News from the Network and beyond August 2017 In this issue CAN is organising NZ's first Bike Expo $24m boost for cycle skills education Opinion pieces: Cycling advocates- are we communists or fascists!? and We need to talk about parking Touring: Crossing South Island by tandem & canoe Auckland: EVs in bus lane and a $635 million plan for cycling Overseas conferences: Asia-Pacific coming to NZ, and 10 tips from VeloCity (you won't believe no. 8!) Weblinks. 103 year-old drivers; crazy cyclists... Ethically sourced, kiwi-designed T's at CAN's Shop About Cycling Action Network CAN is New Zealand's national network of cycling advocates. We work with government, local authorities, businesses and the community on behalf of cyclists, for a better cycling environment. Welcome to another Chainlinks. Thanks are due to CAN volunteer Adrian Croucher who...
News: August 2017
Aug
CAN submission on WCC Shelly Bay DevelopmentThis is a bad deal for Wellington. Why? - severe negative impacts on people walking and cycling - undermines investments in Cobham Drive walking and cycling route - creates a 4km gap in the Great Harbour Way - opaque process - loss of public space - what other options have been investigated? - creates a car-dependent suburb - poor alignment with Wellington's urban growth plan - creates legal risk over consenting process - failure to provide social housing - development is vulnerable to sea level rise - sends a message that Wellington is not serious about mitigating climate change - risk over escalating infrastructure costs See attached PDF for the full submission
Aug
Submission to NZ Transport Agency on Auckland Electric Vehicles - Phase Two Trial Bylaw 2017 General comments CAN strongly supports efforts to reduce New Zealand’s transport-related greenhouse gas emissions and supports the introduction of electric vehicles. However, CAN is strongly opposed to opening up access by electric vehicles to specified special vehicles lanes on state highways in Auckland. We understand that one of the lanes proposed is a bus only ramp. The other ten lanes that are proposed to be opened up allow access to T2 vehicles.There are many more appropriate and equitable measures that the government should implement to encourage electric vehicle take-up should they be needed. However, CAN also queries whether such measures will be needed. It is clear, from the media release on 26 July 2017 from the Ministers of Transport and Energy and Resources, that...
Aug
Or, How cycling made me a bad person. By Dirk DeLu. Some time ago a friend made a Facebook post. The topic was lobbying for better cycle infrastructure and it generated a number of civil comments, until an anti-cycling commenter described Christchurch cyclists as fascists.Recently at a Council presentation on cycle infrastructure I was told that being an advocate for cycling made me a communist. Both instances illustrate anger, fear and ignorance. Fine, we can safely vilify the opposition; right? No. Bringing back cycling as a commonplace transport mode scares the hell out of those who have sunk into car dependency. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/06/13/how-pedestrians-and-cyclists... They have invested their lives into cars. Cars are expensive, sometimes ruinously, unhealthy and leave us stuck in traffic instead of getting to where we wanted to go as quickly as...
Aug
By Steve MuirThe idea of the Fossil Fuel Free Coast to Coast to Coast (F3C3) is to have a fun holiday, raise awareness of climate change and encourage the use of active, fossil fuel free transportWe’re particularly interested in journeys that are made regularly and may involve load-carrying, like commuting and shopping.Our first attempt, limited by bad weather, was in February 2016. This year’s participants were all from ICECycles, a Christchurch group that encourages cycling by fixing bikes and giving them to people on low incomes. I made the kayak trolleys.The day of departure began with drizzle and Annette ringing in sick with bronchitis. Alastair was happy to ride solo, pulling her kayak in case she could join us later. We arrived at Annette’s West Melton home from three corners of the compass—Meg and Steve from the east, Alastair...