NPDC Cycling Strategy Implementation Team interface meetings coming up

The next meeting with the NPDC Cycle Strategy Implementation Team (CSIT) to review where their various cycling related projects will be in October.

These are held on the last Tuesday of the month at 4 pm at the NPDC. So the next one would normally be Tuesday 30th September, at the NPDC. However, in the morning on the 30th there is an update meeting on sustainable transport, cycling and walking initiatives for sustainable transport stakeholders including NTCA. This meeting is in the Council Chambers starting at 8.30 am, so feel free to come along when and if you can.

The October CSIT meeting will be in the ground floor meeting room, Meeting Room #4, go in through the foyer between the stairs and the reception desk and it is the meeting room at the back furthermost to the right.

Hope to see some of you there at either or both of these meetings.


Cheers
NTCA Committee

Cycle Advocacy podcast - Gil Peñalosa

One website/podcast worth keeping an eye on and subscribing to is the San Francisco based blog written by Jon Winston.

http:///bikescape.blogspot.com

He recently went to the Towards Car Free Cities conference held this year in Portland Oregon. There he recorded various podcasts including one that has the keynote speech for the conference given by Gil Peñalosa.

As Commissioner of Parks, Sports and Recreation, Peñalosa initiated Bogata's trailblazing ciclovias, where each Sunday ninety one km of streets are returned to the commons for non-motorized use. 1.5 million people use the ciclovias each week and now the practice is migrating to other cities around the world. You can download the mp3 of his speech and the subsequent press conference at:

http://bikescape.blogspot.com/2008/06/towards-car-free-cities-keynote-speech.html

There is also a short film made of the Ciclovias in action in Bogata that you can watch.

Here is what I got out from his speech:

His questions for those who are in local government and the community:

• What kind of cities do we want to have?
• How do we want to live?
• Do we want to retain skilled people here long term? They need a reason to stay.

Getting things done to achieve the vision:

• It is not about the money but priorities.
• Not about the technical issues - there are solutions somewhere in the world to use.

How to move from thinking to doing something:

• Leadership from those in the community
• Political will and a clarity of vision - general interest of the many must prevail over the particular
• Need doers in the public sector - we pay rates and taxes to get things done.
• Reqires community engagement
• Needs a sense of urgency

Draft Cycle Network Infrastructure Upgrade document for comment next week.

NPDC have their Draft Cycle Network Infrastructure Upgrade document ready for comment and review by key stakeholders. It expected to be received by NTCA next week. It is believed to locate and outline the top 40 or so locations within the district where cycle infrastructure improvements are required and what can be done along with preliminary costs.

It is still very much a draft document, but NPDC feel it is now time for some initial comments from interested parties and concurrently NPDC will be reviewing the document internally.

They hope that our feedback along with comments from LTNZ and Transit NZ will result in a document that clearly identifies agreed priorities and treatments and will achieve maximum value for cyclists in the district.

This report has been reviewed by an independent engineering consultancy prior to this next stage of review and comment.

There are financial implications and critical timing issues for the council, for Transit NZ (as many of the priority sections are state highways) and LTNZ (or the New Zealand Transport Agency that is to replace these two govt departments).

Wellington cyclists organised a memorial ride as a mark of respect for the two riders killed in June

Cyclists gathered at Parliament on Thursday 26 June at 3:45pm. After a brief opportunity to speak, they departed Parliament at 4pm, and rode along Thorndon Quay and Hutt Road to Petone Roundabout. They paused there, then rode back to Wellington.

The ride commemorated and honoured the lives of the riders killed on 19 June.

So far in 2008, we have been involved with the following issues:

· Mangorei Road/Northgate intersection modifications.

· Modifications to the Waiwhakaiho River Bridge footpaths to enable their use as shared pathways for both pedestrians and cyclists.

· The separated cycle path up the Mangaone Hill on SH3 just past Vickers Road.

· Reviewed and submitted to NPDC on the New Plymouth District Strategic Transport Study. Speak to the Policy Committee in support of our submission.

· Proposed trial of green cycle lane markings on Tukapa Street between Sanders Avenue and the top of Morely Street.

· Coronation Avenue/SH3 southern entrance to New Plymouth pinch point just inside the 50 km zone.

· Following up on the Mangorei Road and Devon Street West audits.

· Watching brief on how NPDC are responding to the barriers to cycling to school reported by St John Bosco School's pupils.

· Meeting monthly with the NPDC Cycling Strategy Implementation team to discuss progress on implementing the cycle strategy.

· Review of proposed signalling changes to the Smart Road/Devon Road intersection.

This work has been generally a mixture of dealing with the NPDC Cycle Strategy Implementation Team, NPDC Roading Assets staff and Transit NZ in Wanganui (as some of these issues are on state highways).

What else is there?

• Support the proposed removal of 12 car parks on Lower Carrington Street that will allow a cycle lane to be installed along that section of the road.
• The Taranaki Regional Council need to be contacted to find out how they are progressing with the implementation of their Walkways and Cycleways Strategy.
• Review the NPDC's proposed cycling infrastructure upgrades that have been through a preliminary design and costing process and are currently being peer reviewed.
• Work with the NPDC Sustainable Transport Co-ordinator when they are appointed.
• Regional cycling maps or a Bike Taranaki booklet.
• Promote school and business travel plans.
• Long Term Council Community Plan update next year.
• Talk to the district's Community Boards on what can be done re cycling in their areas.

Submission into the NPDC are in, well done to all who had their say!

The Strategic Transport Study was out for public consultation and comments are all in. This has been a joint New Plymouth District Council and Transit New Zealand project to come up with a plan to manage the district’s road developments for the next 25 years and beyond.

Traffic Design Group, which developed the document, has found that with the exception of Northgate/Waiwhakaiho the city’s road network capacity is generally adequate to handle the growth in traffic flows for the next 40 years.

To improve the eastern corridor, the strategic transport study proposes a number of extra lanes and some intersection changes from Hobson St through Northgate and Devon Rd to Vickers Rd.

All of the road developments are intended to have dedicated cycle lanes and provisions for cyclists along their length in line with the council's Cycle Strategy. Is that really the case and is it the best way for cycling infrastructure money to be spent?

The next step is that the submissions are reviewed by the NPDC officers, and a report on everyone's feedback will go to the Policy Committee on Tuesday 1 July 2008.

We have a chance to speak in support of our in front of the Policy Committee on that day.

Go By Bike Day 2008

A New Plymouth first - A Go By Bike Day breakfast was organised by the NPDC Events team with food provided by BikeWise.

NTCA went along and helped with the registrations and generally mingled with friends. We had a table there to display information and signed up new members interested in getting information on local cycling issues.

170 odd came along for a breakfast of bagels and music on a fine New Plymouth morning at Puke Ariki landing. Thanks for all our supporters who came along and said hello and to those who got up early and helped set up and get it all ready for the hungry.