Island Life: Still not over it
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Wellington has more cycle usage than Auckland. Hills are one factor, but only one.
Ooh - is there any sense in the strategy document? I know the Bot gardens are a law unto themselves, so chances are their bike-unfriendly attitude is not shared by the rest of the council (one of the tracks they've enforced the rule on is used by traffic & they don't seem to mind that).
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Totally off-topic, I reckon the new NZ passports look cool.
Fully. I'm really gutted that they're not coming in until the middle of next year, though. My passport expired last year, and with a measly five-year life (bastards!) I'm not going to get one too much before I'm going to need it. But odds are that I'll need one for work next year before the new ones come out, so now I'm tossing up between getting a new passport now, so that it'll expire that much sooner and I can get a new one quicker, or waiting in the hope that I won't have to jump the ditch before the new ones are available.
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Interesting, the NZ Herald views section generally seems to back the cycleway
There actually seems to be signs of intelligent life there. It must be the absence of the Granny staples; politics, boobs, and crime.
I liked this gem:
NZ roads are designed to kill those who ride bikes, so any lane across the bridge should be on the outer edges with no railing.
Heh.
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I have very vague recollections of it being underneath the 'new' Mangere Bridge (aka the SH20 crossing, aka the bridge which is shown partially complete in 'Goodbye Pork Pie'). Is that correct? Is it still there?
I haven't thought about that for about 20 years!
Confirmed. I rode to Mangere every weekday from June through August this year, and I never once took that clipon cycleway. I was told by workmates that people coming home in the evening that way could very easily be mugged by two people blocking their escape in either direction. Stuff that.
Besides...
the lovely old bridge, with fresh air and beautiful views and friendly old fishermen, so there really isn't much reason not to use it!
Hell yes. I found myself leaving work early in the mornings just so I could stop off on the bridge and watch the wildlife. I saw a shag eat an entire flounder in one mouthful. That's worth a month of cycling in my book.
As far as aggressiveness goes: yes, it's very easy to develop a rage-filled personality as a cyclist in Auckland City. Much better, though, to remember that your opponents in cars can get just as angry and have thousands of kilograms of metal on their side. So I take the utmost advantage of being a visible human being rather than a shadow behind a windscreen. I indicate with my hands. Smile at people, nod to acknowledge them, give a thumbs up when they respect your right of way. Wave a free hand at intersections and and watch for drivers' reactions, even if you look like a dork with royal pretensions, because that's the best way to tell if they're looking.
The ground rule seems to be: be conspicuous, and be conspicuously nice to everybody. It's a good way to stave off heart disease and terminal cynicism.
I am reliably informed that shoreBoys (& shoreGirls) roam between Takapuna and Devonport for similar reasons. Link the 2 over the bridge and we can extend the enjoyment of these people.
Although I'm intrigued by the possibilities of genetic cross-pollination between the Mission Bay and North Shore munter subspecies, it'd probably result in an unpleasant amount of broken beer bottles on the walkway.
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I don't know what it was like in the busy streets in the Big Smoke, but in little Feilding, back when I was learning to smoke, the streets would be five-wide with kids on bikes. Sheer mass made them safe. That's what I want.
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Llew: here. It's not too bad actually. I'm still digesting it.
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Ooh - is there any sense in the strategy document?
See for yourself at
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/publicinput/index.htmlYou've got until Sept 22nd to provide feedback. I reckon it's a reasonable policy, main notable points being:
- expansion of bus lanes and ability of cyclists to use same (OK, busses make me very nervous, but it's better than nothing)
- regular sweeping of cyclepaths rather than the current situation (cyclepaths only swept if someone requests it)
- recognition of different types of cyclists, with different priorities, and that adequate provision needs to be made for all.The last point's an interesting one, and I'm glad to see the WCC picking up on it. The cycling infrastructure that you need for pootling around with the family on a Sunday is not necessarily the same as the infrastructure that you need while trying to get into work on a Monday morning.
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North Shore munter subspecies
None taken.
We're headed for your Belgian beer bar with our strangled vowels.
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Clarification - I've linked to the Wellington City Council's page, Stephen linked to the Wellington Regional Council's page. The policies are separate - the WCC is the one specifically concerned with around-town cycling infrastructure and planning, and the one most likely (imo) to affect cyclists on a day-to-day basis.
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Sheer mass made them safe
There's safety in numbers alright. Check out these numbers.
The correlation between the percentage cycling and safety is very strong. The correlation between helmet wearing and safety is very strongly negative.
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Check out these numbers.
And look at that obesity graph!
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None taken.
We're headed for your Belgian beer bar with our strangled vowels.
None meant, of course!
But come one, come all. I'll tell the proprietors to lay down the sawdust before Friday.
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Start saying we're going to lose the 2011 Rugby World Cup if this doesn't happen how, and damn the fiscal or practical issues. That seems to be the pixie dust that magics away all objections in these parts.
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If you could walk from one side of the Auckland harbour bridge to the other, would you not ever take your family on the walk some sunny Sunday?
Like the better half and I (and many many others) do every time we visit Sydney? If the walk and the views don't stir the hears, you're dead. Really - frak off and stay away from me, zombie.
And I know at least one person who lives in Northcote who says she's run or bike to work in the CBD most days if she could.
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And look at that obesity graph!
ooh ooh did you see Dr Gunther von Hagens slice open fat people last night? Awesome. Its so cool seeing what's inside (fat)
Cycling. It burns fat.
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Well, I'm one of those dreaded poli's that someone voted for... I also ride a bike - when it's not raining, when it's warm, and when daylight saving kicks in.
IMHO cycling is not well served at all in Auckland in terms of infrastructre, and I've done my small wee part to change that by asking Council to investigate bike stands in local shopping centres like Kingsland, Mt Albert, Eden Valley, Upper Symonds St, etc.
It's likely that stands will be put in - although I note that there is already a stand in Kingsland - thoughtfully hidden from sight underneath the stairs to the rail station overpass. I don't expect myself or other drivers to park cars in dark hidden places so I'm not about to park my bike in hidden dark places anytime soon.
Bike lanes I fully support as they make cycling more *visible* and hence affect driver behaviour.
My behaviour on the road is to wave my arms *alot* and to take up all the space I deem necessary to ride safely, and that means I'll use an entire lane for short periods. Interestingly enough when I first started riding last year I was astonished at the number of drivers that carefully went around me giving me a good amount of room. (This in contrast to the very few and far between who see fit to drive, for whatever reason, very close to me on my bike.) Either I have an invisible sign above my head saying 'keep clear" or Auckland drivers are kind hearted. I prefer the latter theory.
However, from time to time, cycling issues do crop up on the Community Board agenda. It would be good if we could see a number of cyclists attend the meeting when these issues are discussed, and ask to speak in public forum. A room of cyclists, of whatever stripe, is a very powerful presence indeed.
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So where can I find one of dem uber-stylish Copenhagen style cruisers for my Grey Lynn to CBD jaunts?
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And John said:
do any cyclists care to comment on my modified shuttle bus idea, posted above?
The proposition to get cyclists to start up a van scheme seems a cumbersome and indirect method to get us to prove our good faith and our number. Change the setting and more people will come out, is what I'm saying.
If you read my whole post you'd see I went further than a van and suggested a modified bus (with all seats removed) doing a loop up and down the Bridge. I'd even be happy with 2/3/4 buses if demand merits it. But you (and your ...__ilk__!) seem hellbent on sticking with your Bridge-cycleway-or-nothing strategy so good luck with that.
</laughs heartily> -
So where can I find one of dem uber-stylish Copenhagen style cruisers for my Grey Lynn to CBD jaunts?
Alan Preston in Christchurch has links to a number of decent bikes retailed in NZ. Unfortunately however, the prevailing tendency of bicycle store owners is still to stock overwhelmingly with racing and mountain bikes, with some bikes that are essentially racing or mountain, modified to make them less specialised. There are some good non-sport bicycles sold in NZ, but not many.
If you have the money, I'd recommend checking out Velorbis (warning, beautiful bike pr0n), and looking at importing. Pricey for a bike, but when you consider what you'd spend on any other vehicle, they suddenly don't seem so expensive. And if you're looking to carry round children and/or groceries, Christiana are also top quality.
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I see Velorbis have an Australian distributor, so import might not be quite so difficult after all.
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do any cyclists care to comment on my modified shuttle bus idea, posted above?
I'm not currently a cyclist (I commute on foot from one end of the house to the other) but I have been in the past, and as a Shore dweller I think I can see a few chinks in this plan, such as where on earth are would you do the southbound pickup? Onepoto? Takapuna? The Albany park & ride?
I can think of a few reasons the old van system might have failed, such as people just not being aware of it. If you went for a walk near the bridge one day, thought that it might be nice to bike to work once in a while, what's the mystery next step to knowing that there's a van that'll pick you up? If there's a lane across the bridge then it's pretty obvious how to get there and I reckon people would use it.
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Will no one think of the pedestrians?
(Having been nearly bowled today at a pedestrian crossing by some lycra'd oaf with a self-righteous jacket reading "one less car on the road")
At least car drivers are better trained that way (and you can take their number) -
Either I have an invisible sign above my head saying 'keep clear" or Auckland drivers are kind hearted. I prefer the latter theory.
As do I. My experience is that most Auckland drivers try to coexist with cyclists. Some of them dislike it, some of them actively hate it, but most of them accept that the roads are there to be shared. I don't recall any truly shocking behaviour from drivers just because I'm a cyclist, and in the instances where I've come off my bike there have always been car drivers who came to my aid.
I'll touch a whole forest at this point, because there are horror stories out there. I think it was the Herald where I saw one guy mention a friend who had been deliberately run off the road by a car while out riding up around Albany, despite the car having plenty of room to get around the cyclist without having to cross into the oncoming lane.
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I have heard many stories about the old 'ferry' bus -- none of them very complimentary about how it worked in practice. Two problems come immediately to my mind, in addition to those mentioned above:
1) I don't want to commute over the bridge, but visit friends on Friday night. Will there be a 'ferry' when I want to return home at 2am?
2) Stopping and waiting mid-trip completely changes my weather-management strategy. I rely on staying warm by keeping moving, rather than remaining dry (and somehow not sweating profusely inside my raincoat). -
So where can I find one of dem uber-stylish Copenhagen style cruisers for my Grey Lynn to CBD jaunts?
As always, Monocle is there to help.
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