Congratulations to the 2012 Cycle-Friendly Awards Winners
MWH award for Best Cycle Facility Project
Te Ara a Waiau Walkway / Cycleway & Te Weheka Walkway / Cycleway (Fox and Franz Glaciers Access Project) - Dept. of Conservation, NZTA
i-Way Share the Road Campaign - Hastings District Council
Auckland Harbour Bridge - Copeland/Airey
A cyclist was killed yesterday (8 January) when he and a cycling partner were hit by a car on a busy road in Tauranga.
The 50-year-old local man was travelling with a female cyclist on State Highway 36 at Pyes Pa.
Emergency services were called just after midday to the critically injured man, who died soon after.
The woman was rushed to Tauranga Hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and discharged later in the afternoon.
Senior Sergeant Robert Glencross said the serious crash team were still investigating the crash.
"An initial assessment...
BikeNZ is coming to you to share our vision for New Zealand cycling
Let's Talk!
Our vision is to be a nation embracing cycling- providing more quality cycling opportunities for more Kiwis.
To achieve this, we’re working alongside you, our cycling community, to develop a unified five year national plan - something New Zealand cycling has never had before.
We have listened to the needs of our community and mapped out a plan that we believe...
This article was written for CAN's Chainlinks magazine, but we are only printing an excerpt of it in Chanlinks, due to constraints on space.
Authors: Alistair Woodward, Graeme Lindsay, Alex Macmillan
School of Population Health in the University of Auckland
The risks of cycling are mostly obvious. Many riders have suffered injuries as a result of a crash, or know of people who have been injured. In a study of those who took part in the 2006 Taupo Cycle Challenge, one-third told us they had suffered a...
The ultimate New Zealand cycling experience, the Tour of New Zealand cycle ride, 14-21 april 2012.
The Basics
The ultimate kiwi cycling experience, the Tour of New Zealand is a 7-day, epic road ride taking in km after km of iconic NZ scenery (keeping to the quieter roads where possible).
You choose to cycle either the North or the South Island, Cape Reinga to Wellington, or Bluff to Picton. Then on day 8, riders from both islands will converge for a final showdown round the Beehive.
We're looking to get as many bikes on the Tour as possible, so...
Bicycles and summer go together, and kids of all ages will be heading out on new bikes this Christmas.
Cycling Advocates' Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan says a bicycle is often near the top of the Christmas wish list.
In 2005 a BBC poll ranked the bicycle as the favourite invention, ahead of electricty and the internet.
For those lucky enough to find a bicycle at the foot of the Christmas tree, Cycling Advocates' Network has some tips:
Cycling is fun; having fun is more important than going fast
Learn how to use your brakes
Get started with firm...
The UK Department for Transport recently commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory to conduct a literature review to consider the role of infrastructure in relation to the safety of cyclists and their interaction with other road users.
"Overall, it proved problematic to draw firm conclusions from the literature," admitted TRL, but it concluded "Of all interventions to increase cycle safety, the greatest benefits come from reducing motor vehicle speeds."
Read more here: http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/to-increase-cyclist-safety-reduce-motor...
This research, which was conducted from July 2008 to January 2010, investigated what type of cycling infrastructure would encourage 'new cyclists' (i.e. people who either do not currently cycle at all, or people who do not currently cycle for utilitarian trips) to use cycling as their mode of transport for daily activities in New Zealand.
The research involved undertaking an international literature review followed by national surveys and Christchurch-based focus groups, to gain an understanding of some of the motivations and barriers associated with utilitarian cycling, and to...
Advantages and disadvantages
A cost-benefit analysis often forms the basis for political decision making prior to traffic investments. Cost-benefit analyses involve assigning a monetary value to the advantages and disadvantages of a construction project. This makes it possible to weigh the benefits (e.g. reduced travel times and reduced pollution) against the disadvantages (e.g. construction costs and noise).
Cycle projects
The Danish Ministry of Transport has a manual for calculating cost-benefit. However, the manual does not...
Some of the most powerful things that have effected change throughout history appear to have been symbols.
Symbols hint at something bigger, deeper, beyond.....
Our household was blessed recently to have hosted Hutch - a wonderful kind man in his seventies, cycling the world, meeting people...and planting seeds of hope. www.cyclingpeace.org
(We have met some wonderful folk through the "Warm Showers List" - where people from all over the world offer hospitality to cycle tourists. "Sign up!" is my advice!)
So bicycle as symbol resonates as we explore new territory...
Cycling levels in Sydney could more than double if laws forcing cyclists to wear helmets were repealed, according to a new research published today in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.
One in five adults surveyed in Sydney said they would ride a bicycle more if they did not have to wear a helmet, according co-author Professor Chris Rissel from the School of Public Health, at the University of Sydney.
Researchers involved in 'The possible effect on frequency of cycling if mandatory bicycle helmet legislation was repealed in Sydney, Australia: a cross sectional survey'...
Cyclists. They’re nothing but a bunch of Green-voting, latte-sipping, inner-city trendoids with an over-developed sense of entitlement.
That’s what you’d think if you believed much of the media coverage given to cycling in the past few years. From shock jocks to tabloid TV shows to newspaper columnists, there's always someone ready to have a go at cyclists.
Especially media organisations that favour the conservative side of politics.
This vilification is curious, given that Australia is a nation of bicycle buyers. Last year, we bought more cycles than cars – something...
Volunteer trail builders are the heroes of the Wellington cycling community, winning the award for the best piece of cycling infrastructure.
Cycle Aware Wellington presented the first Roll On Wellington Awards on 6 December.
Spokesperson Claire Pascoe says the awards showcase the best and brightest of cycling in Wellington.
"They're a great opportunity for the cycling community to show their support for the things they love in Wellington. There were lots of winners on the night... as well as a few who lost out."
Volunteer trail builders' hard work pays off not just...
Greater Wellington Regional Council is now calling for submissions on the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust's proposal to rebuild the railway from Maymorn to Summit, replacing the Rimutaka Rail Trail. Submissions are due by 31 January 2012.
The proposal is substantially as presented to GWRC in November.
The specification for the "walking track" has been widened to 4m, and the gradient to a maximum of 5%, but the cost does not appear to have changed!
There are some suggested precautions to be taken against fire hazard, including replanting vegetation along the track...
A cyclist broke her leg when she was trapped under a car after a collision in Hamilton this morning.
The 27-year-old's leg was stuck under the car which was lifted, then freed by firefighters.
Hamilton police Senior Sergeant Gill Meadows said the woman was travelling west on Boundary Rd when the crash happened at the intersection of Oakley Ave about 8.45am.
The woman was in a moderate condition and suffered a broken leg.
Boundary Rd was briefly closed as the scene was cleared.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/...
Yes, it does, says Sam Margolis from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
If you live in London, or in any other major centre in the UK, you may well have seen the adverts promoting free cycling training offered by local authorities. In the absence of high-quality cycling infrastructure, many councils have pushed cycle training schemes as a relatively low-budget method of boosting safer and more cycling.
In 2009/10, the total funding for cycle training in London alone was over £3m. It is seen as a useful tool not only to build skills and techniques for riding a bike, but to...
It's as easy as riding a bike
A report to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
Patrick Morgan
Cycling Advocates Network, can.org.nz
December 2011
caption: Children riding home from school, Assen, the Netherlands
Photo gallery on Flickr
Summary
With assistance from the WCMT I studied cycle training programmes in the UK, Denmark, Netherlands and USA in September and October 2011. I met cycle skills trainers, planners, media and advocates.
Objective
My goal is to lift the standard of...
Planning is underway for an intensive public information campaign for changes to two give way rules that will come in on the 25 March 2012.
The campaign will be run in the month leading up to the date of the actual change on 25 March 2012, with national advertising starting ten days before the change. This late February start date is necessary to avoid public confusion and minimise the risk of people starting to use the new rules too early. This thinking is based on best practice when Victoria, Australia changed a similar rule in 1993.
The NZTA is developing the public...
Transport dominates every aspect of our lives, our health, the form of our communities, our environment, economy and our personal financial well-being.
Smart Transport means providing a full spectrum of appropriate, sustainable and integrated transport choices.
The Smart Transport Network has been formed following the Smart Transport Conference, held in parliament buildings in August 2010, to present a new collective national voice, with an international perspective on transport solutions.
The Smart Transport Network will advocate for smart, modern solutions and...
Come join us lovers of bicycles AND democracy this coming Saturday.
We are just gonna be riding around the central city neighborhoods dressed in neutral ORANGE, ringing our bells and reminding people to vote. Frequent café stops. Fun guaranteed!
Auckland: 2pm, 1 Porters Place, Eden Terrace, Newton.
It doesn't matter which way you vote, on Saturday it is all about making sure people are exercising their democracy. All you need is to be wearing orange. You don't even need to own a bike, as we have 15 that are being lent to us for free! Thanks NextBike...