Comments on: Is Cycling Safe?

By: Lennyboy

Lennyboy — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:39:30 +0000

In reply to Anton.

Welcome to Chch, Anton! I’d hope that this website can be a useful start for finding out about cycling around town (e.g. you might want to have a look at the “Links” page and “cycle skills” on the Site Map); we’re slowly building up useful guidance on how to get around town and welcome feedback on what else to blog about.

Groups like Frocks on Bikes and Spokes Canterbury can help provide some advice on riding issues around town, and CycleSafe teaches a lot of kids how to ride at schools, but there probably is a bit of a gap for good advice to adult riders. Hmm, something to think about…

By: Lennyboy

Lennyboy — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:23:45 +0000

In reply to Yo Eddy. Betterment is the problem. Insurance will pay for replacement of like for like; anything that's an improvement on this will cost the Council. Sure, it will cost them less to do it while the road is being repaired anyway, but they still have to find the money. Mind you in some cases, if they design things right it shouldn't cost them more money, it will just be a rearrangement of what would have gone back in on the ground.

By: Yo Eddy

Yo Eddy — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:22:16 +0000

I agree Robert. SCIRT rules state something called betterment. If installing cycle facilities isn’t betterment I don’t know what is. I cycle through the Wainoni/Breezes intersection every day, and WOULD have declared it one of the better intersections in the city.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:57:59 +0000

Thanks Glen , as one of the 300 injured sufficiently for a hospital visit ( and still feeling the effects ) this information comes as affirming . But these latest incidents still raise the fear factor levels none-the-less and I am sure do so for many people. I rode down Avondale Road recently which is very near to this latest accident . It is at present closed for a complete repair job whilst the bridge is also closed . How disappointing to see the kerbing and channeling being rebuilt exactly as it was before . For such a wide space it would have been simple to reconfigure for a separated cycle-way . Why can’t simple logic come into the play here.? Just as EQC has done a u-turn and decreed that insulation can now be installed into the walls of repaired homes at the time of repair how difficult would it be for the CCC to identify a few roads that could easily be modified to allow for safer cycling features as they are repaired . Perhaps even trial some of the many options available , and send the message to us calling for change that they are actually genuine about cycling for Christchurch.

By: Anton

Anton — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:53:54 +0000

I’ve just arrived in Christchurch, and getting into cycle commuting (I’m no road racer!) is one of the things I’m really looking forward to. I’d love to hook up with some experienced and objective riders to talk about accepted practise here. I mean pavements? Doesn’t your mum let you ride on the road? 🙂 (I can see why they are popular here, but what are the unwritten rules?)

Is there a group or a service that can help me improve my riding in person?

By: Deano

Deano — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:33:00 +0000

Of course it’s tragic, and to the family of these victims, no amount of logic and stats will make it feel any better. But definitely for the rest of us, it should.
The same thing happens in Australia each year with shark attacks. Perhaps one, maybe two a year fatal, yet the media goes all Jaws-sy each time. I guess we should be lucky there is no cycling equivalent film to Jaws (yet) – maybe in the vain of Spielberg’s ‘Duel’…. but with car and bike instead of truck and car! 🙂