Top 10 Initiatives To Boost Cycling In Christchurch
October 2005
The actions undertaken to date by Christchurch City Council and related organisations have been successful in halting the decline in cycling in the city. However, Spokes Canterbury believes that a number of further key initiatives are required, if we are to see sustainable growth in cycling within Christchurch. Our "Top 10" is outlined below (in no particular order).
While it is recognised that some of them will require significant investment and/or political courage to make, it is important for Council to acknowledge this if they truly wish to make meaningful change.
(More detailed information regarding these initiatives is outlined below).
| 1 |
Lower Urban Speed Limits and Local Area Traffic Calming |
More 30 km/h "home zones", part-time school speed limits and traffic management to address concerns with the speed and volume of motor traffic. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |
Strongly promote Sustainable Travel Plans |
Travel behaviour programmes for all schools, major businesses, and other large organisations, to encourage greater use of alternative travel. |
| 3 |
Encourage more cycle-friendly Land Use and Development Planning |
Create community centres that encourage people to live near where they work, shop, and play, allowing for more short trips by cycle. |
| 4 |
Provide more Off-road and Separated Cycle Corridors |
Innovative cycle routes segregated from traffic, both in and away from road corridors, including under-passes/ over-bridges where necessary. |
| 5 |
Make the Central City more Cycle-friendly |
Improve the central city environment for cycling, including more traffic calming/restrictions, safe through-routes and traffic-free corridors. |
| 6 |
Expand the number of City Cycling Events and Promotions |
A greater range of initiatives supporting cycling, such as bike rides, social marketing, cycle tours, training sessions, school promotions and public events. |
| 7 |
Audit, maintain and upgrade existing cycle facilities |
An ongoing programme to monitor the cycle network (including the recreational mountain-biking network) and maintain and improve its condition. |
| 8 |
Develop a Public CBD "Bike-station" |
A place for city cycle commuters to store their bike, change/shower, get repairs done, and grab a coffee. |
| 9 |
Strongly promote road user Education and Enforcement |
An ongoing programme to highlight key road user behaviour/safety messages to the respective groups and to enforce these. |
| 10 |
Continue Cycleway Network Improvements |
Continue to expand the city's cycle network, improve intersections and complete the "missing links". |
To improve the chances of success, a steering group should also be formed to oversee implementation and review the success of various initiatives. As well as bringing together the relevant skill sets to discuss these issues, the group should also have strong political representation from the Council to give its recommendations credence.
Background Information about these Initiatives:
| 1 |
Lower Urban Speed Limits and Traffic Calming |
On local residential streets, motor vehicle speeds/volumes should not be an issue if our network was properly designed; they should be an extension of people's driveways. "Living Street" reconstructions are often half-hearted in their implementation, and not focused on promptly treating whole neighbourhoods (including 30 km/h zones). |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |
Strongly promote Sustainable Travel Plans |
A lot of our transport problems come down to simple travel behaviour rather than a lack of alternative transport options. Development of travel plans has been proven to strongly encourage changes in travel behaviour and to get more people using sustainable transport options such as cycling. The preparation and ongoing maintenance of such plans should be obligatory for all large organisations, developments and educational institutions. |
| 3 |
Encourage more cycle-friendly Land Use and Development Planning |
Our existing land use patterns discourage the use of cycling by separating our destinations by distance and busy roads. More attention needs to be made to encouraging mixed-use zoning, limited car parking, community "nodes", high-density developments, and constrained urban areas. |
| 4 |
Provide more Off-road and Separated Cycle Corridors |
While the existing cycle network provides a good level of service for many cyclists, clearly there is a proportion of would-be cyclists who would be far more comfortable with more cycle routes segregated from traffic. There are many existing opportunities to do this, both on and off road corridors, but other prospects may require additional property purchase and cost. |
| 5 |
Make the Central City more Cycle-friendly |
The central city is perceived as a barrier for many would-be cyclists. Greater efforts are needed to improve the environment for cycling, including traffic calming/restrictions and traffic-free streets, an off-road corridor alongside the Avon River, and a 30 km/h central zone. |
| 6 |
Expand the number of city Cycling Events and Promotions |
Encouraging people to take part in and enjoy cycling requires some positive reinforcement and opportunities to further develop their enthusiasm. A range of cycling events (like the Park to Pier) help to encourage families to take up the habit and to explore new parts of the city by bike. Other promotions (such as the Go-by-Bike Breakfast) reward cyclists for their contribution to the city and help to foster camaraderie. |
| 7 |
Audit, maintain and upgrade existing cycle facilities |
Many existing cycle facilities are of a lower standard (often reflecting the era in which they were built) or have maintenance issues. Relatively small deficiencies create inconvenience or risk for cyclists. A thorough network audit is required to identify all problem locations and to arrange for their improvement. Regular maintenance (e.g. sweeping) is also a must. |
| 8 |
Develop a Public CBD "Bike-station" |
Many would-be cyclists are hampered from cycling to work by the lack of suitable cycle parking and changing facilities. Overseas, many cities have resolved this by developing public "bike-stations" that provide secure cycle parking, changing and shower facilities, on-site bike repairs, and even bicycle rentals and cafes. |
| 9 |
Strongly promote road user Education and Enforcement |
Many concerns from cyclists stem from their experiences with inconsiderate or inexperienced motorists. Motorists often also feel antipathy towards the behaviour of some cyclists. Conflicts with pedestrians also arise on shared pathways. More education and enforcement is needed in all cases. |
| 10 |
Continue Cycleway Network Improvements |
A lot of the gains to date have been due to the continuous work to provide for cycling as part of the city's transport programme. But many potential cycle trips won't be taken up until the network is more completely developed and existing "missing links" are completed. Intersections in particular require ongoing work to improve their safety. |
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Spokes-Top10-Initiatives.pdf | 128.49 KB |
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Appropriate Bicycles for Utility Cycling, helmets and footpaths
-As someone who enjoyed cycling for 10 years in Japan where utility cycling is well established as an intrinsic and universally accessible part of the transport infrastructure, I would like to suggest that the following 3 points be considered for inclusion among the 'Top 10' initiatives.
-addressing the unavailability in New Zealand of the types of bicycles appropriate to urban utility cycling which are preferred by the greatest numbers of cyclists where cycling is a universally accessible form of transport in urban areas.
-lobbying to rescind the compulsory wearing of helmets to make it discretionary on the rider
- lobbying to rescind the law which prohibits bicycles from using footpaths, (at least as an interim measure for the years it will take to get 'more suitable alternative pathways established)
See the following weblogs (with pictures of unhelmeted cyclists riding 'utility' bicycles with real separation from cars) to get some idea of of how 'urban utility cycling' works in other countries with environments, societies and economies similar to our own.
In Kyoto, Japan.
http://utilitycyclism.blogspot.com/
In Denmark
http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/10/04/notes-on-bicycling-in-copenhagen/
In the Netherlands
http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/05/04/building-a-better-bike-lane/
These issue are standing in the way of the universal uptake of cycling as a form of transport in New Zealand's cities.
With regard to appropriate bicycles,simply 'leaving it to the market to decide' is clearly not working and Cycling Advocates and Central Government (through the Local Territorial Authorities)need to get actively involved in promoting (generically of course) the cycling technologies and styles of bicycles appropriate to the urban environment that the naturally conservative cycle importers and retailers are denying us access to.
This article from the New York Wall Street Journal might also be of interest.
Building a Better Bike Lane
Bike-friendly cities in Europe are launching a
new attack on car culture. Can the U.S. catch up?
By NANCY KEATES
May 4, 2007
COPENHAGEN -- No one wears bike helmets here. They're afraid they'll mess up their hair. "I have a big head and I would look silly," Mayor Klaus Bondam says
People bike while pregnant, carrying two cups of coffee, smoking, eating bananas.........
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB117823466296891497-lMyQjAxMDE3NzA4...
Alan Preston
Christchurch,