CYCLE ACTION NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 9, NOV-DEC 2002 advocacy news, events, and activities in the Auckland region PO Box 6491, Auckland. www.can.org.nz, email: [email protected]

CAA Strategy Sessions Recent campaign activities: CAA is running a series of Strategy Sessions to Bikes and trains formulate a campaign strategy, so we can prioritise our activities more effectively. At the ARTNL held a workshop on generic station preliminary session in September we discussed design for the newly revamped rail network. With CAA’s input these will include bike CAA’s overall goals, and identified some of the barriers in our way. It was agreed that stands, bike lockers and good bike access. CAA’s overall aim is essentially to “improve ARC held a forum on the design of new rolling quality & quantity of cycling in Auckland”. stock. Each train will include 4 dedicated bike Some of the main barriers identified were: spaces, clearly marked inside and outside the Infrastructure (incl. safety & convenience train, probably of the vertical ‘meat-hook’ issues), Image (incl. media portrayal), variety. Information (awareness etc). Political: five Tranz Metro are trying again to introduce a different cities; lack of political “will” to plan charge for bikes on trains- though only $1 this for and fund cycling-friendly infrastructure. time rather than $3. We argue that bikes should Geographical: Isthmus location; Harbour go free on trains (as they do on ferries) as an Bridge; narrow multi-lane arterial roads. incentive not to drive instead. Tranz Metro say Since then Jo Mackay and Tricia Allen (from they have to charge because bikes take up lots Auckland Regional Council) have got of space on the trains- but this is only because involved, and offered to lead us through a the current trains have no proper bike-carrying series of four structured strategy-building facilities. sessions. They have lots of experience in Tell Tranz Metro what you think of this by strategy both professionally and through work writing to their Customer Services Manager, with various environmental organisations. Debbie MacMillan, PO Box 37540, Parnell. The four sessions are: Session 1 - Vision (Thurs. 7th Nov.); Sessions 2 and 3 – Building Police a strategy (Thurs. 21st Nov, 12th Dec); CAA met with Auckland Police in September. Session 4 – Process issues (early next year, They advised that all incidents including near date TBA). misses and bad driver behaviour (not just crashes) should be reported. The Community All members welcome to attend- though it’s Roadwatch form is useful for reporting near preferable if you can come to all four sessions misses- available from Police stations. rather than just one or two. Any specific instances of Police bias at crash Women Urban Cyclists scenes (e.g. blaming cyclist automatically) Recently we have had an enquiry from a new should also be reported so they can be CAA member who’d like to be able to do some followed up. women-only rides. We will organise a ARC submissions women’s social ride aimed at women with a basic level of fitness and riding skills, who CAA recently made submissions on the ARC’s want to increase their fitness, confidence and Regional Cycling Strategy, Land Transport skills for urban cycling. If you (or your women Strategy, Passenger Transport Plan and Travel friends) are interested in coming on this ride, Demand Management Strategy. Contact contact Sally McAra, tel 815-5033, Adrian (815-5033) for details. . Bus/bike lanes written but never adopted; and NS City has among the lowest cycling rates in NZ. CAA has been consulted on plans for more Matthew has mapped out existing routes bus/bike lanes on New North Rd (from and identified areas most in need of Blockhouse Bay Rd to Bond St) and improvement. Lake Rd, the key corridor Sandringham Rd- look out for more green between Devonport and Takapuna is a paint. priority. Henderson Creek September Cunning Ride: How to avoid A new draft management plan for this is Mt Albert Road available from and Mark Bracey led us and members of the includes proposals to upgrade the existing Auckland Cycle Touring Assoc on two track to a 2m shared ped/cycleway, clever routes for avoiding Mt Albert Rd, making a useful and pleasant link between one to the North and to the South. The the North West cycle route and North route involves Fernleigh St, Henderson. Contact Adrian for input into numerous alleyways and Graeme Breed CAA’s submission, due in by Dec 20. Dr, followed by a choice of Sandringham backstreets. The South used Aurora St and Western Rail Corridor Gifford Ave, and Mt Roskill Grammar Waitakere City propose to include a school before heading south to Orpheus Dr cycleway along the rail line from New and finding the Blue Strawberry Café in Lynn to Swanson, as part of the double- Onehunga for lunch. tracking upgrade. CAA is lobbying to extend the cycleway October Cunning Ride from New Lynn as far as possible towards This explored some useful links near the the Auckland CBD. For more info contact central city, from Grey Lynn across the Mark Wilson, tel 846 7909. NW motorway ped/cycle bridge at Waima St, a second footbridge to Virginia Ave, Great South Rd- Sylvia Park rail and sneaking along the Mt Eden railway overbridge station platform. The other clever bit was This scary old bridge is being upgraded Almorah Rd, which follows a quiet tree- and there will be off-road cycleways on lined lane to a motorway underpass and each side. We argued that on-road thence to Newmarket. After a café stop, cycleways would be better than an off- we explored the subdivisions to the east of road one for the cyclists likely to use this the Newmarket railway station and route, but this would have meant an trundled through Newmarket Park, then extensive redesign. Auckland City have dropped down to Hobson Bay to promised to involve us earlier next time. contemplate how the Eastern Highway Grey Lynn Festival- Nov 23 might look crashing through it. Back to CAA will have a presence at the festival town along Tamaki Drive. again this year- usually a very successful Next meeting & ride event for us. We need some volunteers to Cunning ride: 24th Nov- as usual meet at man the info stall- please contact Adrian if Adventure Cycles, 36 Customs Street East, you can spare an hour on the day. City: 10 am. Route TBA. Recent Meetings and Social Rides Bring: food, water, tools/ spare tube, September meeting raincoat. Enquiries to Adrian, Guest speaker: Matthew Blackmore, of , tel 815 5033. North Shore City Council, has recently CAA Meeting: 28 Nov., 6.30-8.30pm. taken on the job of formulating a cycling Venue as usual is Ellen Melville Room, strategy for North Shore City (NSCC). Pioneer Womens Memorial Hall, cnr High The first draft is due out by Christmas this St/ Freyberg Pl, City. year. There is certainly room for Note: this will be the last meeting (and improvement at NSCC, in terms of ride) for 2002- no meeting or ride in education, funding and engineering. The December. So, happy biking over xmas! council has only $90,000 p.a. in the coffers for cycling; previous strategies have been