Toward Better Cycling in Auckland...

The Tamaki accident has galvanised action and attention around cycling in Auckland. I will not try to add much to that in this blog, but I will provide a few bits and pieces:

1) the media info pulled together by Mark Bracey for Cycle Action Auckland (who have been doing a magnificent job through this period. Congratulations.)
2) a couple of nice cycling pics from Copenhagen (above)
3) two video clips about cycling I shot and put up on youtube a while ago
4) .... and you MUST go and add your name to the Lake Road cycling lane petition (see bottom).

1) Cycle Action and Tamaki Drive

The team at Cycle Action Auckland have been very busy. Barb Cuthbert (Deputy Chair CAA) and Barb Insull (Secretary CAA) have been highly active in the media, and it has been excellent to see would-be-super-mayor John Banks put on the spot on this critical issue. Here are some bits and pieces:

27 Sept: Our thoughts and best wishes go out to the cyclists and the families of the victims of the accident on Tamaki Drive on Saturday.This is an all too familiar tale that many of us are acutely aware of. As "the voice for cyclists" in Auckland, Cycle Action has been active this weekend in ensuring that the people who choose to cycle are fairly represented.Our concerns have been reported in a story in the Sunday Herald, and another will be in tomorrow's NZ Herald. Plus, there will beinterviews on Breakfast and Sunrise TV (Channels 1 and 3) at 7:10am.There will also be a radio interview on Radio Live Breakfast showand Barbara Cuthbert will be discussing the issue with John Banks onMorning Report at 8.10.

and then a couple of days later with news updates:

Tamaki Drive Crash Links to Media Reports and Interviews

MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER – morning

1) TVNZ Breakfast: Ensuring Safer Roads for Cyclists. Interview with Barbara Insull (Secretary, Cycle Action Auckland)

http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/breakfast-monday-september-28-3022620/video?vid=3022708

2) TV3: Can Cyclists and Drivers Exist Harmoniously? Interview with Barbara Cuthbert (Deputy Chair Cycle Action Auckland)
http://www.3news.co.nz/Can-cyclists-and-drivers-exist-harmoniously-/tabid/572/articleID/122980/cat/525/Default.aspx

http://www.3news.co.nz/Home/Story/tabid/209/articleID/122980/cat/525/Default.aspx

National Radio: Morning Report: ran two items: (3) Cycling Advocate Calls for Speed Limit on Tamaki Drive: interview with Barbara Cuthbert and John Banks, (4) Injured City Cyclist in Critical but Stable Condition. Background including comment from John Wilmer, BikeNZ
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport

5) NZ Herald: Push to Lower Speed Limit After Crash
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10600013

6) Herald on Sunday: Cyclist Critical After Tamaki Drive “Carnage”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10599817
BFM Radio also interviewed Barbara Cuthbert on Monday morning.

Members of the public contributed opinions on the issues to radio and newspaper forums, including:

7) NZ Herald: What Can be Done to Make Cycling Safer?
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/your-views/2009/9/27/what-can-be-done-make-cycling-new-zealand-safer/?c_id=1&objectid=10599925&commentpage=2

MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER – afternoon and evening

8) TV3 Campbell Live: Auckland – A Cyclist's Nightmare.(Mon 28 Sept)Interview with members of Pickled Peddlers group. . Also interview with Bicycle NSW CEO Alex Unwin about conditions for cyclists in Sydney.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Auckland---a-cyclists-nightmare/tabid/367/articleID/123107/cat/221/Default.aspx

9)National Radio: Afternoons Jim Mora: Interview with Glen Koorey (CAN Co-Chair) http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons

10) RadioLIVE Drive show with Maggie Barry: Interview with Barbara Cuthbert (not sure if audio available)
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/OnairHosts/MaggieBarry/tabid/371/Default.aspx

And that's a selection. There have been some truly horrible letters. The one I saw was written by someone from Waitakere who basically said that cycling was like smoking - both bad for your health - both private choices - take the consequences..... It is amazing when this happens. But I see it the world over. Make a change and there is always a proportion of the population who can be relied upon to react in the most vicious and emotional way. I would ask you to - this is not over till it's over - to go on the NZ Herald blog about this and add your views to the debate....

http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/your-views/2009/9/27/what-can-be-done-make-cycling-new-zealand-safer/?c_id=97&objectid=10600143#message

3. My favourite cycling videos

This one's in Devonport, North Shore.

It's got better. But can you can see this has to be the idea of a traffic engineer having a joke at cyclist's expense....

And this one's in Copenhagen.

I just put the camera down and let it run for a while.

The cycling speaks for itself....

Did you like these?

4) Cycle Petition

This petition is for everybody who believes that cycle infrastructure - which allocates road space to cyclists - is an essential step in making cycling safer in Auckland. The lane is on Lake Road between Devonport and Takapuna. It is unfinished, but soon will be. Please follow the instructions below and go there, and add your name.

Dear fellow cyclists

The Lake Rd cycle lanes are under threat again. Responding to a group of Devonport residents who wrongly believe the cycle lanes cause motorist delay, North Shore City Council is reviewing whether the cycle lanes should be removed.

We need to send a strong message to North Shore City Council to let them know the cycle lanes MUST stay. Please help us by signing the on-line petition, and forwarding this email to your friends and colleagues, especially if they live on the Shore. You could also add the petition link to your Facebook page, send a tweet, or anything else you can think of to get the word out.

Sign the petition at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lakeroadcyclelane/

Read more about the Lake Rd cycle lanes on Cycle Action's website: http://www.caa.org.nz/

Thanks in advance.

Cycle Action Auckland

So go to it, if you haven't already.

Remember, you can tell how civilised a city is, by the amount of cycling.