** under construction **Children love biking but need more places to ride. This guide aims to help you get a bike track in your local park. Good for adults too!1. Commit to making it happen.Ask your friends for support. Form a small team and set yourself a target.2. Talk to your local council and biking groupsIt helps having a champion on the council. Staff at the parks or recreation department should be able to help.3. PlanWrite a plan with the objective, budget, a timeline, and who does what.4. Fundraisefor both money and in-kind helpplansbudgetmaterialsInspirationWhakatane: Warren ParkBike ON NZ Trust built 4 tracks at a Hastings school in 2010. Wellington: skills area on Mt Victoria; Karori Park loopChristchurch:
News: May 2011
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Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) and BikeNZ welcome the Coroner's inquest into eight recent cycling deaths.CAN spokesperson, Patrick Morgan said cycling is a wonderful sport and way to get from A to B, but we need to do much more to make it safer."The Coroner's inquest is an opportunity for a major re-think on road safety.""We expect the 1.5 million New Zealanders who ride bikes to take a close interest."The inquest will examine whether there were any patterns in relation to the deaths and if possible law changes were needed.Bike NZ Chair Richard Leggat, said CAN and BikeNZ will share their expertise to benefit the inquest."CAN and BikeNZ are very concerned with the recent deaths. As more cyclists take to the roads it is vital that roading infrastructure, road user attitudes and cycling skills are all improved.""We are putting a lot of effort into cycle skills training and also working...
May 24, 2011
Patrick
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Cycling deaths Inquest announcedWaikato Coroner Gordon Matenga will travel to four separate regions throughout the country to hear evidence relating to nine cycling deaths to try and identify any common trends or information that could prevent a re-occurrence of such tragedies. The first hearing will be held in Palmerston North on 21 July, followed by Hamilton on 25 August and subsequent hearings in Auckland and Wellington.Coroner Matenga said travelling to different regions will mean family members and witnesses can attend the Inquest relevant to them but also allow for greater input from the cycling community and any other interested parties."These deaths are an absolute tragedy and we must do everything we can to uncover any lessons or measures that can help avoid them in the future," Coroner Matenga said.Details of further Inquests will be released when confirmed....
May 24, 2011
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The popularity of the Otago Central Rail Trail shows no signs of waning, despite anecdotal reports of demand dropping or levelling off during the past season.More than 120 people attended the first workshop on the future of the trail, held at Omakau on Friday, and were told user numbers had increased for the past two years.The 150km walking and cycling trail from Clyde to Middlemarch is maintained and developed by the Department of Conservation and the Otago Central Rail Trail Trust.Doc Central Otago manager Mike Tubbs said electronic counters along the trail recorded user numbers. Figures for the use of the whole trail were based on an average over four "remote" locations, where people were likely to travel if they were completing the entire trail.The number of people using the trail in the year ending June 30, 2010 was 12,157, compared with 10,058 the previous year. In the past seven...
May 23, 2011
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Since 2008, Hikurangi, alongside many other organisations and individuals, has been working for a national network of cycleways. We are convinced of the benefits it can bring to the people, environment and economy of New Zealand. We were excited when the Government announced investment in developing cycleways around the country, but there is still so much more to be done to realise the true potential of a national network.Sustained support is needed to ensure the national network can grow and thrive. Communities need help to get behind their local cycleway and promote and use it; innovative ways are needed to fund and sustain the building and maintenance of new cycleways; locals need entrepreneurial skills to create jobs and great designs; and ideas for new facilities need seeding and incubating.Our Answer: new independent action for cyclewaysWith the support of the participants and...
May 20, 2011
Patrick
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How to be a bike friendly businessSome of these ideas are aimed at customers, others at staff. NZ case study 1: The Tai Tapu Store provides a pump and offers bike tubes (see above pic). It's on the way to the Little River Rail Trail and is a popular destination for day riders from Chch.NZ case study 2: Moore Wilsons on College St, Wellington provides great bike parking and a drinking fountainFor a cafe or retail business, the basics are to:provide secure, convenient bike parking.tool kit and spare parts availableelectric bike chargingsupport local bike eventssupport local bike clubs and advocates e.g. join CAN (http://can.org.nz/can-supporting-organisations)work with local bike advocates for better bike lanes etcwatertoiletsadvertise that they are bike-friendly Accommodationproviders:as above, pluspick up service from airport / town centre / trail enda place to clean...
May 18, 2011
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Over the last four years, New York City has seen a transportation renaissance on its streets, striking a better balance by providing more space for walking, biking, and transit. As with any departure from the status quo, it can take a while for everyone to grow accustomed to the changes. So Streetfilms decided to look at three of NYC’s most recent re-designs — Columbus Avenue, First and Second Avenues, and Prospect Park West — and show how pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers benefit from safer, calmer streets. We talked to transportation engineers with decades of experience, elected leaders, community board members, people on the street, and business owners to get their take on the new configurations.The truth is, no matter how hard some media outlets try to spin it otherwise, these new street safety projects have broad community support. And while the story of these changes often gets...
May 11, 2011
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The first two sections of the new shared pathway through Tawa for cyclists and pedestrians - totalling just under one kilometre - has been finished and is already proving popular.More details
May 9, 2011
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Being Cycle AwareA half-day workshop for bus drivers and bikers, New Plymouth, 27 April 2011Workshop Evaluation Report4 bus drivers and 7 bikers attended.Feedback from 8 participants was collected.Summary of FeedbackParticipant were asked 5 questions.1. How often do you cycle?: regularly (3 or more times/week) / occasionally / neverMost (6) cycled regularly, 1 occasionally and 1 never.2. What did you find most valuable in the workshop?Making everyone more aware of each other on the road, especially different sizes and types of vehicle needs.Feedback from bus drivers on future bicycle safety initiativesBus drivers' perspectivesInteractionCyclists' viewsFinding out how narrow the cycle lanes areHearing others' viewsHearing views from other cyclists about safety3. What could have been dropped from the workshop?I thought it was balanced.4. What suggestions would you make...
May 9, 2011
Patrick
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Share the RoadReport on campaigns already in existence both NZ & international1. What works?Bicycle Safety Campaign ReviewWhat do successful bicycle safety campaigns have in common, and what tactics should be used in the future to achieve success? To help answer this, Bikes Belong (USA) conducted a review of campaigns, primarily used in the U.S.In the U.S., most bicycle safety campaigns focus on informing road users rather than on convincing behavior change. It's easier and cheaper to provide information (laws, suggested behavior, etc) than to develop a campaign that captures peoples' emotions. But, comprehensive studies of road safety campaigns conclude that emotional campaigns are more effective at increasing safety thaninformational campaigns.Important conclusions include:- emotional campaigns are more effective at increasing safety than...
May 2, 2011
Patrick
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Ghost bikes are memorials to fallen riders. A white painted bicycle is placed at the crash site where a cyclist was killed or injured. Each ghost bike is unique: a remembrance, advocacy, activism, street art.Ghost bikes have appeared in over 150 cities across four continents.Ghostbikes.org.nz was formed to show support for this important way of remembering tragedies and making our roads safer.
May 2, 2011
Patrick