Posts by Lilith __
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Hard News: The Cycle Frolic, in reply to Bart Janssen,
The point is that unless the council place an additional motivation on the bus company (tender conditions as suggested) then the monopoly that is our Auckland buses will not do a thing for bikes.
The Regional Council is in charge of public transport. They tender the day-to-day running out to private companies, but it's the Council that dictates the terms. If the council says bike racks, there have to be bike racks.
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Cycle service on buses in Dunedin seems to be fairly limited .
Only four routes, and only on Saturdays and weekdays before 6.30pm!I hope ORC gets their act together and makes bike racks standard. And not carrying bikes at night? What craziness is this?
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Hard News: The Cycle Frolic, in reply to Glen Koorey,
Currently they average more than 100 uses a day in Chch – see http://cyclingchristchurch.co.nz/2013/04/10/bikes-on-buses-latest-stats/ for more details.
Fascinating, glad to see that.
Many people may be intimidated about loading their bike while the other passengers watch and wait. But I hope with ongoing use of the racks that it becomes less scary and just a normal thing.
The clamps on the racks go on the top of the front wheel, and they don't fit kids' bikes. They're also not ideal for bikes with mudguards. I slip the clamp under my mudguard which has caused some damage to it.
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Hard News: The Cycle Frolic, in reply to Sacha,
we wouldn’t have to argue the cost vs. benefits, any more than we do about wheelchairs
current govt is trying to exclude wheelchair access as a requirement of quake-strengthening work – to save building owners money.
That's appalling.
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Hard News: The Cycle Frolic, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
surely it adds a customer ($), and potentially takes another car off the road – why couldn’t they see that as something that could grow their business’s attractiveness and viability
I look forward to the time where providing facilities for cycles is a no-brainer. If cycling were seen as a normal way to get around, we wouldn’t have to argue the cost vs. benefits, any more than we do about wheelchairs or pushchairs.
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Hard News: The Cycle Frolic, in reply to Sacha,
no value to the private company to add bike racks to a bus
there is if it’s part of the next revised contract
Yes - here in Chch private companies tender for the routes. But cycle racks are part of the deal, end of story.
For people wondering how they work, there are pictures here . There's a wee bit of a knack to getting the bike on and off, but once you've done it a few times it's easy. And drivers are mostly happy to help if you are having difficulties.
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Hard News: The Cycle Frolic, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Rail bus replacements are of course no use in this case anyway, since you can’t take your bike on a bus.
You can on the ferries, and I understand most of the buses on Waiheke have bike racks. But it wouldn’t hurt anyone to suggest to Auckland Transport that would a useful piece of kit to make standard on new and upgraded fleet. (IIRC, Wellington and Christchurch have run pilots but don’t know if that’s gone anywhere.)
Buses on most Chch bus routes always carry bike racks* which hold up to 2 bikes each. It’s a fantastic service, giving a wide range of options. For those like me who have a bit of a walk to the nearest bus, it means I can bike there quick, get the bus, and then tootle around at the destination of my choice. Fantastic.
*there are some exceptions, which I don’t really understand, but you can see the little bike icon next to almost all the routes here: http://www.metroinfo.co.nz/timetables/Pages/default.aspx
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Capture: Coast to Coast, in reply to Russell Brown,
Slight worried about having put a bend in the beach …
Less of a Point, more of a bay!
But thanks for the wonderful calming pic, Russell! I feel I could dive right in. :-) -
I personally could manage without the shots of Lorde getting into a taxi, and the taxi driving away. I’ve seen people get into cars before, it’s kind of an anticlimax.
Full marks to Lorde for talking so graciously to media and fans when she was obviously exhausted and preoccupied.
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Cracker: How Media Made me a Bad Person., in reply to Chris Waugh,
There’s a lot in there that just doesn’t seem to add up.
People don't generally enjoy their job if they think they're not doing it well. I too would be interested to hear more detail.