News: June 2009

Latest newsletter from the Office for the Community & Voluntary Sector is online here.

Source: Bicyclesafe.com Note, this refers to American roads, thus riding on the right-hand side This page shows you real ways you can get hit and real ways to avoid getting hitThis is a far cry from normal bicycle safety guides, which usually tell you little more than to wear your helmet and to follow the law. But consider this for a moment: Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car. Sure, helmets might help you if you get hit, but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first place. Plenty of cyclists are killed by carseven though they were wearing helmets. Ironically, if they had ridden without helmets, yet followed the guidelines listed below, they might still be alive today. Don't fall for the myth that wearing a helmet is the first and last word in biking safety. In...

Things to remember if you have a crash. 1. Be Prepared to ActIf you crash and are injured, you may have to rely on bystanders for help.  If you are conscious and mobile after your crash be prepared to act.2. Get Off the RoadAfter a crash you might be disorientated and either lie or stand on the roadway. The priority is to get off the road and avoid the risk of further injury. Then think about getting your bike off the road if you can do it safely.If anyone is injured on the scene call the Police on 111.3. See if You Can Move OkayIf in doubt, ask someone to take you to a doctor or call an ambulance. Don’t act tough. If you don’t feel right, get help.4. Be CoolDon’t get upset. Don’t start blaming anyone. Don’t admit anything to anyone at this stage.5. Get Witnesses and DetailsIf you have been hit by a car, exchange details with the driver. Write down the registration number of the car and...

  Right... Brands Go Bike Crazy In NYC http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/brands-go-bike-crazy-in-nyc.html   June 23, 2009 Marketers and PR-folk take note, free bike rides just might be the next “pop-up shop” for their universal ability to lure in the general public and it appears retailers are catching on. Topshop and Whole Foods recently gave their customers more reason to turn to the alternative mode of transportation, with two bike-centric store events held in NYC.  Over the weekend, Anglophiles everywhere took notice when Topshop rolled out their new bicycle club concept, parking a small fleet of blue beach cruisers (decked out with baskets and cupcake stickers) outside their flagship store and making them available for free daily rental to the public. In exchange for leaving a credit card and signing a liability waiver, would-be cyclists were granted...

FWD message Hi everybody The Regional Transport Committee received (on Monday this week) the draft of the walking and cycling strategy and approved it to be be circulated to targetted stakeholders for submissions or feedback.   I have identified about 80 stakeholders whom we are targetting for feedback through a submission/feedback process. A proportion of the 80 stakeholders are members of the steering group who helped shape the strategy.  For those of you receiving this email, you are identified because you were either part of the original sub-regional focus group meetings held last year, or other walking and cycling stakeholders whom we believe your input for this strategy is welcomed. In keeping with environmental sustainability, we have chosen to made the draft available to you on the Environment Waikato website link - http://www.ew.govt.nz/Policy-and-plans/Draft-regional-...

The city of Copenhagen, Denmark, our Best of Green 2009 winner for "Best City To Be a Cyclist In", has installed what I think is a totally awesome cyclist counter ("cykelbarometer") in front of city hall (it also has an air pump if you need to inflate your bike's tires). The two numbers on the counter are "total number today" and "total number this year so far", according to our friend Mikeal from Copenhagenize. The city will give a Biomega bike to cyclist number 500,000, and since there are about 12,000 cyclists that pass by on a week day (about 25k both ways), it shouldn't take too long for that number to be reached.Copenhagen Cyclist Counter How does it work? From Copenhagenize: There is a 'sensor line' in the asphalt on the bike lane a few metres in front of the counter which registers the cyclists. There is a SIM-card in the counters so the information is...

Cabinet paper provides no confidence that national cycleway will ever become a reality. Cabinet paper: no confidence for national cycleway Kelvin Davis Labour Tourism Spokesperson 18 June 2009 Media Statement  Cabinet paper provides no confidence that national cycleway will ever become a reality. Papers released by Tourism Minister John Key's office and the Tourism Ministry give no confidence that the vision of a cycleway the length of New Zealand will ever be anything more than a disconnected patchwork of small tracks, says Labour tourism spokesperson Kelvin Davis. "I am astounded at the lack of detail in John Key's cabinet paper seeking cabinet support for the $50 million Budget allocation for the national cycleway," Kelvin Davis said.  "Absolutely no rigorous --- or even token --- cost-benefit analysis has been done on this Jobs Summit project in terms of short-term or long-...

*MythBusters: Utility Cycling Requires Special Gear*No special cycling gear is needed for utility cyclingThe current emphasis on hi-viz and other special cycling safety gear being promoted as de rigueur for even a trip to the shops may be counterproductive, and off-putting to many potential bike users.The subconscious message that cycling is a dangerous activity is being unwittingly promoted by the plethora of safety gear now being deemed essential equipment for a bike ride. In fact cycling is statistically a very safe activity and can be done in normal clothing.            Some choose to dress up: is it really necessary?More people cycling (no matter what they choose to wear when riding a bike) means safer cycling for everyone. Getting more people to regard cycling as an easy and sensible option they can choose to get from A to B, is one of the most...

From the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance: 2.45 Addressing many of Auckland’s key challenges involves decisions about infrastructure. For example the ability to meet social needs such as affordable housing and safety are linked to community infrastructure and public transport. People on lower incomes are particularly reliant on public transport to get to work. It is essential that planning for infrastructure takes a long-term focus. This means taking into account global changes such as climate change and peak oil – might the Auckland if the future be less car-dependent, produce more weightless exports, and have a greater number of workers operating from home? Infrastructure designed around this scenario would mean less spending on roading but more on public transport and provision for fast broadband. source: http://www.royalcommission.govt.nz page 72 http://www....