It was fascinating to watch the furore erupt regarding Alex Mann’s conviction for impeding traffic while cycling on Dyers Pass Rd. Only two weeks ago, this was all over social media (and was easily our most viewed blogpost in a …
Category: Bicycle politics
Anything about politics, politicians, submissions etc.
Money galore for cycleways
It probably felt like Christmas this week for many people who cycle in New Zealand (although they may have been surprised who Father Christmas was…). On Thursday, the Government announced the remaining allocation of projects for the $100 million …
Alex Mann fined for impeding traffic while cycling on Dyers Pass
Here are facts as extracted from the police statement to the court and discussion with Alex Mann.
Extract from the Police statement
On 14th May Alex Mann was convicted in the District Court of impeding traffic while biking …
Would the Draft Cycle Safety Panel Recommendations make a Difference?
It seems like a long week since the tragic events of last Monday when a cycle tourist lost his life in Hornby courtesy of a turning truck. As timing goes, it was intriguing that this was also the same week …
More on why I write submissions
Ok, so I’ve talked about the submission context and about why presenting a submission is a good thing to do. I thought I”d mention the reasons why, despite feeling that my submissions have been ignored completely at times, I still …
Submissions: Why bother?
To support the development of great cycling infrastructure in Christchurch, and even around New Zealand, one of the most effective things you can do is write letters and submissions and take time to go and present your submission where you …
Christchurch – The City that… Cycles ??
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Regular guest blogger Robert has returned from his overseas travels and now turns his attention back to Christchurch…
Over the years, and more particularly since the earthquakes, there has been concern conveyed from various sources in the tourism, marketing and …
Advocacy and the Submission Context
My first ever submission was to the Regional Land Transport Plan sometime in 2009. I learned a huge amount from writing, submitting and then presenting in support of that submission. Mostly, I realised that my submission pretty much completely missed …
A little plug for Spokes Canterbury
The recent local media coverage has been fairly comprehensive in discussing first the planned delays to completing the Major Cycleway network and then reaction to the tragic cycle death a couple of weeks ago. Through it all, you might have …
Happy New Year! Cycling Wishes for 2014
Welcome back! I hope you like our new look website. No doubt we will continue to experiment with the style for a while; please stop by regularly and give us your thoughts. And pass it on to all your friends …
The spirituality of cycling
I’ve always been convinced that one of the greatest benefits of cycling is a spiritual benefit – the sense of appreciating the beauty of the world & feeling more connected to it as I zoom around the Port Hills. I …
Highlights from Spokes AGM and Councillor Panel
As advertised earlier, last Wednesday night saw the Spokes Canterbury AGM being held at CPIT, and over 30 people were present to hear some interesting happenings in the worlds of cycling advocacy and local politics.
The evening started with …
Don’t be a D***k – Stop at Red
There’s been a small flurry of conversation following the TV item on cycling safety last weekend. No matter what the particular cycling issue being reported, it doesn’t take long for the commentators to come out of the woodwork and …
Chch Draft 3-Year Plan – Get your Submissions in this Friday
Public consultation on the draft Three-Year Plan for Christchurch City is rapidly coming to a close – the last day to make submissions is this Friday 19th April (5pm). You can make a written submission or submit online, …
The $69 million question: Sign the Petition for cycleways
NB: This petition has now closed – thanks for all the support!
Christchurch City Council has finally released its draft Three-Year Plan for public consultation. And arguably this is the most important one ever in terms of cycling…
The Plan …
More Cycling in the News
It’s been another busy week in the news for cycling stories in Christchurch and beyond. I think it’s a good sign when cycling features strongly and regularly in the media; even when not all of it is “good news”. At …
The Cycleway Tax that isn’t
The good news: Council wants to spend $70 million in the next five years building an extensive cycleway network! The bad news (at least to ratepayers): They want to charge a $20 annual tax to pay for it! The good …
Mythbusting: Cyclists don’t Pay
Cycling has been in the media a bit lately and once again a familiar chorus has sprung up. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking funding for cycleways, whether to wear hi-vis clothing, or a high-profile cycle crash…
High-visibility clothing for cyclists a must – coroner
This is the moment I feared would come. Why does NZ officialdom come up with so many crackpot ideas? Why do they think it is more effective to have ambulances at the bottom of the cliff than erecting fences at …
A Presidential Bikeway
I’m back from Washington DC and I just managed to avoid the chaos that surrounded the inauguration of President Obama. If you were watching footage of the President’s walk down Pennsylvania Ave the other day you might have noticed something …