News
Nov
Take action to make our roads safer
We are distressed at this week's crashes and want to take action.
Here's some ideas from the Cycling Advocates Network.
1. If you are in Wellington, come to Civic Square at 5pm on Friday 19th, where we'll make a short video. See below for details.
2. Keep riding. There's safety in numbers so the more people there are riding, the lower the risk.
3. Remember that fatal crashes are rare - down from 27 in 1990.
4. Send your thoughts to Minister of Transport Steven Joyce: s.joyce@ministers.govt...
Nov
Blame is hard to prove, but campaigners argue trifling penalties gives little incentive for drivers to change their behaviour
Is a £200 fine and three points on your licence an appropriate punishment for killing a cyclist on the road? According to Kingston magistrates' court, where last month Joao Lopes pleaded guilty to "driving while eyesight was such that you could not comply with the requirements of a prescribed eye test", it is.
Lopes was driving his 32-tonne tipper truck, without wearing glasses, on 5 February 2009 when he ran over Eilidh Cairns, a 30-year-old TV...
Nov
New Hutt City councillor Lisa Bridson is proving she will walk the talk or if not, cycle it.
Ms Bridson campaigned on environmental sustainability and said she would fight for a better deal for cyclists and pedestrians in the city.
A "big fan" of walking and cycling as affordable, convenient and sustainable ways to get around, she arrived at her first official council meeting last week by bike, having also cycled to an earlier gathering to meet senior officers.
For her, it was no Celia Wade-Brown copycat action or publicity stunt. She strongly believes that if...
Nov
Retest drivers every 10 years, say cycling advocates.
CAN spokesman Patrick Morgan says it's blindingly obvious that we aren't doing enough to make our roads safe.
"It's time we all took more responsibilty for road safety."
His comments follow news of a fatal crash on Tamaki Drive today.
"While there's no silver bullet that will eliminate all crashes, we need to take a fresh look at licensing and testing the competence of drivers."
Mr Morgan said feel-good campaigns such as 'Share the Road' aren't effective unless...
Nov
An injured and shaken Auckland cyclist says he was subjected to an angry lecture from the driver who forced him off the road last week.
DOC Ranger John McLaren broke his collarbone and shoulder blade when he fell while trying to avoid a grey SUV in east Auckland on Thursday.
He was still in shock and recovering on the footpath when the driver came to blame him for the crash.
The driver then left without calling an ambulance or giving his name and contact details.
Mr McLaren was given morphine and spent two days in Auckland Hospital recovering from his injuries.
...Nov
A cyclist has died this evening following a crash on Auckland's Tamaki Drive.
The cyclist reportedly collided with a truck outside Kelly Tarlton's and Hammerhead restaurant.
The deceased was trapped beneath the wheel of the vehicle, dying at the scene before emergency staff could free them.
Herald reporter Amelia Wade said more police continue to arrive and are currently working to get members of the public outside the cordon.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10688223
Nov
Dunedin City Council is making its Southern Cycle Routes option decision at its first Council meeting with a decision due late today or tomorrow.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/136324/cycle-options-test-dcc
The new Council appears to be favourable to opening up at least the Caversham Tunnel (and considering the Chain Hills Tunnel). Here is hoping the Council votes for an economically sound cycle (and walking) project. The feasability report states clearly the tourism dollars that such a project would likely generate.
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/cycling-...
Nov
The St James Cycle Trail - the first full Great ride to open on Nga Haerenga, The NZ Cycle Trail, official opening of the St James Cycle Trail.
Saturday 20 November, 10.30am at the Maling Pass entrance car park~35km from Hanmer Springs-just before Lake Tennyson.
Bring your bike to be one of the first to cycle part of this new trail.
For details of the Official Opening, length and times for various cycling options and safety information
www.visithununui.co.nz
Wet weather alternative -St James Homestead
The St James Cycle Trail - the first full Great...
Nov
Since CAN presented the 3,500-signature petition and 9-point plan in 2008, have we seen enough action to improve safety?
Driver competence is clearly an issue. So let's call for retesting.
You can start driving at around 15 or 16, and there's no check to see if you are up to date with road rules, just an eyesight test every 10 years.
Let's require drivers to demonstrate their competence evey 10 years. There's a duty of care that goes with operating a vehicle that can kill.
What else should we call for?
Nov
The Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) has called for urgent action following the deaths of three cyclists this weekend.
CAN spokesperson Patrick Morgan says news of the deaths has highlighted the need for New Zealand's roads to be made safer for people cycling and those wanting to take it up.
"There are Government strategies and programmes to promote cycling and cycle safety, but we haven't seen enough changes on the street yet."
"Urgent action is needed. This will require a lot more resources and leadership to make changes."
In 2008 CAN presented a 3...
Nov
Attached is a Health and Safety Plan and Ride Briefing Glen wrote up for bus bike awareness workshop. I generalised that Health and Safety Plan however mostly left the wording in Square brackets that Glen wrote, as found the words useful prompts myself. Thanks for this Glen it is really comprehensive.
The H & S plan is useful for organisers to think clearly about potential dangers.Although obviously it needs to be filled in by a competent experienced person.
The Ride Briefing is almost entirely drafted up by Glen too. I just added a bit more re what to tell participants e....
Nov
It's with heavy hearts that we need to inform you that as of today, 10th November, we are suspending Auckland's public bike service. After 3 years of running the operation as an advertiser funded service, we've come to a point where we can no longer sustain the business in its current format. The last of your Nextbikes will be coming off the streets today.
We are working hard to save public bikes for Auckland and need your help now. To save the service we need your support, feedback, thoughts and ideas at our Facebook Page - Nextbike Rider. With the current change in the cities...
Nov
Does This Match Your Experience?
Donald Appleyard (1928-1982) was a Professor of Urban Design at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1981, he published his research on "livable streets" and the impact that our car culture can have on the quality of life of people living near busy streets. He quantified community interactions in similar neighborhoods that had more or less car traffic, and this allowed him to uncover fundamental principles that urban planners should use to make our cities better to live in (and also greener). Our friend at Streetfilms...
Nov
Nelson Councillor & Police Officer Eric Davy said he would be happy to see a cycle allowance (for remuneration) introduced alongside the introduction of a cyclist tax.
If Nelson city councillors were paid by the minute, they wouldn't have done too badly out of their discussion on their pay.
It generated the biggest response out of any items on the agenda at their meeting last week.
A staff recommendation that councillors adopt an annual salary payment system drew comments on whether it was the fairest pay method.
Councillor Ian Barker said...
Nov
A new Swedish invention could spell the end of bad hair days for bike riders.
A Swedish design house has created a potentially life-saving fashion accessory for cyclists.
The Hovding airbag collar has been designed to provide a safe alternative to the bicycle helmet without the detrimental effect that stack-hats tend to have on one's hairdo.
Designed to wrap around the cyclists neck like a scarf, the Hovding (which means Chieftain in Swedish) will deploy an airbag in the form of a hood if its in-built sensors detect a potential head impact.
The sensors are...
Nov
A Balham biker has gone into the cycling community’s record books by becoming the rider of the one millionth Barclays cycle hire journey.
And as a special thank you, the banking giant awarded 37-year-old Rupert Parson and three friends annual membership of the scheme for five years - as well as a cycling makeover at Bobbins Bicycles in Islington.
Mr Parson said: “It was a complete surprise, and I have to say that I thought it might be a practical joke when first took the phone call.
“I normally commute on my bicycle along a cycle superhighway, but there are...
Nov
Communal bike hire is great - but do we have to help advertise a bank? James May's not so sure.
This column, as I've tried to make perfectly clear in the past, is pro-bicycle and pro-cycling. I love a bicycle and I haven't been without at least one since I was three years old.
That's why I don't like being lectured about cycling by sanctimonious reformers who bought one last week and imagine the rest of us haven't discovered them yet.
The bicycle might just be the greatest of all inventions. It empowers the human machine, and with no input beyond...
Nov
This report is up before the NPDC's Monitoring Committee; their first meeting is on November 9th starting 4.30 pm.
Anyone want to go and speak to it in support of the Roading Asset team?
Full agenda including Kylee's report in at:
http://www.newplymouthnz.com/CouncilDocuments/AgendasandMinutes/MonitoringCommittee.htm
SPEED LIMIT REVIEW - TARATA ROAD, NEW PLYMOUTH DISTRICT
TEAM: Roading Asset
APPROVED BY: Max Aves (Manager Roading Assets)
DATE: 18 October 2010
WARD/COMMUNITY: Inglewood
FILE REFERENCE: RT-12...
Nov
Success in a competition to design new gates for the Rotary Pathway has also netted Hawke's Bay students national design awards.
Thomas Daulton, from Lindisfarne College, has won the secondary school category of the nationwide Transpower Neighbourhood Engineers' Awards, a competition run by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ). He earned $1000 for his school.
http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/gate-design-for-pathways-wins-award/3928299/