GWRC is “proposing” new bus routes across the city. At first, I was thinking this really doesn’t affect me, since I ride a bike. A few times a year now I’ll take a bus. Then something caught my eye in the summary of proposed changes:
75% of people would be within a tenminute walk of the expanded network of core services compared to 58% at present
Does that potentially remove 15% of cars from the road? This does affect bicycling. Ugh… Now I have to read and understand it. Here’s the PDF, which is also available in hard-copy at most libraries. The same information is also available online, and there are some community sessions coming up.
So far, the only detailed analyses I’ve seen of the proposed changes are on Bus News:
Although somewhat off topic, this is probably a good opportunity to remind GWRC about some elements of the public transport system that affect us:
Bikes on buses
[Better] Bicycle parking at bus-stops (especially if you live more than 5-10 minutes walk from the nearest bus stop! Or the nearest off-peak bus stop. Or the nearest bus stop with service more than once every 30-60 minutes.)
“Bus only” lanes should allow bicycles, at least off-peak (excluding the rail station bus terminal)
The “improvements” to Manners St still seem like a disaster
I’d also like to see a free loop around CBD, with [most] outlying services terminating at the loop. Transfers could be done from one end of the loop to the other. This would encourage people to not drive in CBD, and be a great local experiment (and foot in the door) for getting rid of the fare-box and moving towards 100% subsidized bus service. Don’t laugh, free buses have been proven PROFITABLE for cities around the world.
Submissions are due by Friday 16 March. Before I make my submission, I’d like to hear what y’all have to say. Thanks for sharing!
Following a review by the Greater Welling ton Regional Council bikes will soon be allowed on trains on the Johnsonville line at all times, without restrictions.
Cr Daran Ponter says that the introduction of the new Matangi units on the Johnsonville line, scheduled for mid-March 2012 means that there will be greater capacity than currently provided by the English Electric units.
Cr Daran Ponter says “this means that we will be able to provide unrestricted access for cyclists wanting to take their bikes on the line. This is a very welcome move and a further step to integrating cycling and public transport use.
Councillor Ponter says that the revised policy should draw more people to take the train. It also provides a fall-back option for cyclists if the weather turns nasty.
The bikes on trains policy for the entire Wellington Metlink network will be reviewed again in April/May 2012, 12 months after it was introduced. Cr Ponter says that at this time he would like to see the Council start moving to relax the restrictions it currently has in place with respect to bikes on peak-hour services on other rail lines.
A good film made even better by Irish accents. 2 minutes 43 is never enough when listening to the Irish.
This is a good opportunity to thank the people working for cycling in our local and regional councils. Claire and Simon at Greater Wellington, Emma and Paul at WCC, and all the other people in the region whose names I don’t know (I hope there are some!), thank you.
Now, if the decision-makers would give them proper budgets relative to their importance to the city that would be most helpful.
Unity has had this really good idea for Auckland. I rather think Wellington deserves some too. If the following sounds good to you, click the link and add some weight.
Copenhagen gets bike congestion. ‘Build it and they will come’ seems to be operating well here, but the lesson is the same – when they come you need to keep building!
Y’all will know I bought a Burley Travoy trailer a little while ago. Now I’ve found out the back story I’m even more pleased to have it. So much that was bad has come out of September 11, so I’m stoked to have a connection to something good that resulted.
Greater Wellington Regional Council is ramping up promotion of cycling for transport. But why do we once again get the sporty look and the frock-unfriendly bikes? Think about your target markets, guys.
And finally, something local and awesome for the kids. The New Dowse (which is excellent, by the way) is showing 100 Bikes Project: Part 1. I’ll be interested to see Part 2, when it comes.
Greetings Cyclists! Feel like a short reprieve from your Friday Monday slog or RWC hype? Then I have a deal for you!
On the next set of Regional Cycling Maps we plan to show where the gradient of streets is very steep (i.e. over 10% grade for at least 50m length). This will be done with a triple chevron icon (like on the Michelin touring maps in Europe).
We don’t have a programme that can show us where all those places are, but we do have a very experienced cycling community (you) and a GIS programme which can be used to check the gradient of a particular street.
The challenge for you is to tell us where you know of a very steep street (which you wouldn’t recommend to a beginner or grandparent, or ride on a single speed or folding bike). Just two rules:
1 – It must be a sealed street/road.
2 – It must be a through-street (we’re not interested in dead-ends).
If you have been anywhere in the last few months – bar under a rock- you may have heard of the latest phenomenon in Wellington that is folding bikes. And fresh off the back of a Greater Wellington campaign promoting folding bikes for the new Matangi trains, you can only expect to hear more about these little gems of the cycling world. They are a great solution if you long to take your bike along on a trip that requires transit ( but cannot because of rush hour restrictions based on how full a particular service is ) as folding bikes are allowed on buses and trains at any time. Folding bikes can also be taken with you right inside at the other end of your journey, as it fits on elevators, and even under your desk.
Folding bikes these days are not heavy, or rickety or even that hard to fold. They do not fall apart while you are riding, perform poorly, give you a bad ride, or require a lot of pedalling and they are ‘safe as houses’ going uphill. There are now many good quality makes and models to choose from that will suit your needs and/or questions around; ease of folding and folding size, weight, performance, ride, and price.
Common to most models is that the handling is more responsive than on a full-size bike, and that can take some getting used to. Gears on small-wheeled folding bikes are higher to compensate (for smaller wheels) and some may have limited gearing, (my bike only has 3 gears for example, but others have up to 27!) but again, if you plan to take a lot of shared trips that may include public transport, then a folding bike still might be just the thing for you.
However, be advised, folding bikes are not for the shy, and if you are thinking about one, then all I can offer is …prepare to be friendly. You will be asked about your bike constantly on the streets, in your office, and on the train. People will want to know how long it takes to fold up or down (mainly men) how long you have had it and where you got it, what’s it like riding one, how heavy it is (women) and in a way, you really turn out to be a spokesperson of sorts for your bike. Folding bikes are still an intriguing sight when people see them on the streets or being folded.
It is not all friendly though, and I have been asked to leave a shop because of an adverse policy which did not allow for bikes on the premises – well we won’t be going there anymore. People have also commented unfavourably about the look of the bike, including one guy who simply noted “…. I could not ride that bike, I would be too embarrassed to do so…”.
I got a Brompton folding bike about 18 months ago (after trying out a friend’s), and I would have to say that it is the ultimate bike for me at this point in my cycling journey. It is incredibly well designed and features excellent, predictable road handling, consistent in a well-crafted steed. The steering response is very quick, and a low wheel-base makes for a low centre of gravity and a safe ride. It is truly a delight to ride and fun to own, and it folds in about 15 seconds.
The Brompton folds smaller than most models, into a tidy package and has a nifty feature that when it is folded it locks together in a way that keeps the chain away from your clothes. It can also coast about when folded on suitcase-style casters. There is a range of optional extras (including a cover and saddle bag combo that turns the bike into a nondescript rolling black canvas object that cannot be identified as a bike at all) available from Brompton dealers. However, there is no Brompton dealer in NZ at present, which makes getting parts and servicing somewhat challenging. ?
I rarely lock my Brompton, I just fold it and carry it with me. I take it on the train (or bus) if I have to and everyone is generally receptive to it. The bike is quick, but is definitely not the fastest two wheels on the road. I have the touring model so presumably can go for some distance though to date I mainly use it for commuting back and forth from home to work, and have probably not covered much more than 20-25 kms on it at one time. It is very useful for running errands around town and making it to meetings and appointments on time. It normally lives folded under my desk or tucked away, and thanks to GW’s new rules I am quite comfortable taking it on public transit AT ALL TIMES!”
Big ups to Simon Kennett, the Active Transport and Road Safety Coordinator at Greater Wellington Regional Council, for providing us with the following post about his recent research into bike lights. Thanks for sharing your results with us, Simon, and thanks for the reflector tape! My helmet looks rad in stripes.
Light it up.
Conspicuity 101
My father-in-law had just one motoring accident in his life. Driving on the open road he saw what appeared to be two cars approaching from a distance. The two pairs of white lights stayed side by side, so he assumed one vehicle must be overtaking another. Judging by the distance between the lights there was a sizeable gap between the two. Perhaps one was parked on his side of the road and the other was moving towards him in the normal lane position. Something about it wasn’t quite right, but it wasn’t until Bill ran into the front of the rubbish truck that he realised what it was. There was a pair of white head lights on each side of the front of the truck.
Having lots of big lights ain’t necessarily a recipe for road safety. We need to be both seen and understood.
Claire Pascoe and I have just finished Greater Wellington’s 2011 bike lights review. It’s not terribly scientific, but neither are drivers, really. We simply look at lights from a distance of 100 metres (the distance at which bike lights must be visible according to the law) and give them a rating from one to five. Each light is tested at 0, 45 and 90 degrees. The reason is that almost half of all cycling accidents involve turning manoeuvres (i.e. a car turning across the path of a cyclist or side-swiping a rider at an intersection or driveway).
What did we find out this year?
The standard and value of lights has improved significantly. All lights tested were visible from 100 metres, although not necessarily from a side angle.
Front lights under $100 all had a flashing mode. This is great, because an inexpensive light can be effective at attracting attention if it is flashing. Not only does a flash attract attention, it sends a fairly clear message that there is a cyclist ahead – not a motorbike that might be doing 50-100 kph, but a relatively slow bicycle. If you want a light that will actually illuminate the road, you’re best to go for a more powerful rechargeable light (costing $150-$300). It will have a more focused beam than is ideal, so should be supplemented with a wide-beam flashing light. The law states that when a rider has more than one front light, no more than one may be on flashing mode.
On the rear, two flashing lights are permitted, but it is often argued that it is easier to judge a rider’s distance if they have a steady light. So, we recommend one flashing and one steady – one on the bike and one on the helmet. If you put them side-by-side, there is the risk that they may be perceived as two lights of a faster, far-off motor vehicle. Also, the helmet light can be seen over the top of a car as you mingle with heavy traffic in the evening.
If you mount a light on a helmet or bag, get a friend to check that it’s pointing in the right direction. If it’s pointing up towards the roof-tops, it’s unlikely that car drivers will be getting the full ‘razzle dazzle’ effect you were hoping for.
Battery age is another massive factor when looking at the efficacy of lights. If your battery is two thirds of the way through it’s life, your light may be half as bright as when they were new. One or two lights maintain their luminosity better towards the end of the battery life, but then fail very quickly. So which is better? Replace your batteries early to be on the safe side – the old ones will go just fine in a calculator or remote control.
We also tested a range of hi-viz garments and were impressed at how effective they were. Anything reflective that is stuck on ankles or legs is bound to attract attention. Check out this nifty bit of research.
Hi! I'm riding a bike here.
To a certain extent, it supports the notion that ‘All cats are black at night’. Fluoro clothing works in the daytime by converting UV light to visible light. At night there is no natural UV around, so fluoro gear is no more effective than a white t-shirt, for example. And, while better than black, light or bright clothing pales in comparison to reflective material. High quality, white, reflective material will reflect 100% of the light that hits it – the bigger the light source, the brighter the reflection.
Of course we’re big fans of adhesive reflective tape for helmets and bike frames. If you don’t have any yet, (and are a Wellington region resident) get some by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to Simon Kennett, Active Transport Coordinator, Greater Wellington Regional Council, PO Box 11646, Wellington 6142.
Riding right through winter can be fun, so long as you are confident that you are being seen and your position on the road is clearly understood. Some drivers might think you’re a bit wacky riding a bicycle in the dark, but they generally give plenty of room to riders whose gear shouts out “I’m a Cyclist! Give me Space, please!” .
GWRC is “proposing” new bus routes across the city. At first, I was thinking this really doesn’t affect me, since I ride a bike. A few times a year now I’ll take a bus. Then something caught my eye in the summary of proposed changes:
Cycle Wellington 