e.CAN 173 - The email bulletin of Cycling Advocates' Network, NZ

e.CAN

Contents:
- Cyclists angered by funding cuts
- Could the 'national cycleway' be paved with gold?
- It's submissions time
- Cycle mad centres congratulated
- Cyclists urged to light up
- Valuing the health benefits of walking and cycling
- It pays to invest in bikes, Cycling England tells councils
- Denmark to spend $16 billion to get people out of cars
- Austrians pedal a record
- Weblinks

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CYCLISTS ANGERED BY FUNDING CUTS

20 March 2009- Cyclists are angered by the Government's slashing of walking and cycling funding to pay for more state highways.

Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) spokesperson Stephen McKernon says, "about a third of New Zealanders cycle on our roads and cycling is one of the ten most popular recreational activities nationwide. The 2006 Census shows 9% of people walk and cycle to work, and the Household Travel Survey 2008 shows 17% of trips are made by walking and cycling."

"Yet cycling and walking in combination have received less than 1% of Land Transport Programme funding, and even this has now been halved."

"The Government says the funding cut has been made to match the ways people currently travel. This is clearly incorrect and a cynical attack on alternative modes of travel at a time when they are desperately needed."

"Media attention for the Government's proposed national cycleway should not divert attention from the fact it is slashing funding for cycling to spend more on state highways."

"Driving our way out of the recession and beyond is just not a sensible solution. A more balanced approach to transport is needed."

"We call on the Government to meet its commitments to 'Getting There - on Foot, by Cycle', the national walking and cycling strategy."

"Cycling is popular, healthy, cheap, safe, responsible and eco-friendly. It is ideal for the huge volume of short trips people make, such as to work and shops. It grows suburban businesses by increasing local shopping and helps communities by strengthening local networks. It also attracts tourists and builds related business revenues. Demand for better cycling facilities is growing in New Zealand, as well as in many other countries, as a result of these benefits," says McKernon.

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COULD THE 'NATIONAL CYCLEWAY' BE PAVED WITH GOLD?

23 March 2009- Fewer than two of every 100 visitors to New Zealand might use the Prime Minister's proposed national cycleway - but the ones that do are likely to be among tourism's bigger spenders.

Tourism Ministry figures show fewer than 2 per cent of visitors take part in cycling, but they stay more than twice as long as the average tourist and spend 1.6 times as much.

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IT'S SUBMISSIONS TIME

With local council LTCCPs (long term community council plans) on the horizon it's time to have your say and make sure cycling gets a fair slice of the pie.

All you need to know about making submissions:

http://can.org.nz/article/creating-effective-submissions

LTCCP submission dates for some areas are available here:

http://can.org.nz/article/submissions-for-2009

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CYCLE MAD CENTRES CONGRATULATED

20 March 2009- It's official. Results just in from the 2009 Bike Wise Mayoral Challenge reveal New Zealand has lots of 'cycle mad' cities.

New Plymouth has wrestled the title in the large centre category (population over 58,000) from last year's winner, Rodney District, by scoring a massive 3,641 points.

Central Hawke's Bay has taken the mid-sized title (population over 11,000) for the second year in a row by scoring 507 points, and Opotiki has won in the small centre category (population under 11,000), also for the second year in row, with 766 points.

This was the fourth Bike Wise Mayoral Challenge attracting more than 17,300 participants nationwide. Around 50 towns and cities competed for the title in their category, up from 35 centres in 2008.

NZ Transport Agency Media Manager, Andy Knackstedt, congratulated participants and mayors from the winning centres, and said the show of local spirit across New Zealand was heartening.

"The Mayoral Challenge rides have been a big success again this year, and all of the feedback tells us they've also been loads of fun. We're really impressed with how many people got riding to support their communities.

"Events like these, that have such strong support from local leaders, businesses and local personalities, are helping more and more Kiwis discover that biking is a fun and convenient alternative to driving, especially for short trips."

Visit http://www.bikewise.co.nz/Site/events/ for further information or contact your local council.

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CYCLISTS URGED TO LIGHT UP

15 April 2009- With winter heralding changes in riding conditions, cyclists are being urged to light up and brighten up. Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) spokesman Stephen McKernon says, "Cyclists should light up for morning, evening, and bad weather riding. Cycling fatalities have declined over recent years, at the same time as high-visibility riding gear and brighter lights have become more popular. Safety-focused attitudes and good safety equipment work."

CAN strongly recommends high-visibility reflective gear such as fluorescent clothing, pack covers, and extra reflectors. "The use of high-visibility gear and stronger lights has become more popular over the last decade," McKernon says.

"We suspect this may be why cycling fatalities have declined since 1998. Bike sales are up, our roads are busier, and cycling accidents have increased, but brighter cyclists are far less vulnerable at night, which can be the most dangerous time for sharing the roads".

The NZ Road Code says that bikes and cyclists out at night must have:

- a steady or flashing rear-facing red light
- a steady or flashing forward-facing white light
- a rear reflector on the bike
- reflectors on pedals, or reflective clothing.

"And have a bicycle bell or horn," adds Mr. McKernon "Use it to let cars and pedestrians know where you are!"

He also has advice for drivers. "At this time of year look out for the flashing lights of cyclists. Give them at least a metre and a half when overtaking, as required by the Road Code."

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VALUING THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALKING AND CYCLING

A new research report from the NZ Transport Agency, "Valuing the health benefits of active transport modes", seeks to provide a per-kilometre value for the health benefits of active transport modes (such as walking and cycling) that is compatible with the Land Transport New Zealand Economic Evaluation Manual.

The latest version of the Manual currently estimates health benefits at $2.60 per km for walking and $1.30 per km for cycling. The new research estimates the health benefits at around $4 per km for walking and around $2 per km for cycling.

Download the report here:

http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/research/reports/index.html#travel

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IT PAYS TO INVEST IN BIKES, CYCLING ENGLAND TELLS COUNCILS

20 March 2009- New economic research published today makes the case for a fundamental rethink in the way local authorities plan for cycling.

The research, by independent economists SQW, argues that cycling must be treated with the same rigour as other modes of transport if its benefits are to be fully understood.

The research, commissioned by Cycling England, shows how local authority planners can apply conventional cost benefit modeling to ensure a better return on investment for every pound spent on cycling.

The study presents for the first time a Cycling Planning Model (CPM) that will help local planners to better assess the number of additional cyclists required to generate a return on investment. The model shows how a surprisingly small number of additional cyclists will pay for investment in new cycling infrastructure. The model suggests:

- An investment of £10,000 requires one additional regular cyclist
- An investment of £100,000 requires 11 additional regular cyclists

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DENMARK TO SPEND $16 BILLION TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF CARS

18 February 2009- While the U.S. Congress debated whether to include less than $1 billion in funding for Amtrak in the stimulus package, the Danish parliament has put all its economic stimulus eggs in one basket: transportation. The small Nordic country of 5.4 million people will spend 94 billion kroner, or about $16 billion, by 2020 to improve transportation. Two-thirds of that money will be used to make public transit even better than it already is.

The government will invest billions in high-speed intercity trains that will cut travel between northern Jutland and Copenhagen by a third, install light rail systems, expand the Copenhagen Metro, and widen and lengthen city bike lanes.

"We are making public transit a lot more attractive with massive investments to increase capacity, improve on-time performance and lay brand-new railroads. We are also making the biggest push to promote cycling in recent memory," said Transport Minister Lars Barfoed.

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AUSTRIANS PEDAL A RECORD

31 March 2009- Austrians set a new cycling record last year by pedalling a collective 1.85 billion kilometres, which saved 148 litres of auto fuel and 342 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The number of kilometres cycled was 14 per cent higher last year than the year before.

The Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) said today (Tues) the number of kilometres Austrians had cycled had increased by 42 per cent or 550 million kilometres since 2005.

VCÖ official Martin Blum said: "High fuel prices motivated many Austrians to cycle more last year. The recession should have the same effect this year."

More cycling has reduced many Austrians' transport costs, especially for trips under 2.5 kilometres long for which fuel consumption by cars is very high. "The bicycle is the piggy-bank among means of transport," Blum said.

Blum called for improvements in conditions for cycling, including construction of bike paths along country roads to make cycling there safer. Such work would also create many jobs, he claimed.

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WEBLINKS

- World's shortest cycle lane? see the latest contender for this much-coveted title here:

http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2009/03/fantastic-new-cycle-lane-opens.html

- Bike baskets: fancy a custom-made wicker basket to put on your bike?

http://hembrow.eu/variousbikes.html

- The Orange Line: watch this short film on the Orange Line, a dedicated busway (all buses fitted with bike racks of course) and bike path in Los Angeles:

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/las-orange-line-bus-rapid-transit-plus-bike-path/

- Why we need more women on two wheels: is there life after fluoro in cycling fashion?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/06/cycling-women-fashion-topshop

- Bike commuting tips blog:

http://bikecommutetips.blogspot.com/

- Bizarre bikes from yesteryear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdlpJqHxLxk

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ABOUT CAN

Cycling Advocates' 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.

ABOUT e.CAN

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