In the interests of us making a more informed discussion this coming general election on Friday the 17th of October Tama sent this e-mail requesting the cycling specific policies of all the major political parties. This is the response from the Green Party:

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The Green Party is not just promising better services for cyclists, we want to grow the numbers of New Zealanders who cycle. We want all sorts of people to choose cycling as an enjoyable, healthy, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective form of transportation. Sustainable communities in the 21st Century will be designed and built so that people can get around by walking and cycling.

Our current transport system is systematically biased in favour of cars, rather than more sustainable alternatives: trains, buses, ferries, bicycles, and walking. In 2007, the Government spent six times more on growing the road transport network as they spent on all other alternatives. The Green Party has announced a transport policy to set right that bias and rapidly expand central government funding for cycling. Refer to: http://www.greens.org.nz/transport/package

Getting down to specifics, on a national level the Green Party will:
* Fund cycle ways that are part of a continuous network of routes 100% centrally. Local councils will no longer have to find the money themselves to build cycling infrastructure putting cycleways on a level playing field with roads;
* Create a legal presumption that, so long as a cyclist or pedestrian is observing all road rules, in a collision with a vehicle the motorist will be held legally responsible;
* Ensure greater co-operation between health, recreation and transport sectors to develop and encourage cycling (for example, Bike Wise);
* Fund ongoing professional development education for transport professionals on how to promote cycling as a primary means of transport;
* Improve cycle safety on the open road by widening narrow bridges or clipping on cycle lanes, creating separate cycle paths on busy stretches of road and bridges, widening road shoulders on popular routes;
* Increase driver education that is focussed on sharing the road, not bursting cyclists’ bubbles;
* Make sure that public transport services are ‘cycle friendly’ as a condition of receiving public funding;
* Expect government departments to equalise travel reimbursements regardless of the mode of transport used. (We hope that this practice will flow on to the private sector employers too.)
* Require all new major public investments (such as new hospitals) to ensure that appropriate access and secure parking is provided for bicycles

In Auckland, the Green Party will additionally make life easier for cyclists by:
* Building a walking and cycling path on the Auckland Harbour Bridge;
* Giving cycling priority funding ahead of new motorways;
* Configuring all local bus services, cycleways, walkways, and parking facilities for easy access to the triple-loop rapid transit system which will connect all four corners of Auckland with the centre of the city.

In Wellington, the Green Party will also:
* Fund the Great Harbourway, a walking and cycling trail stretching right the way around our harbour;
* Complete our regional cycle network!

For more details on your region, contact your local Green candidate.

Cycling isn’t just about getting from A to B. Sometimes cycling is just about…cycling! The Green party will expand New Zealand’s network of cycleways and we’ll start with a North Cape to the Bluff cycle route. We’ll also work on a promotional campaign with the tourism industry, community and others to encourage New Zealanders to get out into the great outdoors’ whether on foot or by bike and we’ll protect your access to these spaces.

Many Green Party members are cyclists too and we’d like more New Zealanders to join us—on their bikes and in this election—by ticking Party Vote Green!

Top stuff Greens.

I wonder if they'll want to limit the number of bikes you can own

Cool. Even if exceedingly ambitious, I like the gist of their transport policy, not just pertaining to cycling, but that it's wholly focused on alternative transport to cars.

The way it's written though, I can't really see it appealing to, or enticing, the average currently non-public transport using, non-cycling motorist though.

Best response yet for Cyclists!!! This is hardly surprising coming from the Greens, imagine what it would be like if they were able to get in and make all of these things happen.

I am not so sure about the 'motorist' being held responsible. I think in any incident there are two parties and one of them is almost certainly going to be in the wrong. Lets not presume that it is going to be the motorist prior to investigation (although we know it probably will be).

I am surprised at the lack of response (or did I miss it) from the reds and blues.

mob: Some nice ideals in there, I imagine they still want someone else to pay for all that though.

yeah, great stuff as you would expect. i really like a lot of the environment related policy of the greens, just a shame that they don't restrict themselves to this as otherwise i consider them raving loonies! unfortunately the reality is that the money has to come from somewhere and the greens just go to far in making everyone else pay

the Greens wrote:In Wellington, the Green Party will also:
* Complete our regional cycle network!

all credibility shot i'm afraid, they seem to think that we have a regional cycling network already, albeit incomplete - where would this be?

phunk wrote: mob: Some nice ideals in there, I imagine they still want someone else to pay for all that though.

Maybe a tax on SUVs... does it for me...

Fango wrote:

phunk wrote: mob: Some nice ideals in there, I imagine they still want someone else to pay for all that though.

Maybe a tax on SUVs... does it for me...

Because its socially acceptable to marginalise that part of society?

phunk wrote:

Fango wrote:

phunk wrote: mob: Some nice ideals in there, I imagine they still want someone else to pay for all that though.

Maybe a tax on SUVs... does it for me...

Because its socially acceptable to marginalise that part of society?

Yes.

dented wrote:

phunk wrote:

Fango wrote:

phunk wrote: mob: Some nice ideals in there, I imagine they still want someone else to pay for all that though.

Maybe a tax on SUVs... does it for me...

Because its socially acceptable to marginalise that part of society?

Yes. Unless they cycle also.

What about the gays? (unless they cycle of course..)

they will probly tax cyclists.
like what some the other partys are talking about.
to pay for it all

Melissa_Theuriau wrote: * Increase driver education that is focussed on sharing the road, not bursting cyclists’ bubbles;
* Make sure that public transport services are ‘cycle friendly’ as a condition of receiving public funding;
* Expect government departments to equalise travel reimbursements regardless of the mode of transport used. (We hope that this practice will flow on to the private sector employers too.)
* Require all new major public investments (such as new hospitals) to ensure that appropriate access and secure parking is provided for bicycles

these are the bits I like the most

Hi there. I'm Kevin Hague, the Green Party's candidate for West Coast Tasman and number 7 on the Green Party list (next into Parliament after our current MPs if we can increase our vote). Some Vorbii will also know me from quite a few years involved with MTBNZ (specifically on the Heaphy/National Parks/land access stuff), CAN, and other cycling stuff. We're working over the next few days to put together a more mountain bike oriented statement, which I'll make sure we post here.

And BTW we will fund the plan posted above by redirecting funding away from the currently vast spending on more roads. Our tax policy is based on reducing income taxes (especially for those on low incomes) and replacing this with taxes on stuff that we don't want (like pollution, waste) and capital gains (except your own home).

Also by the way, my garage is too full of bikes to fit a car in, and I am a gay cyclist!