e.CAN 180 - The email bulletin of Cycling Advocates' Network, NZ

e.CAN

Contents:
- Musicians demand cycling on the Auckland Harbour Bridge
- Toll could pave the way for pedestrians and cyclists
- Cyclists declare John Key a cycling champion
- CAN seeks Media & Marketing Co-ordinator
- Young Kiwis want transport change
- South Island's canals by bike
- How to get more bicyclists on the road: find out what women want
- Cycling facilities do reduce crashes, says report
- Australian Cycling Conference 2010
- Experts stress health benefits of cycling
- Walk (or cycle) and ignore the food miles, British told
- Copenhagen climate conference: Danes launch campaign to get the world cycling
- Taxpayers ride to rescue of Paris bike-hire scheme
- 20mph speed zones cut road injuries by 40%, study says
- Beware, iPod zombie cyclists are on the rise
- Weblinks

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MUSICIANS DEMAND CYCLING ON THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE

27 November 2009- "Let us cycle on the Harbour Bridge" is the catchy chorus to an Auckland band's music video being released today. Inspired by the GetAcross bridge protest six months ago, the music video asks for access across the Bridge as part of the National Cycleway.

Musician Karsten Schwardt lives on Auckland's North Shore and usually cycles to work in Parnell via the Birkenhead ferry. After taking part in the bridge protest in May 2009, he wrote the song 'Cycling On The Harbour Bridge' and recorded it with the help of The Electric Era band members Brignall Wood, Taneth Peel and David Chechelashvili.

A music video in support of the GetAcross campaign featuring the song and original footage of the bridge walk followed soon after. The video was produced by Karsten; camera work by Karsten, Sam Kiwan and Andy Smith.

GetAcross spokesman Bevan Woodward says, "This song is fantastic and the music video is great fun. The GetAcross campaign is entirely run by Auckland volunteers. Here's another great example of that generous support. It reinforces how important the Bridge walk/cycleway is. Now that we have a technical and funding solution, we'll be working hard to see it built."

The music video can be viewed online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXxqApsFMNI

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TOLL COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS

27 November 2009- Walking and cycling campaigners are proposing a novel user-pays tolling scheme to blaze a pathway across Auckland Harbour Bridge in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The Getacross Campaign, supported by the Holmes Consulting Group of engineers, is today unveiling a proposal for a $12 million shared walking and cycleway it believes could be tucked under the outside cantilevered edge of the bridge's southbound clip-on.

Tommy Parker, NZ Transport Agency's northern highways manager, confirmed to the Herald that his organisation would consider the proposal as long as Getacross could guarantee construction costs.

An initial toll of 95c each way is proposed for users of a stored-value smart card such as for Auckland's proposed integrated public transport ticket, or $2.50c for cash or eftpos transactions through a barrier-controlled payment system. Children would cross the bridge for half price.

Although there should ideally be no tolls for allowing cyclists and pedestrians access to the bridge, a pathway was unlikely to be built within 25 years without them. GetAcross spokesman Bevan Woodward also noted that motorists paid tolls to use the bridge for its first 25 years.

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CYCLISTS DECLARE JOHN KEY A CYCLING CHAMPION

10 December 2009- Cyclists presented Prime Minister John Key with a special award for services to cycling today.

Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) Deputy Chair Glen Koorey said Mr Key is a worthy recipient for his personal commitment to leading the New Zealand Cycle Trail Project.

"We think the Cycle Trail is an awesome idea."

"A well-developed cycling network is more important than ever before. It is good to see the trail recognised as nationally important. We look forward to a range of other related projects to build on its benefits for local communities."

CAN held its annual workshop in New Plymouth last month, where CAN members enthusiastically agreed to make this award.

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SOUTH ISLAND'S CANALS BY BIKE

9 December 2009- We are off to a heavenly start on our four- day cycle trip on the Tekapo Canal Trail. First, at the famous Church of the Good Shepherd, I gaze over the altar to the milky turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. Then at the domes of Mt John Observatory, high above the lake, we can study the southern heavens in some of the world's darkest conditions.

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HOW TO GET MORE BICYCLISTS ON THE ROAD: FIND OUT WHAT WOMEN WANT

October 2009- Getting people out of cars and onto bicycles, a much more sustainable form of transportation, has long vexed environmentally conscious city planners. Although bike lanes painted on streets and automobile-free "greenways" have increased ridership over the past few years, the share of people relying on bikes for transportation is still less than 2 percent, based on various studies. An emerging body of research suggests that a superior strategy to increase pedal pushing could be had by asking the perennial question: What do women want?

Meanwhile, the Beauty and the Bike project is getting girls back on bikes in the UK:

http://www.bikebeauty.org/english/

And Taiwan's "godmother of the bicycle", Bonnie Tu (executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Giant Bicycles), is on a mission to end male dominance in bike design:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article6946506.ece

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CYCLING FACILITIES DO REDUCE CRASHES, SAYS REPORT

21 October 2009- Each year more and more evidence is gathered that shows the correlation between increased bicycle safety as a result of increased access to bicycle facilities. This literature review is no different in its conclusion. What is revealing about this paper, titled The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling crashes and injuries: a review of the literature, is how extensive the review is. The literature review looks at twenty-three papers that examine bicycle facilities at intersections and along straightaways in Europe and North America. The conclusion states what we in the bicycle community already know, more bicycle facilities means less crashes and injuries.

While the conclusion is obvious, further examination of the data revealed that not all bicycle facilities are equal in providing safety. Obvious claims were made that clearly marked bike lanes and facilities were safer than mixing bicyclists with on road traffic or off road pedestrians. Yet separated cycle tracks that route cyclists around the roundabout were proven to be far safer than a bike lane with traffic. The reason being is due to errors associated with drivers searching for automobiles but failing to "see" bicyclists. While the conclusion was only applied to literature reviews of roundabouts from Europe, this can be easily translated to busy American roads that have an excess of speed and signage. Such road designs and conditions are death traps for bicyclists.

To offset these dangers transportation planners must enlist a multitude of tools. Even though bicycle lanes, paths, and tracks are key components to safety so too are basics such as proper placement of bicycle facilities. The claim that minor roads are safer than major roads is not a groundbreaking revelation by any means. But creating a bicycle boulevard trail system on minor roads like Portland, Oregon did is more cost effective and less contentious than paving bike lanes on every major road. Either way there is no single solution to providing safety to bicyclists. In the end coordinated bicycle facilities and policies will need to be in place to reduce crashes and injures.

Download the report here:

http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/47

[From CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the US National Center for Bicycling & Walking]

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AUSTRALIAN CYCLING CONFERENCE 2010

Adelaide 18 & 19 January 2010

This conference provides an opportunity for academics, practitioners and advocates of cycling to present their cycling research and new cycling projects. It is an opportunity to network with people involved in cycling research, policy development, planning and project implementation. The conference aims to develop cycling research, knowledge and expertise.

Further information here:

http://www.hubtt.com.au/australiancyclingconference.htm

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EXPERTS STRESS HEALTH BENEFITS OF CYCLING

9 December 2009- Medical journal The Lancet has published a report highlighting the importance of cycling in tackling health and environmental problems.

The report looks at transport in London and Delhi, India. It says that in both cities, an increase in walking and cycling and a decrease in car use would not only help tackle climate change, but also bring huge health benefits to residents.

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WALK (OR CYCLE) AND IGNORE THE FOOD MILES, BRITISH TOLD

12 December 2009- A guidebook unveiled in Copenhagen overnight makes mincemeat of the concept of "food miles", telling British shoppers that if they are really worried about their carbon footprints they could do more good by cycling or walking to the supermarket.

The advice by Oxfam and the International Institute for Environment and Development to avoid "knee-jerk" guilt about food miles will be music to the ears of New Zealand food exporters, who have long argued that the concept is simplistic.

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COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CONFERENCE: DANES LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO GET THE WORLD CYCLING

11 December 2009- On every street there are bikes cruising past and outside every shop is an "iron horse" often unlocked, since bike theft is so uncommon. Everyone owns a bicycle and some people have two. In central Copenhagen half the population bike to work.

Now Denmark wants to spread the love, and what better opportunity than a climate change summit on your doorstep?

The Danish Cycling Federation says the world can look "backwards" to countries like America that have dumped the bicycle and are struggling with rising obesity and CO2 levels as a consequence or "forwards" to countries like Denmark where the bike is taking over.

As the world struggles to find ways to fight climate change, the Danish Cycling Embassy, a coalition of NGOs, local government and charities, will be lobbying different countries to take up the bicycle as a way to improve the cityscape, boost health and most of all cut emissions.

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TAXPAYERS RIDE TO RESCUE OF PARIS BIKE-HIRE SCHEME

24 November 2009- The city of Paris has been forced to pump taxpayers' money into the deflated tyres of its widely-copied, self-service, bicycle hire scheme.

After just over two years, Velib, which offers bikes for hire on almost every large street corner in Paris, remains a free-wheeling, popular success. The help-yourself, electronic racks of sturdy bicycles have been copied worldwide and are due to reach London by next May.

However, vandalism and theft remain so rampant that Paris city authorities were obliged yesterday to come to the aid of the private company which runs the scheme.

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20MPH SPEED ZONES CUT ROAD INJURIES BY 40%, STUDY SAYS

11 December 2009- UK cities should have more 20mph speed zones, as they have cut road injuries by over 40% in London, a study claims.

In particular the number of children killed or seriously injured has been halved over the past 15 years, the British Medical Journal reported.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine study estimates 20mph zones have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone.

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BEWARE, IPOD ZOMBIE CYCLISTS ARE ON THE RISE

29 November 2009- WATCH out for the iPod zombies. Cyclists distracted by music blaring in their ears have become the latest menace on Britain's roads.

The fashion for cyclists to wear earphones on crowded city streets is being held partly responsible for the recent upsurge in cycling injuries and deaths, as well as collisions with pedestrians.

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WEBLINKS

- Where is the love?

http://www.whereisthelove.tv/

- Bike rage: Wikipedia's take on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_rage

- Cycle Safety: Reducing Crash Risk- a crash prediction model for on-roadway cyclists:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/389/docs/389.pdf

- The Bike Song, from The Grave Architects:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAO95Q5IiYY

- MonkeyLectric: a 'revolutionary' lighting system for bikes:

http://www.monkeylectric.com/

- Fully loaded touring: picture gallery of loaded-up touring bikes in exotic locations:

http://www.pbase.com/canyonlands/fullyloaded

- Anne Mustoe: an obituary for the round-the-world cycling headmistress:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6935356.ece

- Cycling Books: an online catalogue of cycling book reviews:

http://cycling-books.com/

- Thinking about cycling: a blog pondering the bicycle:

http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpress.com/

- Cyclenation: papers from a recent UK conference on cycling are up here:

http://www.cyclenation.org.uk/resources/papers.php

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ABOUT CAN

Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) is New Zealand's voice for cyclists. We want to see cycling become an everyday activity in NZ. CAN's membership includes experienced cyclists, advocates, engineers, planners, local and regional councils, bike shops, and local advocacy groups throughout the country.

To find out more about CAN, go to our website, http://www.can.org.nz.

ABOUT e.CAN

e.CAN is distributed approximately every 1-2 weeks to CAN members and other interested people. CAN members also get our bi-monthly magazine, ChainLinks.

To check back issues of e.CAN, go to http://www.can.org.nz/ecan .

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Comments

'Ask John Key to go for a ride on a bicycle in Copenhagen'

Permalink Submitted by urbanbicycles on 16 December, 2009 - 15:37

'Ask John Key to go for a ride on a bicycle in Copenhagen'

It would be very helpful to us if New Zealand's Cycling Champion Prime-Minister could be seen experiencing riding, as most people do in Copenhagen, unhelmeted, on an urban appropriate utility style bicycle with thousands of other bicyclists on the segregated cycleways.

Send him a short e-mail a.s.a.p.

john.key@national.org.nz

nick.smith@national.org.nz

Check out: http://www.copenhagenize.com/

Alan Preston in Mangawhai, Northland.
http://urbanbicycles.googlepages.com/ [6]