e.CAN 187 - The email bulletin of Cycling Advocates' Network, NZ

e.CAN 187 - The email bulletin of Cycling Advocates' Network, NZ

e.CAN

Contents:

Vote for the bike!

Don't forget, voting in your local body elections closes this Saturday. If you want your local council to do more to make cycling safe and easy in your area, make sure you get out and vote for the most cycle-friendly candidates!

Not sure who the cycle-friendly ones are? Besides reading their blurbs in the voting booklet, you can see their responses to other people's questions here- or ask them something yourself:

http://www.elections2010.co.nz/2010/q-and-a/

And if you happen to live in soon-to-be-super Auckland, make sure you check the Easy Transport Auckland website for the low-down on how your candidates are going to support cycling and other transport initiatives:

http://www.easytransportauckland.org.nz/

Give Way rule change is good news for cycleways

29 September 2010- Changes to the give way rules were welcomed by cyclists today.

Cycling Advocates Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan said cyclists have for many years advocated for a change of the rules, so that right turners give way to opposing left turners.

"This change will be beneficial for all road users, as it makes the decision making process easier when turning."

"In addition, we see the give way rule change as a necessary pre-cursor for a review of the right of way when travelling along a road corridor."

In most European countries, any traffic, including cyclists, along a road corridor has the right of way over turning traffic. In New Zealand, only the traffic on the carriageway (i.e. between kerbs) has the right of way, with people on cyclepaths always having to give way at side streets.

The significance of this is that road controlling authorities such as councils are reluctant to build cyclepaths, as the carriageway offers a higher level of service due to people having the right of way on the road compared to cyclepaths.

"The outcome is that in New Zealand we build very few cyclepaths alongside roads," said Mr Morgan.

"If we want to improve road safety and increase the number of cyclists, then our give way rules should be aligned with those European rules that enable the construction of cyclepaths with a good level of service."

Such a rule change would of course aid the success of the New Zealand Cycle Trails, said Mr Morgan.

Save our savings

Our accounting person is resigning from late October, so CAN is looking for a replacement angel who possesses basic accounting skills. The job includes budgeting and reporting to Committee meetings, and typically takes 5-10 hours per week.

We use Quickbooks for our accounts, and training and continuing support is available. Ideally, CAN is looking for someone able to work from home, and able to do it for at least a year. Remuneration will be offered at a rate to be discussed.

If you are interested, please contact Liz@can.org.nz.

Register now for CAN Do 2010

The CAN Do, our annual get-together of cycling advocates from around NZ, will be held in Petone (Lower Hutt), over the weekend of 30-31 October.

As well as the usual workshops and other sessions for advocates to share experiences and skills, there will also be the ASB Cycle Friendly Awards ceremony on the Friday night beforehand for those already in town. The CAN Do will be followed by an optional two-day gourmet cycle tour in the Wairarapa.

Early bird registration closes on 15 October, so register now!

For more details, and a registration form, visit:

http://can.org.nz/can-do-2010

Would you like to help with the next NZ Cycling Conference?

It has almost been a year since the NZ Cycling Conference in New Plymouth. Remember that you can still access details about this successful event (including presentations and papers) from the conference website - http://cyclingconf.org.nz/.

Now it's time to start planning the next conference, which will be the 8th in a series going back to 1997. The next event is scheduled to be held towards the end of 2011. While that's not set in stone, we need to decide where, when, what, how, who, etc. So we require a group of enthusiastic people to help with the organising process.

The activities that go into planning a successful conference, include:

  • Determining the conference theme and format
  • Selecting a conference venue and date
  • Identifying and arranging keynote speakers
  • Promoting the conference to a variety of audiences and media
  • Reviewing conference presentation proposals
  • Developing the final conference programme
  • Seeking sponsorship and exhibitors
  • Planning the social programme and other external activities
  • Preparing conference materials, e.g. handbook
  • Maintaining a conference website
  • Preparing and monitoring the conference budget
  • Local venue liaison

Previous conference organisers have come from a variety of organisations, including CAN, NZTA, Ministry of Health, local councils, universities, and consultants. Organisers are typically scattered around the country, so most of the work is done via email, phone and the website, with teleconference calls about monthly most. A lot of the "grunt" work is generally done by a professional conference organiser.

If you are interested in helping with any of these tasks, please email conference@can.org.nz. Don't be too daunted by the list - even if you only want to contribute to one or two tasks, that will help immensely. If you can think of any other colleagues who may be interested in helping, please feel free to forward this note on to them too.

Where will the next cycling conference be? Previous venues have been Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch, North Shore, Lower Hutt, Napier and New Plymouth. Is it time that we held the conference in your part of the country? An official call for expressions of interest will be made later this year, but you might like to start thinking about it now...

Bike Now: encouraging cycle commuting in New Zealand

6 October 2010- NZTA has just released a report on the 'Bike Now' project.

The aim of the project was to explore specific 'actions' that could be undertaken in the workplace to encourage people to take up (and continue) cycling to work. The actions included: bike mentoring/buddying; establishing 'bike buses'; providing cycle skills training; creating secure parking at the workplace; and providing a cycle fleet at the workplace for travel during working hours, among others.

The Bike Now project involved approximately 40 workplaces in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim, New Zealand for a 12-month period in 2007 and 2008. Specially trained coordinators worked with 'champions' within each workplace to identify the initiatives of interest in their particular location (through an online survey of employees), implement them (as was feasible), and then complete a follow-up survey online.

The report looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the process used; the effectiveness of the initiatives implemented; and provides some guidance for future programmes to encourage cycle commuting. The range of activities/initiatives and the presence of the Bike Now programme in the workplace had a noticeable influence, increasing cycling behaviour in a small but consistent way across our self-selected sample.

Download the Bike Now report here:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/414/

Copenhagen, Auckland... and Wellington!

First there was Copenhagenize (http://www.copenhagenize.com/) blogging the joys of cycling in Copenhagen.

Couldn't we do that here? We sure could. The Cycling in Auckland blog (http://cyclingauckland.co.nz/) followed in the same footsteps and has proved a huge hit.

Now Wellington is getting in on the action. Cycling in Wellington has just joined the blogroll:

http://cyclingwellington.co.nz/

NZ pedal-powered monorail start-up gets $US 1 million from Google

25 September 2010- Google has recognised Auckland monorail start-up Shweeb, making it one of five companies worldwide to be awarded $US1 million in its $US10 million 10^100 competition.

In return for its $US1 million injection, Google has taken a 25% stake in Shweeb, with the proviso that any profits made by the internet company will go to a charitable trust for the betterment of public transport.

Shweeb, founded in 2006, is run by Remuera managing director Peter Cossey and Rotorua inventor Geoff Barnett.

Its human-powered monorail concept sees a Futurama-style capsule combined with reclining cycle technology.

Read more here:

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-monorail-start-gets-us1million-google-130552

Weblinks

Share the Road: campaigning for respect of all road users' equal right to use the road:

http://www.sharetheroad.co.nz/

It isn't in the genes: no, the Netherlands hasn't always been bike-friendly:

http://www.velorution.biz/2010/09/it-is-not-in-the-genes/

DIY streets: Sustrans UK's pioneering community-based method for transforming streets into places for people:

http://www.streetfilms.org/londons-do-it-yourself-approach-to-safer-streets/

StringBike: a revolutionary new chainless bike:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/designers-creat-a-more-efficient-chainless-bike.php

The Bike Apple: how to store 970 bicycles inside an apple:

http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2010/09/bike-apple-new-cycle-parking-at-alphen.html

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.

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

About e.CAN

e.CAN is distributed approximately every 4 weeks to CAN members and other interested people. CAN members also get our bi-monthly magazine, ChainLinks.

To check back issues of e.CAN, go to http://www.can.org.nz/ecan .

To subscribe or unsubscribe from e.CAN, go to http://www.can.org.nz/joinfriend .

If you're getting e.CAN via a local 'Friends' Yahoo group (e.g. Friends of Cycle Aware Wellington, Bike Taupo), and you want to unsubscribe, use the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of this email.