News: March 2017

Chair’s Report 2016 to 17  This is the report a summary of which was approved by CAN's 2017 AGM.  The new Governance system of CAN and the new fee subscription system were also approved at the AGM, so some parts of this report were superseded then.   SummaryThis report summarises the activities of CAN’s central Committee, paid staff and national-body volunteers since the 2016 AGM in Hamilton.  ‘Headline’ issues included-    Reacting to changes in regulations and NZTA’s push to grow cycling were a main part of CAN’s core business.  Preparations for elections in September were an important forward step with political engagement off to a good start.  Creating the new Structure for CAN including holding the SGM affected work on some of CAN’S core activities.      Network and Public EngagementOur Project...

No it’s not to do with route finding but the Government Policy Statement on land transport 2018The Statement, updated every 3 years, sets out Government’s policies for investment in land transport for the coming decade. The Ministry of Transport have recently issued a draft for consultation.  The document has so far received an unenthusiastic reception from transport experts and professionals with The NZ Institute of Engineers’ Transport Group making warning submissions prior to the draft and the respected Auckland Transport Blog crying, in a piece partly titled 'Roads, Roads, Roads', ‘We still see crazy boondoggle motorway projects being announced before a proper business case has been done. We still see the highly sensible proposal for a regional fuel tax being knocked back for no good reason. And, when it comes to the Government’s most important transport document – the Government...

It’s a pretty standard part of any cycleway debate to have someone say “But we’re not Amsterdam, people are never going to bike here”Here I review Pete Jordan’s In the City of Bikes, an immigrant American’s view of biking in Amsterdam, and Janette Sadik Khan’s Streetfight, about her battle to turn New York into the Amsterdam of the US.Jordan moved to Amsterdam because he was entranced by Amsterdam bike culture. One of his first steps (after acquiring a bike of his own) was to purchase a traditional omfiets bike for his soon to arrive girlfriend. After lovingly painting her initials on the fender, and taking it for a test cruise to a local bakery, he discovered the dark side of Amsterdam bike culture: unlocked bikes effectively have sign on them “FREE BIKE”, and within minutes of leaving it unlocked, it was gone.Bike theft gives rise to a unique Amsterdam profession:...

Last year's CAN Do meeting in Hamilton was a good opportunity to have a couple of weeks away cycling.I flew to Auckland with my touring bike. The ride started inauspiciously, as the road from the airport had road works and I missed a turn-off.Men in hi-vis overalls urgently flagged me off the road next to a sign marking the start of a motorway. They asked me to sign their visitor's book and gave me a ride to the old Mangere Bridge. From there I navigated to my brother's place in Mt Eden.Next day I rode into the city via Queen St, unaware of the new pink ‘Lightpath’. Last time I was in Auckland with my bike I'd taken a train out of town, but this time I rode down Tamaki Drive, around Orakei Basin and through Glen Innes, Panmure and Mt Wellington to the Great South Road. I stocked up on groceries in Papakura and camped at Ramarama. My next objective was...

Workshop Registration PageTo register online for a Driver/Trainer Workshop please click here. To register online for a Cyclist Workshop please click here. Alternatively you can download the Registration form below.  Just fill out the form on your computer (or print and complete by hand, then scan or take a photo).  Then email it to will@can.org.nz.Or just register on the phone with Will Andrews on 021 026 92724.  Will can also answer any queries you might have about the workshops.