Draft Cycle Network Infrastructure Upgrade Sunday Ride on 7th Sept

NPDC's Draft Cycle Network Infrastructure Upgrade document is comprehensive. To help look at the content, 9 of us went for a ride on Sunday 7th Sept to look at what is proposed for St Aubyn St and Devon Street West.

St Aubyn Street:

• From Liardet St to Egmont St: Ranked #1 as the highest priority section of NP's roads for improvement for cyclists which is why we started at Puke Ariki. The improvements recommended are; Set back the kerbs on both sides by 800 mm by the Egmont St lights; Reduce the footpath width by 800 mm on the south side from the Huatoki Stream to Liardet St; Remove the solid median in the middle of the road; Mark 3.0 m traffic lanes; Mark a flush median; Mark cycle lane green at Egmont St lights and across the recessed loading zone outside Centre City.

General agreement was reached with the proposal, did wonder about whether heading east a shared pathway could be used on a rather unused footpath.

• Egmont St to Lawry St in Moturoa: Ranked 21st. The improvements recommended are: Extend the cycle lanes at both Egmont St and Dawson Streets; Re-align the flush median and edge lines at the Bonithon Av bend.

Queried having green cycle lanes east of Egmont St and not on the west side. Road width at Dawson St lights narrow so difficult to see how cycle lanes can be incorporated with the left turning lane to head south on Dawson St. Agreed with the Bonithon Av changes, pedestrian crossing concrete kerb to be set back? Nothing was mentioned about the intersection with Lawry St/South Road.

We then made our way out to the city boundary by going up South Road and then along Devon Street West out to Barrett Road. We then made our way back into town along Devon Street. This route was also the subject of an audit by one of NTCA's members almost exactly a year ago. We checked out whether the concerns raised in the audit re the infrastructure were still there or whether they were being addressed in the suggested improvements.

Devon Street West:

• Barrett Rd to Blagdon Road: Ranked 19th. The improvements recommended are: Parking prohibitions both sides in some places and one side in others; Set back kerb lines; Remove a section of flush median at Spotswood Primary; Mark cycle lanes and re-configure existing markings with green paint in high conflict zones.

General agreement was reached with the proposal. Stop sign lines at Pioneer Rd may protrude into cycle lane. Pedestrian crossing kerbing narrows the road width at Spotswood College. Cycle lane marked green at the South Road intersection needed.

• Blagdon Road to Stuart Place: Ranked 27th. The improvements recommended are: Narrow the flush median outside the shops; Narrow traffic lanes to 3.0 m; Mark 1.6 m cycle lanes with green paint.

General agreement was reached with the proposal. Very dicey section of road for cyclists, safety ranking looks too low. Is bus stop still used? Bus stop markings may protrude into cycle lane.

• Stuart Place to Belt Road: Ranked 2nd. The improvements recommended are: Parking prohibitions both sides and one side; Set back kerb lines; Recessed parking bays; 3.0 m traffic lanes; 1.8 m cycle lanes where cars park and 2.1 m cycle lanes where no parking; Drifting centre line markings where parking prohibitions occur on one side of the road; Cycle lanes marked green at Lawry St and Lorna St.

General agreement was reached with the proposal. East of Stuart Pl room for cycle lane looks tight. Is parking to be prohibited down the hill to Lawry St? Cars do park there and take the space that would be for a cycle lane. Bayly Rd and Doone St intersection stop sign lines need to be moved back.

Cycle lanes need to be marked through Lawry St/Seaview Rd intersection.

Dangerous zone outside Devon Intermediate, so parking prohibitions and cycle lane markings needed here.

• Belt Road to Morley St: Ranked 4th. The improvements recommended are: Cycle lane markings through Belt and Cutfield Road intersections; Extend cycle lane markings into Morley St intersection; Signs to encourage cyclists to go straight ahead rather than turn right to go south on Morley St.

Was felt more should be done at the Belt Road intersection as the stop sign lane markings are too far into Devon St. This is caused by cars parking on the seaward side of Devon St restricting visibility for vehicles trying to cross Devon St at this intersection. So need parking prohibition west of Belt Rd on north side. Otherwise would need a shared pathway from Doone St to Belt Road?

Cycle lane symbols faded along route and need to be upgraded.

Cutfield Rd intersection markings confusing and not consistent with elsewhere on this road.

Suggestion for encouraging cyclists to go straight ahead was not favoured by some as many head further south on Morley St and don't go down the one way system heading east. Good idea for those who do go down Powderham St.

Bike boxes needed at the Morley St/Devon St lights similar to that proposed at the Northgate/Mangorei Rd intersection including one for cyclists heading west. Check light activation by cycles as often don't work at night.

Morley Street:

• Devon St to Vivian St: Ranked 8th. The improvements recommended are: Remove a bus stop; Parking prohibitions; Re-align the right turning bay; Cycle lanes marked green full length.

General agreement was reached with the proposal. Bike box needed at lights. Cycle lanes neede for those going straight ahead south on Morley St across the intersections with the one way streets.

Devon Street West:

• Morley St to Robe St: Not Ranked, as such no improvements were recommended.

Needs cycle lanes marked all the way through on both sides including at Dawson St intersection. Timing of lights at Dawson St need checking as often don't allow a cyclist to cross before lights go green in other direction. Confusing markings at pedestrian crossing by Atkinson Building need removing.

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.