Regular contributor Robert sent in this photo that he thought was a nice sign of how things are changing. This was at the very swanky hotel, The George; as Robert said “I was impressed by this. Expected to need …
Category: Cycle-centric ideas
Bright ideas about cycling
Solutions to traffic queues
I was impressed with this image from a story on Auckland’s traffic congestion which suggested Aucklanders spend 4 weeks a year stuck in traffic.
It’s a great perspective with the queued traffic snarling to a standstill while the lone cyclist …
How dangerous is cycling in New Zealand?
Auckland researchers Michael Chieng, Hakkan Lai and Alistair Woodward have compared the risk of cycling with other common activities and found it to be relatively safe, so ask the good question ‘why is it perceived to be so dangerous’? The …
Mythbusting: “Hardly anyone cycles”
Getting cycleways over the line in Christchurch (and the rest of New Zealand) has always been a difficult task, with various concerns about cost, car-parking, traffic restrictions, potential conflicts, you name it. It’s interesting to note though how often we …
New cycling research causes a flurry
Three interesting research reports about cycling have just been publicly released by the NZ Transport Agency and already they’re causing a bit of a stir around cycling circles (and elsewhere…). We previously alluded to these pieces of work being underway, …
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 – …
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…)…
Bike and bus to the airport
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 …
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
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 …
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 …
Guest Post: Trial by Jury
Here’s a timely guest post by Ian Chesterman – thanks Ian!
The debate around what to do with Victoria street has gone along typical lines, with the pro-biking/walking/public transport group predicting their preferred solution will usher in a utopian future, …
Suburban Car Parking and the Bike
It seems to be the subject that you can’t get away from when talking about any development in town. The latest Metro Sports Facility plans pop up for example, and all I hear on social media is “where will we …
Cycling in Chch loves Guest Posts!
When I first got involved with Cycling in Christchurch back in 2012 (has it been that long?), I envisaged having a collection of different bloggers with different perspectives taking turns to contribute bits and pieces to the overall picture. …
Way out West – Are new developments cycle-friendly?
The growth in housing demand around Greater Christchurch has seen a lot of new subdivisions spring up, particularly on the periphery of the city. Areas that were farmland not too long ago are suddenly just another part of suburbia. We’ve …
Flashback: Portland Neighbourhood Greenways
A number of the recent proposed Major Cycleways are using “neighbourhood greenway” treatments, including Rapanui/Shag Rock, Papanui Parallel, and Uni-Cycle. Most people understand the concepts of separated cycleways and shared paths that are being used for many …
Cycling Road Rules getting a shake-up
Many of the current road transport regulations in place in New Zealand were drafted really only with motor vehicles in mind; trying to apply them to cycles as well doesn’t always make sense. New developments in cycling network design also …
What has Cycling ever done for Walking?
For fans of Monty Python, there’s a classic scene in the movie The Life of Brian where the People’s Front of Judea (or is it the Judean People’s Front…) bemoan the occupation of their homeland by the Romans and ponder …