on the road and helps traffic flow better,' officials said.
'We know the number one barrier to more people taking up cycling or any form of active transport is safety, something which separated cycle lanes will help address.'
Others states have also seen an increase in bike riders, with an average growth of about six per cent across the country, the Bicycle Network revealed last year. The largest increase in bicycle or e-bike commuting was recorded in Tasmania, followed by NSW.
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