Contents:
- Get on your bike to beat high fuel prices, say cyclists
- Key hails success of 'inspirational' rail trail
- CAN webinar: It's not about the bike lane
- Support the Tour of New Zealand
- Wanted: CAN merchandise coordinator
- Getting to school the active way
- New WHO tool calculates cycle/walking infrastructure health savings
- Edinburgh earmarks 5% of transport budget to cycling
- Weblinks
Get on your bike to beat high fuel prices, say cyclists
16 March 2012- The Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) and BikeNZ say it is common sense for government and business to fight high fuel prices by investing in cycling.
As petrol hits $2.20 a litre, people are looking for alternatives to driving.
CAN spokesperson Patrick Morgan says local councils and the government need to shift up a gear to soften the impact of high fuel prices.
"New Zealanders love to bike, but many are put off by our busy roads and a lack of decent cycleways. "The good news is that cycling is a cheap date."
Relatively small investments can unleash cycling's potential to cut fuel bills, he said.
"We urge councils to meet the demand for safe and convenient cycling by investing in cycleways, bike parking, integration with public transport, cyclist training and driver education through the 2012 updates to their Long-Term Plans."
Mr Morgan says business can play a part too. "Many workplaces provide secure bike parking, fleet bikes and changing facilities for staff. These encourage people to cycle and to save on fuel bills."
Mr Morgan says money saved on petrol is good for New Zealand's economy. "New Zealanders spend $4 billion on fuel for cars (not including Government taxes). By switching to bikes, some of that money stays in our economy, creating local jobs. More people biking is good for business."
CAN and Bike NZ are working on programmes aimed at getting more people riding, more often:
- cycle skills training
- training of cycle skills instructors
- a pilot "share the road" campaign for drivers and cyclists
- workshops for truck and bus drivers, where drivers and cyclists swap seats to learn about driving and cycling issues
"We need continuous cycleways through our cities and wide shoulders on key rural roads," says Mr Morgan. "With high fuel prices here to stay, we need to ensure cycling is a viable choice."
Key hails success of 'inspirational' rail trail
14 March 2012- The New Zealand Cycle Trail grew today with the Otago Central Rail Trail officially joining the cycle network as one of its Great Rides.
The countrywide trail was an idea that sprung from the Government's 2009 job summit, and is expected to eventually include a network of cycle tours stretching the length of the country.
The Otago trail, which runs 150km from Clyde to Middlemarch, today officially became one of the network's Great Rides, with a plaque unveiling ceremonies held at the start and finish of the track this morning.
Read more here:
http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/201342/key-hails-success-inspirational-otago-rail-trail
CAN webinar: It's not about the bike lane
What: a webinar called "It's not about the bike lane: how cycling projects are a win-win for councils and residents"
When: 24 April 2012, 10-11 AM
Cost: $50 for Society of Local Govt Managers members, or free to for CAN members
Join Patrick Morgan and Jena Niquidet from CAN, and Owen Mata from Hastings District Council, on this webinar to discuss how delivering cycling projects is a win-win for councils and residents.
It's not all about Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Learn how London, New York and Sydney are rolling out massive cycling projects and delivering benefits for business, health and liveability. Patrick will present examples and ideas from his Winston Churchill Fellowship study tour of Europe and the USA.
Jena Niquidet will show how road user workshops, where bus drivers and cyclists swap seats, and The Good Bunch project are building a "share the road culture".
In NZ, Hastings and New Plymouth are two years into their Model Communities projects. Hear from Owen Mata about the successes and "lessons learnt" from the Hastings Model Community Programme (iWay) including the challenges of getting iWay delivered on time in a local government environment.
CAN members can access this webinar for free.
Contact Marilyn Moffatt at SoLGM to register, at MMoffatt@solgm.org.nz
What is a webinar and how does it work?
http://www.solgm.org.nz/Category?Action=View&Category_id=558
More info:
Support the Tour of New Zealand
The first ever Tour of New Zealand cycle ride is happening on 14-21 April 2012. Teams cycle either the North or South Island, from Cape Reinga or Bluff to Picton, converging in Wellington for a final ride around the Beehive.
CAN's project manager Patrick Morgan will be cycling from National Park to Masterton with Team Hikurangi.
He says: "CAN's mission is more people on bikes, more often. I'll be promoting everyday cycling by eschewing the lycra look and riding in normal clothes."
Team Hikurangi is riding to fundraise for improved cycling and transport in New Zealand. It’s great for our health, for the planet, and for our communities – plus we quite enjoy the feel of wind in our hair.
Please support cycling projects by making a donation. More information here:
http://www.hikurangi.org.nz/tourofnz/
Wanted: CAN merchandise coordinator
We're looking for a keen volunteer to take over the role of CAN merchandise coordinator. CAN operates a small online shop (http://www.can.org.nz/shop) offering the famous 'One Less Car' back-pack covers and other items.
This is a voluntary position with a time commitment of about 1-2 hours per week, basically involving filling orders and ordering new stock when necessary. It could be done from anywhere in the country, and no particular experience is needed (though if you are a methodical type that will help).
Interested? Contact Bryce Lyall (shop@can.org.nz).
Getting to school the active way
20 March 2012- For Welbourn School in Taranaki, a few simple ideas have made a huge difference in the number of children either walking, cycling or catching the bus to school.
Just two years ago a little more than a third of its children used active transport. Now most children do because of a travel plan project run with Let's Go.
Along with encouraging physical activity the project also aims to, among other things, reduce congestion at the school gate before and after school and make other motorists aware of the school zone.
It began in the last term of 2009 when only 37 per cent of pupils used active transport to get to school. Nine months later it had jumped to 90 per cent. By the end of 2011 it levelled out at a healthy 63 per cent.
Read more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/midweek/6603715/Getting-to-school-the-active-way
New WHO tool calculates cycle/walking infrastructure health savings
The World Health Organization (WHO) has come up with a tool to help conduct an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling, by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling.
The Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) can be used:
- when planning a new piece of cycling or walking infrastructure
- to value the reduced mortality from past and/or current levels of cycling or walking
- to provide input into more comprehensive economic appraisal exercises, or prospective health impact assessments
For more information or to use HEAT, go to:
http://www.heatwalkingcycling.org/
Edinburgh earmarks 5% of transport budget to cycling
9 February 2012- Edinburgh City councillors have taken a remarkable decision on cycling investment in today's Council 2012/13 budget, setting a completely new standard for other councils.
The council decided today that 5% of its transport capital budget will be invested in cycling infrastructure and projects. The budget decision also agrees to raise the 5% figure by 1% annually.
Edinburgh's sustained investment in cycling over many years under a variety of political administrations has paid off in rising levels of cycle use, and the current council is now taking that further. The Scottish Household Survey suggests that between 5% and 9% of all trips to work were already by bike in 2009 (a percentage in line with the 5% budget allocation!).
Read more here:
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2012/02/edinburgh-sets-new-standard/
Weblinks
The benefits of cycling go beyond reducing climate change: author David Suzuki on the many benefits of making our cities cycle friendly:
Can the Buffalo change Africa's bicycle culture?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17115923
More getting on bikes in Adelaide:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/more-are-getting-on-their-bikes/story-e6frea6u-1226299856062
Why do Melburnians cycle more than Sydneysiders? because their government lets them do it:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2012/03/18/why-do-melburnians-cycle-more-than-sydneysiders/
Velo-City Global 2012: in Vancouver this year:
Why bicyclists are better customers than drivers for local business:
Bike Share resources: a clearinghouse page for bike share programmes around the world:
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/promote/bikeshare.cfm?/bikeshare
About e.CAN
e.CAN is distributed approximately every 4 weeks to CAN members, Friends of CAN 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 .
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
address: PO Box 25-424, Wellington 6146 email: secretary@can.org.nz
website: http://www.can.org.nz