New Zealand Police National News Release 8:49am 21 May 2009
http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release.html?id=5115
The safety of all individuals will be the primary focus for Police during the planned protest at the Harbour Bridge by the Auckland GetAcross campaign group.
Waitemata District Road Policing Manager Superintendent John Kelly says the NZ Transport Agency has decided to disallow the public from walking or cycling across the bridge on Sunday.
"There is no cycle or walkway on the bridge. The inherent danger to everyone accessing the bridge while it...
News
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Government backs key CTC demand on road safety for cyclists 21/04/2009
CTC - the UK's national cyclists’ organisation, has strongly welcomed the inclusion of a new target to reduce the risk of cycling in the Government’s draft Road Safety Strategy, published today.
The strategy backs CTC’s call for a target to halve the risks of cycling within 10 years, and that this target should be based on reducing the actual risks faced by cyclists, not simply on reducing the number of cyclists injured.
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Here's the Cabinet Paper on the NZ Cycleway.
Paragraphs 27 and 28 indicate the govt's approach: co-funding with regional partners. So if you want govt $ to build a cycleway, get a proposal together and start talking to the Ministry of Tourism.
http://www.tourism.govt.nz/Documents/Policy%20Website/Documents/Cycleway...
It's also attached below.
And from http://www.tourism.govt.nz/Our-Work/National-Cycleway-Project/
What’s nextThe Ministry of Tourism has been researching New Zealand’s existing and proposed cycleway...
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Street Parking & Traders
Proposals to install bike lanes on major streets are often met with opposition from merchants who fear that the reallocation of road space from on‐street parking to on‐street bike lanes would hurt business.
To encourage more Canadians to use bicycles for utilitarian trips more often, it is essential that the implementation of bike lanes on major streets be accelerated.
The Bloor‐Danforth corridor is a particularly attractive option for a citywide east‐west bike lane in Toronto because it is one of the only long, straight,...
20
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Dear OAC member or supporter
The Ministry of Health’s contract with OAC expires on 30 June 2009.
We have been advised that the continuation of the contract has been considered, along with other nutrition and physical activity services that the Ministry funds, and as part of the Government’s line by line review of departmental expenditure and the efficiency, effectiveness and value for money of programmes such as ours.
Unfortunately, as a result of this review our contract will not renewed after 30 June 2009.
The Ministry has acknowledged and commended OAC for...
20
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It will be different spokes for different folks, with a new bike-hire scheme to be introduced in Wellington.
Nextbike, based in Auckland, will hire out 100 custom-built bikes from up to 20 sites in central Wellington from October to May.
Nextbike boss Julian Hulls said the German-designed, Chinese-built cycles would be ideal for tourists to move around Wellington during the Rugby World Cup. They could also be used on the great rides cycling project championed by Prime Minister John Key.
"They [hire bikes] are a missing piece of the puzzle really."
The bikes have...
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BRUSSELS, Belgium - Last Friday, at the final day of the international conference on cycling policy, Velo-city 2009, 27 cities signed the “Charter of Brussels” in the European Parliament. With this Charter the cities commit themselves to achieve at least a 15% share of all trips made in urban areas to be done by bicycle. Today, this share stands at about 5 % in Europe.
Next to the mayors from EU cities also the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee signed the Charter of Brussels whereby they commit themselves to investing in cycling policy by both...
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15 May 2009
Cycle Aware Wellington welcomes Minister of Tourism John Key's proposal for a series of Great Rides forming the backbone of a national cycleway.
An iconic Great Ride will be the Great Harbour Way, a cycling and walking route around Wellington Harbour (http://www.greatharbourway.org.nz/).
"The Great Harbour Way route passes Wellington Airport, the ferry terminals and railway station, and so will be accessible to tourists visiting Wellington and in transit to the South Island," says CAW spokesman Patrick Morgan.
"There are few places in the world...
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The Green Party has extended its agreement with National to include the New Zealand Cycleway Project.
"The cycleway can benefit the economy and the environment at the same time, and we strongly support this type of Green New Deal spending," said Green Party Tourism spokesperson Kevin Hague.
"We look forward to working with the Prime Minister to see a network of cycleways spread across the country."
The agreement to support the cycleway initiative has been added to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two parties.
...
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A pedal-powered printer is proving a hit with Ricoh staff and customers.
On World Environment Day each year Ricoh, a company which manufactures printers, copiers and fax machines, has its own Eco Action Day. On June 5 Ricoh will again be powering appliances through its custom built Power Cycle generator.
Ricoh NZ's MD Mike Pollok pedalling the Power Cycle
In previous years Ricoh has invited special guests such as ex-All Blacks, politicians and TV presenters to take a turn on the Power Cycle, with their output being used to supply electricity...
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http://yesmagazine.org/article.asp?id=3441
Bike Kitchens: Building Community, Bikes
by Rob Forbes
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Zen proverb
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, ‘Why are you riding your bicycles?’
The first student replied, ‘The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to
carry them on my back!’ The teacher praised the first student. ‘You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do.’
The second student replied, ‘I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I...
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Dunedin Cycling hits the headlines again!
http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/dunedin/56112/transport-options-dominate-hearings
(Adrienne Mulqueen (Spokes Dunedin new Secretary) is quoted, unfortunately left out Spokes so looks like she speaks for Grey Power!, but her topics were listed and she is writing a letter to the editor to get the proposals correctly attributed)
http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/dunedin/56122/funding-excites-cycleway-backers
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From Graham Reid at http://publicaddress.net/default,5885,the_wheels_of_progress.sm#post5885
The Wheels of ProgressThe prime minister's announcement this week of the new nationwide $50 million cycleway to be completed in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup has been met with widespread approval, notably from people in the historic Wellington suburbs of Karori and Khandallah which will be most affected by the six-lane route running from North Cape to somewhere called "Bluff".
A significant part of the plan -- which will be pushed though Parliament early next week under...
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CAN is meeting with Superintendant Paula Rose, Police National Road Safety manager on 24 June: a great chance to discuss with the Police some important issues affecting cyclists.
Please post any comments or suggestions for the meeting. Draft agenda is below:
Reducing speed limit enforcement toleranceLight sentences or decision not to prosecute for drivers hitting cyclists
Changing the assumption of responsibility in motor vehicle/cycle crashes
Legal/enforcement issues, including how far left is 'keep left'?, 'undertaking' motorists on the...
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The Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) welcomes the Government’s decision to allocate $50 million over three years to start the New Zealand Cycleway Project.
The Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) welcomes the Government’s decision to allocate $50 million over three years to start the New Zealand Cycleway Project.
CAN spokesperson Stephen McKernon says ‘the funding is an important start to the Project. It will contribute directly to international and domestic tourism and will provide great recreational rides for New Zealand’s 1.3 million cyclists. Local...
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From transport planners McCormick Rankin Cagney:
We are pulling together a report outlining the
benefits of walking and cycling, and I was wondering if you could help me ask
CAN members for some little sound byte quotations that we could put in. We
would like as much as we can get at short notice – basically before
Monday 18th.
Things like:
"We have found that people will bike if the
facilities are there, no matter the weather or the terrain”
Elizabeth Kiker, League of American...
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Attached are the Dunedin Tunnel Trails Trust Submissions to DCC LTCCP and RLTP.
Gerard Hyland sent these. Said I would post them to Spokes D website.
It looks like Spokes Dunedin, Living Streets Dunedin, Dunedin Tunnel Trails Trust, and Harbour Cycle Network are all speaking on Tuesday 19 May starting 1.10pm at ORCso great opportunity for all interested cyclists and walkers to attend who can.
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A message from Jasmine Cargill to all members of Frocks on Bikes, and others.
TVNZ Breakfast are doing a feature on sustainable transport and have asked for Frocks on Bikes to do a short interview, filming is at Britomart in Auckland tomorrow (thursday the 14th) between 8am and 8:40am. If you're in Akl (one day to be known as the City of Cycles) get on your gorgeous gear - we'd love you to join us for some morning frock fun!
A group will meet at Western Park on Ponsonby Rd at 7:45am and roll down K Rd and Queen St towards Britomart. If you're not in AKl please forward this...