Cyclists welcome record investment in safe and sustainable transport Cycling advocates say the new transport budget is good news for safer roads. The Government released the new Government Policy Statement (GPS) on transport funding today. It allocates up to $1.1 billion for new cycling and walking projects, up to $4.8 billion for rapid transit, and up to $8 billion for public transport over the next ten years. Cycling Action Network spoksman Patrick Morgan says everyone's a winner under the new transport budget. “I predict the new emphasis on safety, on less congestion, and on increased economic growth will be popular.” “I note that Aucklanders recently voted for higher fuel taxes in order to address congestion.” “Last week the Waikato Regional Council asked the Government to support safer speed limits on rural roads, which will save lives.” Mr Morgan says cycling...
News: June 2018
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Notes from Chris T-S, Living Streets Aotearoa I attended the TRAFINZ safety workshop in Wellington. The workshop featured Margaret Dugdale from NZTA and James Campbell from MoT talking about progress towards developing a new road safety strategy to replace safer journeys which they acknowledge has failed (first 5 years of declines in road death toll has been almost completely reversed in last 5 years). Margaret put NZ in international context (it ain't pretty), especially comparing us with Norway and Sweden and the Vision Zero approaches to road safety taken there (e.g. Norway 80K max unless median barriers, min. driving age 18, blood alcohol limit 0.02%, lots of speed cameras and death rate of 2.3/100,000...
Jun
Cycling advocates call for urgent action on road safetyTen years after the death of Police Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald while cycling home, cycling advocates are calling for urgent action on road safety.Former national road policing manager, Mr Fitzgerald was cycling home from work on 19 June 2008 when he and a truck and trailer crashed on a roundabout in Petone. In 2009 the truck driver was convicted of careless driving.Cycling Action Network spokesman Patrick Morgan says the solutions to traffic danger are well known, but Councils and the Government have been too slow to act."Far too many people are harmed on our roads. Every death is devastating news for our community.""Deaths and injuries are undervalued, traded off against economic gains assumed to result from faster movement of motor vehicles. That's wrong, and needs to change."Urban and rural road speeds are...
Jun
Finalists for the 2018 Bike to the Future Awards, New Zealand’s national cycling awards, have been announced. The awards, now in their third year, are organised by the NZ Transport Agency and Cycling Action Network (CAN). They celebrate the projects and people that are actively supporting and encouraging New Zealanders’ choice to get around by bike as part of their everyday journeys. The finalists, selected from 60 nominations, range from large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Te Awa River Ride - Ngaruawahia to Horotiu section, to education initiatives including the Refugee Women’s Cycling Instruction project, one of which took place on International Women’s Day, to teach migrant and refugee women how to ride a bike. CAN spokesperson Patrick Morgan says the calibre of the nominations received was outstanding. “There's no doubt that biking is on the up. The quality of...
Jun
Vision Zero is an approach to road safety that has, as its aim, zero fatalities or serious injuries. Representing his local residents’ association, David Hawke (a former CAN Secretary) made a presentation to Christchurch City Council last December requesting endorsement of the Vision Zero principles. The final result was a submission from Council to Government saying “We support the vision zero principles and recommend that the national road safety targets focus on a continual reduction in deaths and serious injuries.’ Have you thought about asking your local council to endorse Vision Zero? It should be easy, following the emphasis on safety in the Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport. The documents David used in Christchurch are viewable here.
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The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport sets the Government's policy direction on transport. It's revised every three years. Minister of Transport Phil Twyford and Associate Ministers Julie-Anne Genter (below) and Shane Jones have a positive vision for transport.: a vision that puts at its centre a reduction of our dependence on private cars, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and improvements to public health. CAN supported their draft Policy Statement and many many friends of CAN followed our submission guide to support the draft GPS.Here you can view the draft GPS itself with supporting documents, and here are two articles that do a good job of summarising why the draft GPS is worth supporting:Talk Welly blogGreater Auckland blog CAN felt the approach needed caution around mode neutrality, further reductions to state highway expenditure, a stronger environmental focus...