franklin

Brendon Crompton (October 2007)

I am aware of the cycling culture in other countries and have visited Amsterdam where you uplift a bike and drop it off at points around the city. The difference in many of these countries is the denseness of the population within the urban areas and the fact that many don’t own vehicles due to the costs of upkeep, purchasing and the huge difficulties of moving around these cities by vehicle and they opt for public transport or bikes. I think kiwi’s would opt for a more cycle friendly environment however the changes in attitude towards cars ( how many people don’t carpool to work...)also these cycle cities need to be supported by excellent public transport systems...ie- I catch a train to work...hop off the train, grab a bike...ride to work....and safe lanes or pavements for bikes to ride in.

Not only are bikes great for the environment they also support and maintain a health lifestyle which includes exercise.

In summary a city that opted for utility cycling would need to look at their public transport set up, review best practice from overseas and spend money on education and marketing the benefits behind this culture change.

Kind regards

Brendon Crompton

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If you know of any cycling initiatives in Franklin please send an e-mail to : urbanbicycles@gmail.com