It doesn’t seem that long ago that Christchurch oversaw a whole raft of suburban lower speed limits, proposing 30 and 40 km/h streets to many of our neighbourhoods and school zones. Those new speed limits are hitting the streets …
Tag: Cycling safety
Avoiding the perils of tram tracks
Nearly two weeks ago, my partner’s exciting foray into cycle commuting to work came to a crashing halt thanks to a run-in with a tram track in the central city. It wasn’t even on her normal commute, but a side …
Photo of the Day – Protected Cycle Corners
While turning left on a bike is often seen as the simplest manoeuvre you can do when riding, the biggest risk is that you will be side-swiped by another passing vehicle as you turn. This is not surprising, as drivers …
Flashback Friday: Do we see each other? Check again
As mentioned the other day, while my partner is really enjoying her new bike commute to work, it’s not without its challenges. At one crossroads intersection nearby, she regularly finds motorists driving across her path (despite her being on …
Cycling in Tauranga: Hits and Misses
Two weeks ago I was in Tauranga attending the annual NZ Transportation Conference (which partly explains the relative dearth of posts lately…). It was my first visit back to the Bay City in over 4 years, and over 6 …
Flashback Friday: What are your current Chch cycle safety concerns?
This week I’m helping to teach a road safety course at Canterbury University. Road safety was also one of the considerations by City Council when determining this week which local transport projects might get the chop as a result of …
Flashback Friday – Mythbusting: What a Safe Passing Rule Means
It was eight years ago now since I was involved in the national Cycle Safety Panel that made various recommendations to government, including a number of Rule and policy changes. One of them that got a bit of attention was …
Lots of safer speed street consultations out for review
We’ve mentioned before the importance of lower speed limits for improved encouragement and safety of active modes like walking and cycling. Around the country, we’re starting to see more of this happening, especially on the back of the new 2022 …
Flashback Friday: Progress on Cycle Safety Panel Recommendations
It hasn’t be a great year for cycling safety in NZ, with a larger than average number of road deaths to date. While there is sadly an element of randomness about whether some crashes become fatal or not, it has …
Flashback Friday: Why Traffic Speed Matters for Walking and Cycling
This week I have been busy attending the Australasian Road Safety Conference, being held for the first time ever here in Ōtautahi Christchurch. It’s been a fantastic event, with over 450 people attending from the road safety sector in …
A lot to like about the draft Chch Transport Plan
It may have been an attempt at a political stunt but, whatever the motivations, the Christchurch City Council decided a couple of weeks ago to publish the draft version of its Christchurch Transport Plan currently in development. There was subsequently …
Flashback Friday: Bus-Bike Workshop a Success
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Mixing with heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses while biking can be a daunting prospect to say the least. As was evidenced by the controversy just last week about a close-passing truck in Wellington, we still have some …
Flashback Friday: Pathway Leaves – A Menace for Cycling?
Autumn is a lovely time of year as the leaves on the trees turn into golden shades. But it’s also the time when those leaves eventually start dropping off. I was reminded of this when cycling along one of the …
Flashback Friday: A Week in Auckland – Is there hope for Cycling?
The blogposts have been a bit sparse lately, as I’ve spent the last two weeks based up in Auckland with a few holidays in between. But my visit called to mind other times when I have visited the City of …
Flashback Friday: Reflections on a Month in the UK
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With all the recent Govt announcements allowing more easy travel in and out of NZ once more, it feels like the world has suddenly opened up again. People are talking about doing the travel they’ve had to postpone for the …
Flashback Friday – Defensive cycling: Looking left
It’s never too late to learn a few more tips and tricks for getting around on your bike safely. Here’s some useful thoughts from Chrys about some defensive cycling practices, first posted in Dec 2014…
I’ve been cycling around …
Flashback Friday: Trucks and Bikes – Learning how to Share
Last Tuesday, the final Biketober Tuesday seminar saw a panel discussion about safety issues between bikes and trucks. It was a very useful conversation about the progress that has been made (or not) in this area, and it highlighted how …
Flashback Friday: Would the Draft Cycle Safety Panel Recommendations make a Difference?
Seven years ago I was hugely involved in a significant exercise in the biking space: a national cycle safety panel. It was an amazing experience that led to the forging of many great ongoing connections with some talented people. More …
Flashback Friday: Perceived Danger or Actual Danger?
Just the other day I saw another comment on social media by a Chch local stating how cycling in the city is very scary and puts them off. It’s a common enough reaction I see (even more so after the …
Flashback Friday: How should we tackle Cycle Safety in NZ?
It’s been a tough past month safety-wise for cycling, with the tragic death of two people cycling, one in Auckland then one in Christchurch. That still only takes the total of cycle fatalities for the year to 4, but …