The blog posts have been a bit sparse of late; that’s because I have just spent the past week in Washington DC for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, a huge transportation conference of 14,000 (!) people (and …
Author: LennyBoy
Book Review: The Bike and Beyond
The Bike and Beyond: Life on Two Wheels in Aotearoa New Zealand
by Laura Williamson (104pp., Bridget Williams Books, Wellington, RRP $14.99 e-book $4.99)
I recently waded my way through David Byrne’s intriguing but dense travelogue Bicycle Diaries – …
Photo of the Day: Avon River Precinct path
One of the rebuild projects slowly taking shape in the central city is the Avon River Precinct. Already we’re seeing some really nice urban spaces around the Worcester-Cashel section of Oxford Tce. What’s not so clear yet is just …
What price for a cycleway?
One of the more contentious issues recently regarding Christchurch’s Major Cycleways revolved around the proposal to purchase two properties in Somerfield to create a new link between Roker and Barrington Streets as part of the Quarryman’s Trail cycleway. This option …
Cycling in Christchurch 2016 – The cycling city continues to build
“Rebuild” – that term seems to have been in the local lexicon ever since the 2010-11 Canterbury earthquakes. And yet, more than ever, 2016 really felt like a year when the rebuild really was in full swing across Christchurch. I’ve …
Photo of the Day: The pub run – by bike
It’s the end of the working year for many; time to put your feet up and perhaps enjoy a favourite drink. It so happens that my work is located directly above a pub (handy for those “downstairs meeting room” appointments…)…
All aboard the Heathcote Expressway consultation
It’s been a busy couple of months in terms of Major Cycleway consultations. So far we’ve seen three planned routes rolled out for public feedback, and there’s one more to squeeze in before Christmas – the Heathcote Expressway. Originally, …
Guest Photo of the Day: Playcentre Bike Parking
A good sign that cycling is becoming normalised in Christchurch is when it’s not just the clichéd “lycra road warriors” to be seen riding to work or for exercise. So it was nice to receive this photo from …
Rapanui / Shag Rock cycleway consultation continues
The consultation season continues with another Major Cycleway out for consideration. While work is underway to start constructing Stage 1 of the Rapanui / Shag-Rock cycleway, plans for Stages 2 & 3 are now publicly available. This takes …
Bike and bus to the airport
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In the past week I had to travel to Wellington twice, necessitating early starts to catch the 7.05am “red eye”. My wife needed the car (and that would have still cost $25/day for parking). I didn’t fancy paying $60 a …
Cycling Activities for Dec 2016
Another year is drawing to a close, but there’s just enough time to take on a few more cycling events before we catch our breath. In fact, things are starting right from the first day of December… Remember to keep …
Cycling postcards from Tauranga
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Last week I spent the week in Tauranga while attending the TRAFINZ Conference, focused around local authority transport. Staying on for the weekend, I was able to have a good look around the city (which I hadn’t visited in …
Photo of the Day: Quake City Biking
The recent shaky events not too far north of us remind us all of our own darkest days back in 2010-11. The graphic and thought-provoking details of the city’s earthquakes are well captured in the Quake City exhibit in Cashel …
A cycle-friendly hotel
Being a cycle-friendly city means more than just providing some nice cycleways; all activities need to think about how they can support cycling in what they do. So it’s nice to see examples of businesses around Christchurch that have …
Lessons from the Dutch – @Cycling_Embassy Take 2
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Three years ago, Christchurch was graced by the visit of two Dutch cycling experts, courtesy of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, who provided lots of useful advice regarding our (then) planning for the Major Cycleway network. Last week, another …
Northern Line Cycleway consultation
Hot on the heels of the Quarryman’s Trail cycleway consultation, another Major Cycle Route is also currently seeking public feedback. The Northern Line cycleway will take the existing much-loved Railway Cycleway and extend it further north and south, all …
Cycling insights from North America
One of my colleagues, Megan Fowler, has just returned from a five-week study tour of North American cities, courtesy of an IPENZ Transportation Group Study Award.
Megan’s focus during her tour was to look at how cycling is catered …
Waimakariri District Walking/Cycling Strategy
Immediately north of Christchurch, our nearest neighbours Waimakariri District are also getting into the cycling swing of things. While many people have been focused on the many cycleways happening across Christchurch, the Govt’s Urban Cycleways Programme is also delivering …
Cycling Activities for November 2016
As the days get warmer and longer, more excuses to get out on your bikes keep on coming. There are lots of interesting cycling events happening in November. Not all of them are completely finalised just yet, so make sure …
Um, maybe your riding is just… a bit crap?
Many people who cycle often express concern about their safety when riding, and typically point the finger at some of those dodgy drivers out there. Given that official crash data suggests that at least 2/3 of cycle crashes are the …