Let's get more people riding!
This summer the New Zealand Transport Agency is rolling out an exciting new campaign to boost cycling all across the country. With tailored guidance and tips, a friendly workplace competition, and lots of great prizes on offer, it's a great time to ride bikes in NZ.
Register here and get your workmates & friends cycling!
There are local leaderboards for Wellington, Auckland,...
The new Board will have Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, three Regional Members and one or two Independent Members.
The Executive will have three members doing the day-to-day work of running CAN, plus, for the 2017-18 year, a fourth member managing the re-structure.
The various jobs and duties are set out in CAN's new Rules (PDF) which will come into effect at the AGM on March 26th 2017. The open roles are as follows; links are to pages with more information on each position-
ChairTreasurerSecretaryIndependent board members, but these...
See the attached PDF poster for all the Bike Wise events in February in Whanganui
From Adelaide via Bologna and Invercargill to Upper Hutt and beyond, Share the Road has hit the road hard (but safely!) this year, spreading our message of empathy between the biggest and smallest of road users.
We’ve put drivers on bikes and riders in trucks in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Taupo, Hamilton, Nelson, Hokitika and Dunedin. In 2016 alone, the campaign has personally reached over 1,000 people in the transport industry, but the statistic we’re most proud of is that 93% of workshop participants reported a positive change in their...
A bicycle is always near the top of the Christmas wish list, says Cycling Action Network spokesman Patrick Morgan.
This year is no different with TradeMe reporting bikes in the top searches.
“Kids of all ages love cycling,” he says.
"With new cycle trails now open all over New Zealand, it's going to be a biking hot summer."
For those lucky enough to find a bicycle at the foot of the Christmas tree, Mr Morgan has some tips:
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The main route between Picton and Christchurch on State Highway 1 is closed due to substantial slips and road damage following the 14 November earthquake.
NZTA advice: The alternate state highway route between Picton and Christchurch is via state highways 7, 65, 6 and 63 via Murchison and Lewis Pass. However, we recommend that cyclists avoid this route and follow the advice below.
CYCLISTS TRAVELLING BETWEEN PICTON AND CHRISTCHURCH
Due to the combination of increased traffic volumes (in particular large trucks) and a lack of shoulder space on the alternate state highway route...
[photo: "motorbike? eBike? S-Pedelec?" workshop participants debate the status of an electric vehicle]
"It's just snowballed" was the introduction from ViaStrada's John Lieswyn, to an NZTA workshop on the regulation of eBikes and other low powered vehicles.
I attended (on my eBike, of course) thinking that I was reasonably up to speed, having invested a bit of time in developing CAN's Electric Assist Bicycles policy. But I hadn't really appreciated the range of power assisted transport that is appearing, and the potential headaches that they pose for regulators. What...
Review of:
Williamson, Laura (2016) The Bike and Beyond: life on two wheels in Aotearoa New Zealand. BWB texts. $15 softback, $5 eBook.
Wanaka based, but of Canadian origins, Laura Williamson has been writing about biking in NZ for a couple of decades, including contributing to the MTB magazine Spoke. She's concerned that despite the growth in recreational cycling, we're still wedded to our cars for commuting and utility trips. "Biketivism", or social action that challenges the primacy of the car, has been around...
CAN’s central Committee have been busy carrying out our usual advocacy, lobbying and publicity work to support cyclists' interests. Here are some highlights-
In the public eye Our 'main man' Patrick Morgan has been making regular appearances on The Panel, an afternoon radio talk show on RNZ. Stories Patrick has reacted to covered mandatory mirrors for bikes, so-called Bike Wars in Wellington, the sentencing of a truck driver for killing a cyclist, and the feasibility of footpath cycling. And of course the Max Key episode: ‘I'd like to congratulate him...
Share the Road, the campaign that puts truck drivers and cyclists in each others’ shoes, has received a prestigious industry award.
Campaign Manager Richard Barter was delighted to accept the Trafinz Leadership award, saying it confirms the value of the research that went into creating Share the Road workshops and activities.
"Behaviour change on New Zealand’s roads is critical in encouraging more Kiwis to cycle. Understanding the demands on our heavy vehicle drivers is a big part of that."
Richard said the award, from the New Zealand Local Authority Traffic Institute (...
The Associate Minister of Transport, Hon Craig Foss, has signed into law 13 amendment Rules that make minor changes to existing Land Transport Rules. They’ll come into force soon- December 1st!
CAN’s submission is here; thanks to those who worked on it. Here are some of the rules which apply directly to cyclists-
Permit drivers to encroach onto a flush median when overtaking cyclistsExtend the time period during which lighting and reflector requirements apply to pedal cycles and power assisted pedal cyclesClarify that a driver approaching an intersection must not enter a cycle lane if...
Tim Williams, CEO Committee for Sydney
Tim Williams presented to a meeting of transport advocates, experts and local Councillors recently in Wellington on the subject of Keeping Sydney Moving. Truly competitive global cities have the transport infrastructure to match their aspirations. While Sydney’s transport offering continues to improve, we need a step-change in provision if we are to equal the performance and accessibility of our competitors. The momentum towards a modern public transport system for Sydney needs reinforcing as vital to economic...
CAN's Share the Road Campaign is about raising awareness and empathy between cyclists and the drivers of large trucks and buses. Keeping up with international best practice is important, so we know we’re offering the best possible guidance to our workshop attendees. Campaign Manager Richard spend a hectic two weeks visiting cycle safety trainers in Los Angeles and Vancouver, and then attending the International Cycling Safety Conference in Bologna. Here are some of his top lessons.Presentations by Volvo truck and car people gave accounts of amazing developments in car and truck technology...
CAN's Share the Road Campaign is about raising awareness and empathy between cyclists and the drivers of large trucks and buses. To learn more, Campaign Manager spent a day in a Southland Logging truck on the 19th Oct.
It was a large "H for High Productivity" vehicle (50 tons loaded up). The trips involved delivering a load of logs to the Port at Bluff, picking up a load from a forest to the west of Invercargill and delivering it to a saw mill in Invercargill. It was an eye-opening day.
Drivers face the relentless pressure of ensuring the safety of other road users in a...
Have you signed up for the Aotearoa Bike Challenge yet? Join organisations including Westpac NZ, Ministry of Justice, Fonterra, Xero and Sky City Auckland and help your team discover how easy and enjoyable riding a bike can be.
The challenge is all about participation – who can ride a bike for just 10 minutes or more. Organisations and teams across the country will compete against each other to see who can get the most team members to ride a bike during the Challenge (1-28 Feb).
Sign up and invite your colleagues to join you now at http://www.aotearoa.bike/
- Note the...
Christchurch City Council is rolling forward with its ambitious network of good-quality cycle routes known as the Major Cycleways. Routes primarily serve commuting trips into & out of the CBD. But progress hasn't always been easy...
There is some resistance to change and the usual difficulties with providing parking for cars where residents have become used to roadside parking. Advocates at Spokes Canterbury are appealing for our help in supporting such schemes as the Quarryman's Trail, now open for consultation here, and the 'mysocialpinpoint' tool...
Safer trucks and better intersection designs are needed to reduce risk, say cycling advocates.
Following the sentencing of truck driver David Peter Connell who killed two cyclists, the Cycling Action Network has called on the Government to take action on safer trucks.
"The Cycling Safety Panel called for safer trucks in its 2014 report, but we have yet to see the Government take effective action," said CAN spokesman Patrick Morgan.
"Why does New Zealand have such low standards for safety features such as mirrors, proximity sensors and blind spot cameras? Why are...
Cyclists urged to light up on dim mornings
Early morning cyclists need to make sure they are well lit, say cycling advocates.
"The start of daylight saving means more people on bikes, but some may be caught out by morning twilight," said Cycling Action Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan.
"Lights, reflectors and high-visibility riding gear make you easier to see," said Mr Morgan.
With popular events such as the Taupo Cycle Challenge just two months away, many people...
Brake, the road safety charity, is encouraging all drivers to leave their cars at home and use alternative forms of transport on World Car Free Day.
Every year on 22 September, people from around the world choose to walk, cycle and use public transport for their journeys to show that there is a cleaner, greener alternative to getting into the car for every trip. 76% of trips less than 5km long are made by car, many of which could be made by foot, bike or public transport.
Air pollution is a threat to health, with around 300 premature deaths each year attributed to it...
Share the road Blind Zone Workshops
People who cycle and people who drive trucks get to know one another: It is only when the drivers go for a ride, and when the cyclists jump up into the cab of a truck that they can understand each others position. Share the Road blind zone workshops show cyclists what it's like to be in the truck driver's seat.
We can tailor make a workshop format to suit your conference or seminar. These could include getting participants out on bikes, or may just involve exercises around a...