NEWS

Best cycling projects and champions announced

NZTA logoCycle Friendly Awards 2014, supported by NZ Transport Agency

New Zealand's best cycling projects, campaigns and champion were announced at the
2 WalkandCycle Conference in Nelson today.

The winners in six categories were recognised for their contributions to making cycling a fun, safe everyday activity for all New Zealanders.

"We're delighted to see the quality of finalists gets better and better each year," said Cycling Advocates' Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan.

"With wide political support for investing in cycling, that's no surprise. Cycle delivers more transport choices, better health, lower transport bills and is loads of fun."

1. ViaStrada award for Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Public Organisation:
Dunedin City Mayor and Councilors

The commitment to improved cycling displayed by the Mayor and Councillors since 2012 is fast making Dunedin the leader for high-quality cycling infrastructure in New Zealand. In particular, their commitment to building separated lanes on SH1 through central Dunedin has inspired other cities.

The Dunedin SH1 separated cycle lanes project is possibly the most significant breakthrough for urban cycling in New Zealand history. This marks a turning point where Councils are willing to support high level separated facilities, even at the expense of on-street parking loss - previously regarded as impossible.

Contact: Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull, dcull@dcc.govt.nz tel 03 477 4000

2. CAN award for Best Cycle Facility Project:
St Vincent Street Cycle Way, Nelson
School travel planning, community engagement and knowledge of the network showed there was inadequate connection to the Nelson CBD, especially the Railway reserve for vulnerable and non-confident cyclists. With more than 300 cycle trips daily the need was obvious.

The route connects to the Great Taste Trail and serves people going to Victory School, Nelson Intermediate, retail areas, and the hospital.

Phase one of the the St Vincent Street 2-way cycle lane has been built and phase 2 is in design stage. Nelson City Council have installed a 2 way cycle lane between the footpath and parked cars. The project involved the challenge of removing 135 car parks - a traditional battle ground for installing cycle facilities. A comprehensive education campaign was carried out explaining the differences and the expectations of different users. Where businesses were concerned about loss of parking staff worked with them to explore parking management for staff and customers.

Contact: Marg.parfitt@ncc.govt.nz tel 027 678 3384

3. CAN award for Best Cycling Promotion
Cycling's the Go Summer Programme, Auckland

The Cycling's the Go Summer Programme delivered 73 activities in Auckland during February and March 2014.

With events and activities offered through one overall summer programme, people were able to attend multiple activities to progress their skills. The use of real people to front the programme encouraged potential attendees by showing that ‘people like them' attend training courses and events. The videos which profiled the cycle training courses in particular showed potential trainees what the experience would be like and helped to overcome hesitancy to attend. The videos achieved 88,826 views during the campaign period.

Events included:
Ciclovia on Quay event, attended by 20,000 people.
42 cycle training sessions, attended by 475 people.
10 Ride 'n' Repair Stations were held on six cycleways, providing safety checks and bike bells. Approximately 500 people visited a station during the summer.
Commuter Pit Stops. 600 commuter cyclists visited a pit stop.
Eight family cycle events, attracting 757 people.

Contact: Debbie.lang@aucklandtransport.govt.nz, www.cyclingsthego.co.nz tel 027 222 9936

4. CAN award for Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Business
NZ Bus Road User Workshop

NZ Bus has been a staunch supporter of the Road User Workshop programme designed to educate professional drivers and cyclists about sharing the road with each other. The programme, developed and delivered by CAN in cooperation with BikeNZ, is funded by the Road Safety Trust and overseen by NZTA. The Wellington workshops are funded and run by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

The programme gives professional drivers and cyclists the opportunity to see the road from the other's point of view. Since 2011 nearly 300 NZ Bus employees have taken part in workshops. These have been effective in opening communications between bus drivers and cyclists, and identifying problems and solutions. By reducing hostility, urban streets become more enjoyable to ride. NZ Bus has also supported drivers who have participated in the workshops and then shown interest in cycling to work by taking part in AT Journey Planning programme. Drivers were given bikes for a month and cycle skills.

NZ Bus also collaborated with CAN and BikeNZ on a series of safety videos for drivers and cyclists in 2012. The safety videos run on NZ Bus depot screens.

Contact: Semo.Asa@nzbus.co.nz tel 09-373 9118

5. CAN award for Cycle Champion
Dr. Glen Koorey

Glen Koorey is a highly effective cycling role model. He gives 100 percent to helping make New Zealand world-class for people who want to cycle for transport and everyday life.

Glen's passion is helping achieve a more attractive and accessible cycling environment, to entice people to cycle. He achieves this by supporting cycling promotions, teaching engineering planning and design skills, and sharing academic research and specialist advice.

Glen is a Senior Lecturer in Transportation at the University of Christchurch. He is a cycling champion at local, national, and international levels. Glen is at the top of his game in his busy, more-than-fulltime academic world and yet he willingly gives of his own time in a voluntary capacity.

Glen is actively engaged with Spokes Canterbury, Living Streets Aotearoa, Cycling in Christchurch, Christchurch City Council major Cycleway Routes team, National Cycle Safety Expert Panel, and the Bicycle Transportation Research Committee of the US Transportation Research Board and Scientists for Cycling

Contact Glen.Koorey@canterbury.ac.nz tel 027-739 6905

6. Auckland Transport award for Best Joint Walking and Cycling Project
Adolescent Mobility Health Consortium

The Adolescent Mobility Health Consortium broadens the focus for road safety. It considers health and well-being, transportation safety and environmental sustainability.

The Consortium is an academic initiative from the University of Otago's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine.

Motor vehicle injury is the leading cause of death and serious injury among New Zealanders aged 15-19. New Zealand also has the highest youth road crash death rate among OECD countries. But other harms from car use go far beyond traffic injuries. Non-traffic risks from car use include physical inactivity, obesity, alcohol and drug use, poorer grades, and sexually transmitted diseases. Ubiquitous driving places huge external costs on society in the forms of noise, pollution, congestion, sprawl, community severance, inequity, energy poverty, energy depletion, and climate change.

The Adolescent Mobility Health Consortium has broadened the thinking on youth and transport. With two symposia including academics, youth and international transportation experts, important ground work has been done.

Contact: Aimee Ward aimee.ward@otago.ac.nz tel 022 673 1278

Background
Cycling Advocates' Network history of the Cycle Friendly Awards
Finalists 2014 
Cycling Conference 2 WalkandCycle Conference

Contact: Patrick Morgan, Cycling Advocates' Network tel 027 563 4733

Release Date: 
Wednesday, 29 October, 2014