Cycling advocates call for stop to cyclist-bashing The Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) is calling for a stop to cyclist-bashing on the roads and in the media. CAN's call comes after four cyclists were injured last week on Auckland's Tamaki Drive when a car failed to stop at a stop sign. Public and media response to the crash frequently featured abuse of cyclists. CAN spokes person Stephen McKernon says "cyclists often endure verbal abuse from motorists simply for being on the road. A segment of the motoring public also says cyclists break the Road Code and are a nuisance, and so conclude that cycling is dangerous. When a cyclist is injured or killed, this abuse is amplified by ill-informed media and callous public comment. These extreme views imply that cyclists deserve to be injured or killed." There are about 1.3 million cyclists in New Zealand, compared to 2.5 million...
News: September 2009
Sep
Dear cyclists TV7's live show Back Benches looks at cycling tonight Wednesday 30 Sept, 8:30pm at the Back Bencher pub on Molesworth St. http://tvnz.co.nz/back-benches Come along or tune in. CAW Chair Illona Keenan will be representing us. Come along and support cyclists. http://tvnz.co.nz/back-benches/wallace-s-blog-no-easy-answer-cycling-in-our-cities-2493345 Spread the word
Sep
9/10/09 - NZ Herald. Cop who peppersprayed cyclist to face trial http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10602261 2/10/09 You may want to read this as well. Very interesting piece of assessment. Sridhar http://washcycle.typepad.com/home/2008/07/the-myth-of-the.html# 2/10/09 This week's Green Party podcast on cycling. (Sophie) Greg Paterson is the Auckland cyclist fighting for his life in hospital. He's one of about 200 cyclists who will be seriously injured or killed on our roads this year. He's also one of the huge majority of cyclists that gets injured or killed through no fault of their own. What has been this Government's response to date on creating both safer places for cyclists to ride and changing the attitudes of the drivers who are hurting them...
Sep
North Taranaki Cycling Advocates The NTCA committee would like to keep you up to date on what they have been doing as far as cycling advocacy in 2009: About NTCA The North Taranaki Cycling Advocates group in New Plymouth are an affiliated group of the national Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN), looking after the interests of cyclists in North Taranaki. NTCA represents a broad cross-section of cyclists in Taranaki with both recreational and commuting members, road and mountain bikers and a wide range of ages. We work with central government and local authorities, on behalf of cyclists, for a better cycling environment in North Taranaki. Announcements/Things that are coming up: Registrations are now open for the NZ Cycling Conference. This is to be held in New Plymouth at the TSB Show Place on 12th and 13th Nov 2009. The...
Sep
From the Sunday Star-Times (click to see larger version)
Sep
In the aftermath of a tragic crash that has left one cyclist critically injured after a weekend collision between a car and group of cyclists, Cycle Action Auckland members have expressed their sympathy to those involved in the crash, and have discussed some of the issues arising from the event with television, radio and newspaper media. Mark Bracey, Chair of Cycle Action Auckland sent out this message: 'Our thoughts and best wishes go out to the cyclists and the families of the victims of the accident on Tamaki Drive on Saturday'. This is an all too familiar tale that many of us are acutely aware of. As "the voice for cyclists" in Auckland, Cycle Action has been active this weekend in ensuring that the people who choose to cycle are fairly represented. Our concerns have been reported in stories in the Herald on Sunday (27 Sept), the NZ Herald (28 Sept), and in interviews...
Sep
Wellingtonians are urged to have a say on the future of their city as part of a project to develop a 30-year framework that will provide a vision for the central city. Wellington 2040: the future of our central city will be developed by Wellington City Council to guide how the central city changes and grows. A month-long engagement process begins today and the Council is keen to hear from the people and organisations who live, work and play in the city about what sort of central city they want. Wellington’s central city is home to 12,000 people and a further 9000 people are expected to live there by 2030. The challenge is working out how to plan for that growth while at the same time making sure the central city remains a great place to live and do business and continues to be a thriving centre for jobs, shopping, culture, entertainment, tourism and major events. The Council’s...
Sep
Saturday Sep 26, 2009 A car that allegedly ran a stop sign has left four cyclists in hospital, one in a serious condition. Four men were cycling along Tamaki Drive in St Heliers, Auckland this morning and were hit about 8am. Inspector Willy Taylor said police were talking to a woman driver and witnesses. "It was a stop sign and she went through it," Mr Taylor said. He said one of the cyclists was still unconscious but he expected the other three to be released from hospital today. Witnesses said the injured cyclists were part of a group of about 20 people. Mr Taylor said the cyclists were part of a regular recreational cycling group. See CAN Page Tamaki Drive Crash Links to Media Reports and Interviews for more information http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10599761&r...
Sep
The aim of the Discussion Paper was to seek informal public feedback on the key transport issues for the region over the next 30 years. Copies of the Discussion Paper can be got by phoning the council on 06 765 7127 or by emailing publications@trc.govt.nz. Submissions closed 4 pm 25th September 2009. We got it in on the day, thanks to Alan for the work in drafting it up.
Sep
The Safer Journeys submissions are due: 5pm Friday 2 October. One newbie (who has read a few strategies) said the Safer Journeys Document was one of the easiest she had read. It is fairly readable. Sometimes it is possible to submit late, but in this case, the MoT website says they'll close the site at 5 pm on Friday, so if you're thinking of making a submission, better not rely on working on it over the weekend! Three ways to make your voice heard 1. Rate your top 10-20 initiatives using an on line form [easy] When prioritising think winnable and greatest gain for greatest number, e.g. urban initiatives are perhaps more important as the greatest number of walking and cycling occurs in urban areas. The online form allows 20 choices (MoT proposes 62 possible initiatives). The voting system also allows one...
Sep
CAN groups and members are looking for CAN guidance on making a submission. What are the most important initiatives? CAN staff had a go and want your input. Please let us have your thoughts by 4pm Friday 25 September as we wish to post this to CAN Forum and local groups to encourage submissions. Submissions close Friday 2 October so we want to give people a week to consider their submission. Thanks _______________________ The Safer Journeys submissions are due: 5pm Friday 2 October. One newbie (who has read a few strategies) said the Safer Journeys Document was one of the easiest she had read. It is fairly readable. 3 ways to make your voice heard 1. Write a submission [medium in terms of time and effort, satisfying!] Attached is CAN's draft submission, highlighting areas of concern for walking and...
Sep
School Bicycling and Walking Policies [US] National Centre for Safe Routes to Schools, 2009 A tip sheet that explores ways to approach school policies that prohibit walking or bicycling to school.
Sep
This amazing video, via Chicago Bicycle Advocate, was produced for the Chicago Police Department to educate drivers, cyclists and officers on traffic laws pertaining to bikes. Given that the LAPD is revising its teaching methods for how it enforces traffic laws on cyclists this video should be required viewing down at Parker Center. Traffic Enforcement for Bicyclist Safety from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo. Considering the disregard and hostility often projected by Los Angeles's Finest, that such videos exist (San Francisco has one too) is remarkable enough. But here, interspersed with horror stories from civilian cyclists, we have actual police officers -- close to a dozen are listed in the credits -- instructing their colleagues not just to enforce the law, but to treat bike riders with respect as rightful users of the road. After a primer on how to fill out cyclist-...
Sep
A small group from CAW has been set up to advise WCC on how to spend the cycling budget. Add your favourite project as a comment below.
Sep
Scary Asian helmet campaign Sociologist David Horton of Lancaster University is doing a five part series on fear of cycling at Copenhagenize, and in part 3 looks at the effect of helmet promotion campaigns. He notes that most UK cycling organizations are against mandatory helmet use, saying that it should be a matter of free choice. He then discusses points we have noted before, the Australian study that showed dramatic drop in the number of cyclists when helmets became mandatory, vs the noted increase in safety when there are lots of cyclists, the safety in numbers effect. But he makes another interesting point about equity: Asian helmet promotion campaign Mayer Hillman (1993) claims that cyclists are at lower risk of head injury than motorists, pedestrians and children at play, yet none of those groups is encouraged to wear helmets (see also Kennedy 1996). Risk...
Sep
Bike Futures ’09 is dedicated to the people who will transform our communities intobike-friendly, economically thriving and sustainable environments. It takes place at the MCG, Melbourne - 15 & 16 October 2009. The conference is the first in an annual series designed to assist national and local leaders, planners, designers and builders respond to the critical demands brought on by the explosion in growth of bike transportation and recreation across Australia. The conference is presented by the Bicycle Network across Australia, and hosted by Bicycle Victoria, Australia’s leading bike organisation, and an international pathfinder in the development of policy, planning and activities promoting the growth of bike riding. For more infor visit www.bikefutures.com.au Other kiwis are already booked, so you won't be alone. Don't miss out - register now!
Sep
Coming up on Sunday, 20 September, 2009 The idea of a national cycleway has attracted a lot of criticism, but Insight travels to the regions and finds quite a different reaction The National Cycleway is an idea that stemmed out of the Jobs Summit, and the Government's vision is that it will create hundreds of jobs and bolster New Zealand tourism. It has its critics: The Opposition says it will not create the promised jobs and some say the $50 million committed to it is not enough. But out in the communities through which the Cycleway would travel, there is a sense of excitement and a bubbling enthusiasm. Monique Devereux visits the people and the communities who say they are committed to making the New Zealand Cycleway work - with or without the Government's help. information: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight Podcast...