News: March 2010

SYDNEY will never be a bicycle-friendly city until it develops a ''second cycling culture'' which encourages relaxed European-style riding without the compulsory use of helmets, experts have warned. Instead of advocating racing bikes with drop handle-bars, or mountain bikes with flat bars, cycling groups should encourage the use of traditional upright European styles, often called Amsterdam bikes, to make cycling a mass, utilitarian activity where bikes are used for shopping, running errands and commuting. John Pucher, a US professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey who has written a paper explaining why Sydney cycling levels are half those of Melbourne, believes scrapping two decade-old laws requiring all cyclists to wear helmets would encourage a lot more people on to bikes and provide an overall improvement in community health levels. While he agrees helmets save lives...

Presentation to the Australian Cycling Conference by Bob Perry – Director SCAPE strategy:Over the past five years, SCAPE strategy has researched the relationship between Transit Oriented Development and bicycles in the world’s most transit-rich city, Tokyo. Staggering differences between Japanese and Australian obesity statistics can be substantially attributed to differences in urban form. The bicycle is an intrinsic component of the Tokyo lifestyle, fundamental to the upbringing of children and the ability of people to age in place. … Ultralocal Cycling engages virtually everybody in everyday movement around neighbourhoods.View here on the Scape Strategy site

High quality public transit consists of service sufficiently convenient and comfortable to attract travel that would otherwise be by automobile. This report uses data from U.S. cities to investigate the incremental costs and benefits of high quality transit service. It indicates that high quality public transit typically requires about $268 in additional subsidies and $104 in additional fares annually per capita, but provides vehicle, parking and road cost savings averaging $1,040 per capita... ...This indicates that residents should rationally support tax increases if needed to create high quality public transit systems in their communities.Current planning practices tend to overlook or undervalue many of these savings and benefits and so result in underinvestment in transit quality improvements.Download here (PDF 220KB) From Victoria Transport Institute, Victoria, BC, Canada

The official opening of Bikes in Schools was a great day for all the children, teachers, parents, and guests that attended.It was great to have Sarah Walker, the double world BMX champion, attend and also ride the different bike tracks.The PM John Key had a great time also. He even got on a bike and rode around the 550m bike track. It was great that he choose St Marys School to this for the first time ever.View a video of the day here

Some people have probably seen this, but for those that haven't this is a promo video Rotterdam has produced as it will be the Le Grand Départ of the Tour de France. Don't worry, it has little to do with cycling racing. Warning, some content may offend. Rotterdam video on YouTube

In mid January 2010 guidance was released to Approved Organisations (AOs) seeking expressions of interest in becoming a walking and cycling model community.  Applying to be a model community is a two stage process and as part of stage one, 22 proposals were received from interested councils. Overall, the majority of the proposals were of a high standard and clearly demonstrated their commitment and passion to become a model community.  It is also evident that there are many communities through-out New Zealand that are already demonstrating the vision of developing great places to live, work and play through their past and current investment in walking and cycling. A national office model community steering group evaluated all 22 proposals and endorsement has just been given to approach Nelson, New Plymouth, Hastings and Taupo, as the short listed councils to progress to...

MANY MANY thanks to all of you out there who participated, organised and supported Bike Wise Events throughout Feb. As a keen member of CAW, it gives me encouragement to keep on pressing for improvements in infrastructure, signage or anything else to make cycling safer and easier for all, and especially school children - observations throughout the month have given me plenty to campaign about! Our next CAW meeting is Wed 10th March 7pm 2 Lakeview Place - some of us will be eating after our TimeBank/Community Gardening session, so you will be welcome to bring something and eat with us. Our main focus will be feedback from our CAW Bike Wise events, and where we go from here.  The idea of having a Critical Mass Bike Ride on the last Friday of each month has come up again - tell us what you think by e-mail if you can't make it to the meeting? Regards, Pippip@wonacott...

"Bike On NZ" Hastings Commuter Cycle ChallengeFeb/March 2010Tukituki MP for the National Party, Craig Foss and Bike Hawke’s Bay Cycling Development Officer Vicki Butterworth want to get more Hawke’s Bay people using bikes to ride to work.  The challenge has been set!• BREAKFAST! On your way to work cycle to the Business of the Day to pick up your breakfast and register with Vicki for the daily prize. The “Business of the Day” will supply breakfast on their chosen day from 7am -8.30am.  This is not a cooked breakfast!  It will be something easy for a cyclist to either eat standing or be able to put in their backpack.  Cyclists will be able to meet other like minded people to learn more about the benefits of cycling to work. You will be notified of winners by email and on Classic Hits each day.  • WHEN? Every working day, Monday to Friday, from Monday 22nd February to Friday 5th March you...

Walk2Work Day is part of a Living Streets campaign that aims to encourage people to walk more in their daily lives. It is a free event held before work in a location close to the main walking routes, targeting people who have walked all or part of the way to work. The campaign aims: -         To encourage more people to walk to work and encourage active healthy lifestyles for all New Zealanders. -         To raise the profile of walking as a as an essential mode of transport. -         To decrease road congestion by reducing the numbers of private vehicles on our roads. -         To support the local economy (by way of retail purchases from walkers on their journey to work). Events will be held at various locations all over New Zealand on March 10th 2010.Click on the events map to find an event near you!