Contents:
- Register now for the CAN Do, Wellington, 25-26 March 2017
- Cycle safety measures roll out
- Cycling deaths on New Zealand roads at 25 year low
- UN calls for "at least 20%" of transport budgets for cycling and walking
- Cycling creates 513 billion Euro annually in Europe
- Bike commuters more punctual and energized, says study
- Paris pushes its car-free streets plan even further
- London police will pose as cyclists to catch unsafe drivers
- Weblinks
Register now for the CAN Do, Wellington, 25-26 March 2017
Are you passionate about getting more people on bikes, more often? Want to ensure that $350 million of cycling funding is getting spent right?
2017 is a big year for making New Zealand a better place to ride a bike. Join CAN people from around New Zealand as we upskill, strategise, socialise and ride our bikes.
It's also 200 years since the bicycle was invented, so our theme is Bikecentennial - celebrating 200 years of fun, freedom and adventure.
CAN Do is about linking up with people from around the country. We're creating a programme that will facilitate your network building. It includes:
- an informal dinner on Friday night, with a showing of Century of Cycling, Nga Taonga Sound and Vision's compilation of historic cycling film.
- updates on progress from Wellington and around NZ, with presentations from advocates, councils, and NZTA.
- election year: how do we get a bike-friendly government?
- skills sessions for bike advocates
- cycle tourism: how has Nga Haerenga helped tourism and business?
- e-bikes: update on rules, and a chance to ride one
- getting more kids on bikes
- CAN's Share the Road project
- a conversation with Fulton Hogan on roadworks and signalling
- new initiatives: Bikes Welcome and ReBicycle
- tours of Wellington bike routes, including the World Famous Frocks On Bike Laneway Art tour
- post-CAN Do tour of the Wairarapa.
Information and registration at https://can.org.nz/cando2017 - register by 27 February to get the early bird rate of $80.
Cycle safety measures roll out
24 November 2016- A range of regulatory changes combined with record investment will further improve cycle safety this summer, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.
"Cycling is an increasingly popular mode of transport, past time and sport. It's also a vital part of a safe, sustainable, connected and integrated transport system," Mr Foss says.
"The Government is making a range of regulatory changes to help ensure cyclists stay safe on our roads, and that all road users are aware of their responsibilities."
Changes to the Road User Rule, which came into force 1 December, will now:
- Allow drivers to use flush medians when passing cyclists.
- Increase the minimum distance that cycle lights must be visible to others and extend the period of time when cycle lights must be used.
- Extend intersection give-way and stop sign rules to places where cycle paths or shared paths cross roads.
- Formally recognise shared lane - or 'sharrow' - road markings, used to indicate where cyclists should ride to remain visible to others.
"The Government is committed to making cycling a safer and even more attractive transport choice," Mr Foss says.
"The $333 million Urban Cycleways Programme - New Zealand's single biggest investment in cycling infrastructure - involves 54 projects across 22 local authorities.
"We're also delivering a number of other major cycling projects through the National Land Transport Fund, including 'clip-on' cycle lanes on bridges."
Mr Foss says the regulatory changes announced today are part of the Government's broad package of work addressing the recommendations of the Cycling Safety Panel.
"Transport officials continue to explore the feasibility of minimum overtaking distances, rules around cycling on footpaths, and regulations for e-bikes and low-powered vehicles.
"Further changes are on the way to encourage trucks to use side cameras and close-proximity monitoring systems. These devices increase awareness of other road users and can help improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians."
Cycling deaths on New Zealand roads at 25 year low
1 January 2017- Five cyclists died on the roads in 2016 - the lowest annual number recorded in 25 years, latest road toll figures show.
The Cycling Action Network (CAN) hailed the preliminary figures as "encouraging". CAN spokesperson Patrick Morgan said the decline was a reflection of more people riding and becoming accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists.
He said the government needed to be more ambitious in improving road safety but praised Simon Bridges as the best Minister of Transport for cyclists.
Over the past 25 years about 12 cyclists died on the roads each year. There were six cyclist deaths last year and 10 in 2014.
"It is really encouraging, the numbers appear to be moving in the right direction," Morgan said.
He said it was too early to say if improved infrastructure had positively impacted safety for cyclists and said dedicated cycling infrastructure was still in its infancy.
Read more here:
UN calls for "at least 20%" of transport budgets for cycling and walking
21 October 2016- A new report compiled by the United Nations Environment team has outlined how a minimum of 20% of transport budgets should go to active travel in the near future.
"Lack of investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure is contributing to the deaths of millions of people and overlooking a great opportunity to contribute to the fight against climate change," starts the report, which offers regional breakdowns of why it believes travel habits must change.
Surveying progress toward active travel, the assessment of 20 low to middle income countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America found startling difference with high-income nations. Almost twice as many people die in road traffic accidents in these poorer regions. Worldwide it is calculated that some 1.3 million people die every year on the road, almost half of whom are vulnerable road users.
"There would be an international scandal if the world knowingly let the entire population of Australia, Ghana or Nepal die in just 15 years," says Erick Solheim, the UN Environment's executive director in his foreword. "Yet we quietly accept more than that will die in road accidents. Even worse, we accept it knowing there are alternatives. That's why this report highlights both the risks and some startlingly simple solutions. Around the world, many people rely on walking and cycling for transport. Many more begin and end each trip on foot. Such affordable, people-powered transport offers huge social, economic and environmental benefits for urban and rural areas.
With motorised transport generating almost a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions, the UN stance frowns upon continuing with a business as usual approach to policy and spending.
Read more here:
Cycling creates 513 billion Euro annually in Europe
13 December 2016- Every year, cycling in 28 EU Member States creates economic benefits of 513 billion Euro, more than 1,000 Euro per inhabitant, according to The European Cyclists' Federation's (ECF) new report, EU Cycling Economy.
"Development of safe infrastructure is very important to bringing more economic benefits," Holger Haubold, co-author of the report, told Cities Today. "Important contributions have also been made by campaigns such as Bike2Work, including fiscal and financial incentives, as well as by a large growth in cycle tourism. Finally, e-cycling has played an important role in a growth of the bike market, notably in countries such as Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium, opening up cycling to groups that didn't cycle before."
Read more here:
https://cities-today.com/cycling-creates-e513-billion-annually-europe-says-new-report/
Bike commuters more punctual and energized, says study
23 December 2016- Add this to the list of reasons cities might consider designing for and promoting bicycle commuting: compared to other travel modes, cyclists have the greatest odds of showing up to work or school energized and punctual. That's according to data from a 2013 survey at McGill University, which researchers used to compare the punctuality and energy level at work of students, staff and faculty who commute by bus, car or bike.
They also found that drivers self-report feeling the least energized when arriving at the Montreal, Canada, university and are most likely to say their commute negatively impacts their punctuality and attendance. Transit riders are next most likely to feel drained and delayed by their commute, with walkers falling between cyclists and transit riders.
Read more here:
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/montreal-cyclists-commuting-to-work
Paris pushes its car-free streets plan even further
9 January 2017- When Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo banned cars from a large section of the River Seine's quayside last autumn, she met a fierce backlash from pro-car advocates and some suburban mayors. As part of her annual New Year address on Friday, she outlined her response to this vocal resistance.
Rather than backtracking or mollifying critics, she's going to push her pedestrianization measures even further. In autumn 2018, Paris will extend its car-free zone westward by a kilometer, install a guided bus line, and convert some space that's currently used by cars into a two-way bike path. The openly declared objective: first to cut Paris' car space by 50 percent, then ultimately rid central Paris of non-residents' cars altogether. If Hidalgo has been rattled by criticism of her anti-car policies, she's hiding it pretty well.
Read more here:
http://www.citylab.com/commute/2017/01/paris-car-ban-seine-anne-hidalgo/512534/
London police will pose as cyclists to catch unsafe drivers
27 January 2017- London drivers beware: Starting this spring, the ordinary-looking cyclist pushing past your side mirror might just be a cop. That's because, in a bid to enforce more careful driving around bikes, the city's Metropolitan Police is going low key, with plain-clothes police officers pedaling through the streets on bikes to monitor and reprimand drivers' behavior.
The main goal is to crack down on so-called close passing- that is, drivers overtaking bikes at a distance of less than 1.5 meters (just under 5 feet). The police will be able to make arrests if necessary, but they're aiming to inform rather than punish. Motorists caught engaging in driving that compromises cyclists' safety will be given the choice between prosecution or a 15-minute roadside safety training session. The operation won't cover a very large area of London's roads at any one time. By introducing the idea that cyclists on the road might just have a police badge in their pocket, however, it may have a far greater effect than punishment alone.
Read more here:
http://www.citylab.com/commute/2017/01/london-bike-police-officers-car-cycling-safety/514688/
Weblinks
Bicycles are instantaneous teleportation devices, says science:
"Bicycle hotel" in Norway:
http://inhabitat.com/norways-unique-bicycle-hotel-encourages-more-commuters-to-travel-on-two-wheels/
Oslo offers citizens cash to buy electric cargo bikes:
http://www.citylab.com/commute/2017/01/oslo-norway-city-grant-for-electric-cargo-bikes/515100/
No gargling on your bike: odd cycling laws from around the world:
10 tips for bike commuting while pregnant:
http://bostoncyclistsunion.org/bikeways-for-everybody/10-tips-for-bike-commuting-while-pregnant/
Biking to the South Pole:
https://gearjunkie.com/4-wheel-bike-antarctica-van-weelden
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About CAN
Cycling Action Network (CAN) is New Zealand's voice for cyclists. We want to see cycling become an everyday activity in NZ. CAN's membership includes experienced cyclists, advocates, engineers, planners, local and regional councils, bike shops, and local advocacy groups throughout the country.
To find out more about CAN, go to our website, http://www.can.org.nz.
Sign up to CAN online via credit card at http://www.can.org.nz/join-can/. Join us!
We also welcome donations to support our work. You can donate online at: http://can.org.nz/donate
address: PO Box 25-424, Wellington 6146
email: secretary@can.org.nz
website: http://www.can.org.nz