News: December 2010

Why don't cyclists have compulsory licencing, training and insurance? Because it would be utterly pointless.It doesn't really matter what you write about on the bike blog, at some point a reader will emerge with the same irascible complaint: why, oh why, they ask, should cyclists expect any sympathy – let alone special treatment – when they don't need a licence or insurance? What about number plates?Sometimes, of course, this is mere provocation. But often it's serious. So I'm going to try and give a serious reply, however obvious this might all seem to fellow riders.I'll start with a bit of clarification. Some of the bikes-need-regulating brigade mention a lack of road tax. I'm going to avoid that particular argumentative cul de sac, not least because we've cleared it up previously on the blog.Secondly, I'll be working on the assumption that policy-making is a rational tool...

NZ cycle crash fatalities since 2006This map shows the locations and details of 44 fatal cycle vs motor vehicle crashes occurring in NZ between January 2006 and May 2010.Data as extracted from the Ministry of Transport's Crash Analysis System (CAS) in Dec 2010.Put together by Steve Southall.

"My boy was also in the group - he was the next bike behind." The driver of a car involved in a collision with a group of cyclists in which three people died last month has admitted causing their deaths. In Morrinsville District Court today, 23-year-old Kristy King, of Matamata, pleaded guilty to three charges of careless driving causing death. She has been remanded on bail and will appear in court for sentencing on February 14. King was driving a car when it collided with the group of cyclists on the Walton-Morrinsville Rd on November 14. The accident killed cyclists Wilhelm Muller, 71, Mark Ferguson, 46, and four days later in hospital, mother-of-three Kay Wolfe, 45. In a statement read by her lawyer Paul Gascoigne today, King said she was "completely devastated" by what had happened. She said she would never drive again. King was extremely tearful as the summary of facts was...

As some of you will have read in the media, the New Zealand Conservation Authority has now approved the Partial Review of the Kahurangi National Park Management Plan. CAN made a submission on the draft plan. Attached is a fact sheet which details the main changes to the management plan. Mountain biking has been approved as a monitored 3 year trial, to be reviewed at the end of 2013, on three tracks - the Flora to Barron Flat Track, Kill Devil Track and seasonally from 1 May until 30 September on the Heaphy Track. There are also new provisions in the plan to manage aircraft landings in the park. Hunting opportunities have been increased to control rising deer numbers. More information, including fact sheets setting out the rules for each of the approved mountain bike tracks as well as a copy of the full revised management plan, are available on the Department of Conservation website. ...

November 13, 2010. Robyn and I biked with our friend Marita across Seattle to get our Undriver Licenses at a Liveable Streets event held at the University of Washington, with lots of groups tabling there, low-cost helmets, and more. We made a beeline for the Undriver Licensing station. We were greeted by Undriving founder Julia Field and her team of volunteers. Since we’ll be taping a conversation with Julia, I wanted Robyn to videotape me and others getting our Undriver Licenses for that show. Chelsea took the lead, explaining Undriving’s goal — to reduce car use, mine or others. I filled out a short pledge form for action’s I’d take in the next month. She urged me to do something that was doable but a stretch. Since I’ve already been doing many errands by bike instead of car, I had to dig a bit deeper. I pledged to get all our groceries by bike over the next month....

Cyclists are in more danger on Wellington roads than throughout the rest of New Zealand.Figures revealed in Greater Wellington regional council's Regional Land Transport Strategy annual monitoring report show a "worsening trend" for cycling casualties on the Wellington region's roads.For every million hours travelled, a Wellington cyclist is 12 times as likely as a vehicle occupant to be injured in a road crash, compared with 3.5 times nationally. The report says the figures were based on a small sample size, but still show a concerning trend."When comparing the Wellington region with New Zealand, the risk to cyclists by distance travelled is far greater than any other risk, a trend that has worsened over time." Last year there were 136 cyclist casualties in the region, compared with about 81 a decade before – about a 68 per cent increase.The report also found Wellington's overall...

Bikes are considered an important part of the solution.  Here was me thinking no one in officialdom cares about peak oil.  The story was carried on the National Programme today (just before 9am news) where the new Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull, said basically get on your bike, weather is not a problem for cycling (all weather is good for cycling), as he had personally cycled to and from school in Invercargill.  (like Simon told me he did too, I think he even said he hid behind lamp posts to escape driving hail and sleet).When your Mayor says all weather is good for cycling (even in Dunedin!) you know you are winning!Spokes (in conjunction with Living Streets Dunedin) did a great vetting campaign of their mayoral and councillor contenders before the last election.  And Dunedin now has some fresh blood on Council with clearly some visionaries.  There is even a Councillor who was the...

After three days the new Manners St bus route has a qualified tick of approval from cyclists.Cycle Aware Wellington spokesman Patrick Morgan said prioritising public transport was a good thing for Wellington, on balance."However, we are not especially happy about losing access to Manners St."Manners St between Willis St and Victoria St is bus-only westbound at all times and eastbound between 6am and 7pm on weekdays. Cyclists travelling from the north to Willis or Boulcott Sts must use Dixon St and turn right on to Willis St.Wellington City Council infrastructure director Stavros Michael suggested cyclists could turn off Victoria St into Bond St and, because the distance was short, use the southbound Willis St bus lane and then turn right at Boulcott St.Another council spokesman, Richard MacLean, said if that practice emerged, the council would ban left turns out of Bond St into Willis...