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Posted: Fri 15/Aug/08 2:31pm Post subject: Critical Mass!
This could be the most important bike movement I have seen in a long time. Dont know what the hell is going on this month but lots of people have been coming in with crunched bikes from car collisions, 3 of which were very bad.
Manu Caddie for mayor as he is the one organising a Critical Mass in Gizzy, 1st one starts this month Aug, 29, 12 noon meeting at marina next to council, from there on will be last friday of every month.
Gizzy is 1st city to see the sun in the world, hopefully thanx to Manu we will be the safest city to ride a bike in as well!
Good on you mate!
Joined: Jan 06, 2005 Posts: 1,790 Location: 127.0.0.1
Posted: Thu 28/Aug/08 5:34pm Post subject:
MEDIA RELEASE – 26 August 2008
March on Wheels planned for this Friday
Gisborne cyclists are being invited to join a ‘march on wheels’ this Friday as the first ‘Critical Mass’ event hits the city streets. Motivated to do something following, what they describe as weekly incidents of cyclists being hit by cars, organisers have joined the global movement to promote cycling and reduce injury and death caused by vehicles hitting cyclists.
Manu Caddie, spokesperson for the organisers, said he has been overwhelmed by the support the idea received within hours of him sending an email to four friends. “Over the past week I have had almost daily reports of another local cyclist being hit by a vehicle. Bicycles are vehicles too and we all need to be far more aware that cyclists have as much right to use the road as motorized vehicles. We acknowledge that not every cyclist is a model road user either and we all need to do more to show courtesy to other road users.
A lunchtime event this Friday will see cyclists gather at the Marina carpark and make their way slowly through town – potentially slowing motorized traffic to the speed of the cycles. If the event goes well, organisers are planning a Critical Mass ride on the last Friday of every month (except December) until Gisborne is a ‘cycle-centric city’.
“While we have a message for organisations like Gisborne District Council, Transit New Zealand and the Land Transport Safety Authority who are responsible for making sure roads are as safe as possible for cyclists, our main message is to remind all of us that we need to be more aware of others on the road. Cyclists who are the most vulnerable road users and should not have to fear for their lives every time we get on a road” said Mr Caddie.
Organisers say cycling makes sense in Gisborne – the city is almost completely flat, it is relatively compact and has consistently good weather for cycling. With the looming environmental crisis of climate change, soaring fuel costs and obesity epidemics – cycling is good for the environment, personal health and household finances.
“Overseas the Critical Mass events have seen thousands of cyclists participate and have proved effective mechanisms for leveraging public policy changes and personal behaviour change by motorists. In spite of the good work GDC has done to date we are not convinced Gisborne is a cycle-friendly city and a whole lot more needs to be done before cycling is the transport of choice for those who are able to do so.” said Mr Caddie.
This year GDC will install cycle lanes on Rutene, Roebuck, Stanley and Lytton Roads, and continue the Turanganui Walkway/Cycleway project (650m) from Reads Quay to Waikanae Bridge. As far as we are aware no further developments have been budgeted for after these have been completed – though there is still talk about the proposed cycle and walking tracks linking Kaiti to Wainui Beach.
Organisers have devised a six-point plan to present to GDC, Transit NZ and LTSA that includes the following recommendations:
1. establish and support a community advisory group including representatives of the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust, cycling clubs, health service providers, Sport Gisborne and school students to regularly monitor the implementation of the Walking & Cycling Strategy;
2. undertake, in partnership with the community advisory group, a formal review of the WCS immediately to confirm the identified priorities and plans are still supported by the wider community and initiatives take into account subsequent policy and technology/planning developments – including a process to identify and address priority issues for cyclists in rural areas including the Gentle Annie, off-road carparks for mountain bike track users and safe verges along main rural roads for cyclists;
3. accelerate the timeframes in the Walking & Cycling Strategy for establishing cycle corridors throughout the city, delivering effective road user education programmes and incentives for residents (and visitors) to walk and cycle instead of drive within the city;
4. ensure that all of the WCS actions have financial resources assigned to them within the 2009-2019 Long Term Council Community Plan;
5. investigate options for a by-law prohibiting the sale of alcohol in glass bottles by businesses with off-licenses (in the process addressing breweries claim that glass keeps the product cold for longer);
6. establish a contracted or part-time (0.2FTE) position within GDC to identify and secure funding from outside of GDC to bring forward the implementation of agreed WCS actions.
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