Motor vehicles generate a lot of pollution, with far-reaching health effects. In New Zealand, vehicle emissions have been blamed for ~400 premature deaths every year (see Fisher et al 2002 for more details). Many would-be cyclists are put off by the prospect of being exposed to all those traffic fumes, while still others don face-masks when riding. So is it really that bad to cycle in such environments?
Download here (PDF 52KB)
Traffic on Auckland's northwestern motorway may have to contend with more than other vehicles in the next few days, with the risk of flooding from exceptionally high tides in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
Parts of the northwestern motorway were very close to sea level and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) warned motorists today high tides of up to 3.5m, nearly half a metre higher than normal, would begin today and last until Saturday.
The high tides happened in Auckland every six to seven years.
The motorway causeway and cycleway next to it between the...
While we were down in Washington, DC for the National Bike Summit, Streetfilms got the chance to check out some of the innovative bike infrastructure. Tops on our list: the city's first protected, contraflow lane for bicyclists. The district DOT has redesigned 15th Street NW between U Street and Massachusetts Avenue to accommodate two-way bike traffic on a one-way street. Northbound cyclists get a shared lane moving in the same direction as car traffic, and southbound cyclists ride in a parking-protected lane. The treatment has also slimmed down the street, removing a...
Here's a campaign to build a constituency for the biking agenda.
We ride for different reasons, but we are united by our shared passion for bikes. Now is the time to for all of us to come together with one strong voice—and bring about a better future for biking.
Check out the latest video below from peopleforbikes.org, tell us why you ride, and urge your friends and fellow bike riders to do the same.
Elizabeth from StreetFilms went to the 10th National Bike Summit in Washington DC with her camera, and the video below is the result. It's great to hear from so many people and organisations working hard to fix the transportation sector, a crucial piece of the puzzle if we are to move to a more sustainable society. It can't be done without some policy changes, so we need effective lobbying if cyclists are to get their fair share of infrastructure and legislative protection. A great event that is helping those who are working in the trenches to make cities greener and move livable...
Glen Koorey, Deputy Chair of CAN, and Kieran Turner, Chief Executive of BikeNZ, gave a presentation on cycling safety and promotion to the "Parliamentary Friends of Cycling" on the evening of Tue March 23rd.
This invitation was from Kevin Hague, Green Party MP, who has initiated the "Parliamentary Friends..." as a new cross-party group of MPs interested in cycling issues. Their first get-together was held in November and this was their second meeting, held during the dinner break while Parliament was sitting.
Glen and Kieran introduced the two organisations and presented the...
Despite recent defections of two other oil majors, Royal Dutch Shell PLC has opted to stay in an influential lobbying group that has focused on shaping climate-change legislation, Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser said.
Mr. Voser, speaking Thursday at the Wall Street Journal’s ECO:nomics conference in Santa Barbara, Calif., was asked why Shell remained in the three-year-old U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) after two of its peers, BP PLC and ConocoPhillips, pulled out last month. The partnership is a broad business-environmental coalition that had been instrumental...
New Zealanders have a very important opportunity right now to make progress on reducing drunken driving. You can help make this happen.
Cabinet are seriously deliberating whether or not to decrease the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for people 20 years and over from 0.08 to 0.05, and may make a decision over the next week or two. They are looking for a public signal and if they don't hear it, they are likely to go with the intense alcohol industry lobbying to maintain the status quo.
Remember, a BAC of 0.05 is a standard definition of intoxication. So...
The end of daylight saving means it is time for cyclists to dust off their lights and add a bit of fluorescence to their riding wardrobe. Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) chair Bevan Woodward said as the days get shorter, cyclists need to get brighter.
"Lights and high-visibility riding gear make you easier to see," said Mr Woodward.
Cycling fatalities have declined over recent years despite bike sales on the increase. Mr Woodward said it could have something to do with cyclists embracing the culture of being seen.
"I have seen drivers sitting at an intersection...
What is Sustrans' vision for getting around for local journeys that make up so much of our travelling life? What would our communities look and feel like if we were able to double the number of local journeys being made in ways that benefit our health and the environment?
Already two out of five local journeys in the UK are made by foot, bike and public transport. If we made the changes necessary to enable more people to choose smarter travel choices, we'd have clearer roads, cleaner air, and better places and spaces to move through and live in...
Since 1997 L'Eroica in Italy has attracted cycling enthusiasts from around the world keen to brush the dust off their pre-1987 bikes and take part in a 150km ride over the "strade bianche" (white gravelled roads) in celebration of the great tradition of cycling from over the past 100 years. With authenticity at its heart, the bikes used and the ride feature only those elements deemed "classic" - shifters mounted on the downtube, as opposed to the handlebars, woolen jerseys and cycling shorts, traditional Italian cuisine and wine. See the video below:
Babes on bikes and a positive cycling culture have helped Darlington top a UK league for pedal power. So what is the town’s secret when it comes to reversing cycling’s downhill trend and what can it teach business about its travel to work plans? Environment reporter Kelley Price finds out.
COMMUTERS are one of the biggest targets under the Government’s Active Travel Strategy to improve health and tackle climate change.
But in order to achieve it, cycling has to be easy for everyone - and that goes for working women in their power suits and high heels,...
Although approximately twice as many men as women cycle in London regularly, according to Transport for London, 10 out of 13 cycling fatalities last year were women.
It's a strange and disturbing statistic, especially given that the same set of figures also show that male cyclists have more collisions and crashes than women, and are also more likely to be seriously injured.
Is there anything that women cyclists can do to reduce their risk, other than waiting for Boris's new measures, which include the possibility of cyclists being allowed to turn left while the lights...
Despite the gold medal winning success of British female cyclists in Beijing, research commissioned by Cycling England reveals that many women are missing out on the benefits of regular cycling due to concerns about post-cycling appearance.
Men are still three times more likely to cycle than women. Today’s poll suggests that the perceived effect of cycling on appearance, together with a lack of confidence in cycling on the road, is behind this gender imbalance. Two thirds (64%) of women say they never cycle and just 2% cycle every day.
Women are three times...
The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists, UK) has urged cyclists to make themselves seen and to “claim their lane”, moving out into the middle of the lane when approaching a junction or parked cars.
Duncan Pickering, IAM Cycling Development Manager, said: “There has been some debate as to whether cyclists should stick to the kerb or push out into the road when riding in built-up areas. Our advice to cyclists, based on a comprehensive study, is to stay near to the kerb on long even stretches, but to assert yourself when approaching a junction, pushing out into the road and...
Some folks in the US are doing a cycling backpack with a '3 feet please' message:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3758254.htm
Maybe we could do '1.5 m please' as another option for the CAN pack covers?
Sharing the road: Cyclists and MotoristsSize matters when it comes to sharing the road, says cyclist and motorist, Peter King
"Imagine driving home. Now imagine you are driving home along an airport runway with jet planes landing and taking off in the lane next to you all the time. That's what it feels like to be a cyclist on many of our busy roads."
some pull quotes
"Making cycling safer isn't something that laws can really achieve"
"The answer is in everyone taking responsibility for road safety."
"New Zealand drivers are not good at sharing the road with one...
In the early 2000s the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN), formed in 1997, spearheaded the cycle lobby. It lobbied local councils and transport authorities for cycle-friendly amenities such as cycle lanes and designated cycle paths, and organised ‘bike to work’ days to encourage cycle commuting.
from Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Don't forget to check out Charlie the Chimp demonstrating safe cycling practice here
Seoul before and after
Remember a few years ago when millions of our fellow Americans started gorging on bacon and cheeseburgers in order to lose weight? The Atkins diet fad was an odd moment in our culture and probably one best politely forgotten. But one reason the scheme took off like it did is that human beings are innately fascinated by counter-intuitive effects. Most examples you hear about on teevee–”Rock-hard abs without getting off your couch!”–are malarkey, of course. But in certain charmed cases, it is possible to get thin by eating lard, so to...
A record turnout for the Golden Bay World Naked Bike Ride indicates a "sea change in attitude towards transport", says ride organiser Bike Lanes in Paradise representative Victoria Davis.
Wearing little more than helmets and shoes, 110 people pedalled the two kilometres from Tarakohe to the Totally Roasted Cafe at Pohara for the seventh annual naked bike ride on Saturday. Similar rides also took place in Sydney and Brazil in the global event.
Far more bikers were totally nude in the clothing-optional ride this year, possibly encouraged by a High Court ruling just two...