CAN's Achievements

photo: Hauraki Rail Trail, near Paeroa

CAN's achievements, 1997-2023

Advocacy and Leadership

• Made numerous high-quality submissions on legislation, strategies and policies affecting cyclists. These have led to many victories for cyclists.
• Made a crucial contribution to the establishment of Getting There, NZ's first Walking & Cycling Strategy and helped shape the implementation process.
• Raised awareness of cycling in the NZ Road Code.
• Contributed to the Code for Cycling.
• Regular representation of cyclists at meetings with key Government Ministers, MPs, Ministry of Transport, Waka Kotahi / NZ Transport Agency, NZ Police, Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Health and other agencies.
• Successfully lobbied for the NZ Cycle Trails
• Successfully lobbied for the consideration of health benefits in the funding of cycling projects.
• Successfully lobbied for the establishment of Transfund's Cycling Advisory Group.
• Lobbied successfully for and contributed to NZ Supplement to Austroads 14, the standard design guide for cycle facilities in NZ.
• Cycling representation on key bodies, including the NZ Transport Agency Research Reference Group.
• Provide regular comment on request to national media (print, TV, radio) regarding cycling issues, and provided guidance to local members on how to deal with media.
• Contributed evidence to various Coroner inquests into cycling deaths, including the national inquiry (2011-13)
• Engaged with other sector groups (eg freight industry, Automobile Association; see Feb 2013 Chainlinks)
• Represented the interests of cycling at Parliamentary select committee hearings
• Engaged with a wide range of politicians at national and local levels
• Represented CAN at international meetings such as VeloCity
• Represented CAN on research projects such as Minimum Overtaking Gaps, speed management, and parking policy

Campaigns

• CAN’S CYCLE SAFETY SURVEY and road safety campaign for the Road Safety summit 2018. 
• Campaigns around cycle safety, national and local elections, and other issues.
• Stop At Red to reduce crashes and improve the status of cycling in the eyes of the public and policy-makers.
• Give Us Room campaign for a safe passing gap rule
• Make Cycling Count census campaign
• Who is the Friendly Cyclist and Cruise the Waterfront campaigns for Cycle Wellington.

Education

• Help incubate and gain funding for the Safe Ways School Pilot in Cambridge. This pilot was successful and will be implemented in other schools/cities.  
• Developed CAN's magazine ChainLinks (first issued in July 1997) into a widely read and respected source of cycling-related information.
• Set up the annual CAN Cycle-Friendly Awards  which recognise business, NGO and government agency support for cycling. Worked with NZTA in 2016 to relaunch these as Bike to the Future / On The Go Awards
• During 2010-2011 with NZTA funding, then BikeNZ and CAN collaborated on road user workshops specifically designed for bus drivers. CAN has run over 325 Share the Road workshops for 4,700 drivers and cyclists helping them to understand each other and get on well on the road. The campaign has also delivered 40 public events educating over 5,000 members of the public about the safety issues associated with riding bicycles near heavy vehicles.
• Continuing on from this work, Cycling New Zealand and CAN successfully applied for Road Safety Trust funding in 2012.  This led to CAN successfully delivering, with Cycling NZ, the Safer Cycling Programme for NZTA, providing cycle instructor training, road user workshops, and Share The Road campaigns.  This work completed in December 2015.
• Following the release of the Cycling Safety Panel's report late 2015, NZTA undertook to fund further behaviour change programmes focusing on heavy vehicles.  Early in 2016, CAN was awarded further work directly funded by NZTA, the Share The Road Campaign.  This work is ongoing at present.

Funding

• Successfully lobbied for the creation of the Urban Cycleways Programme
• Successfully lobbied for the creation of Waka Kotahi /NZ Transport Agency (then Transfund) dedicated Walking and Cycling Fund.
• Helped secure the future of and increased funding for Bike Wise.

Networking

• Successfully managed the first nationwide Bike Expo event in Christchurch in 2017.
• Developed a comprehensive national cycling advocacy network through individual members, local cycling groups and supporting organisations.
• Made a major contribution to the establishment and ongoing success of the NZ Cycling Conference series.
• Run CAN Do, the annual national summit for cycling advocates
• Established a CAN national office, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram presence
• Supported Frocks on Bikes, Bike On Trust, ReBicycle and other cycling initiatives

Resources

• Produced a wide range of resources for cyclists and advocates to use at a local level.
• Developed the Cycle Friendly Employer Guide for SPARC to distribute.
• Established a frequently visited website and regular e.CAN electronic newsletters which provide invaluable information and resources.
• Set up the CAN library, used regularly by members, students and transport professionals.
• Developed a range of quality cycling merchandise.
• Developed Cycling Suits, a cycling programme for workplaces.
  

Skills Training

• Made a major contribution to the development and delivery of in-service training on cycling issues for transport professionals (the "Fundamentals" course).
• Developed "Cycle Aware" workshops to help cyclists and other road user groups (Police, bus-drivers, etc) understand each other.
• Delivered papers and presentations or attended many national and international conferences,
• Contributed to the development of Bike Ready, and NZ cycle skills training guidelines, and provided cyclist and instructor training to various local groups around the country via our Bikeability programme.
• Upskilled advocates with technical, media, networking and presentation skills