ashburton
http://can.org.nz/VoteBike/
Fraser Hesketh <daisymeadow@gmail.com> wrote:Alan, presently in Holland, and short of time in internet cafe ,All i can say is I am right with you 100%, Yes I am actively in my life researching and working towards improving the quality of life for myself and family and how this impacts on others and the environment ......your passion for utility cycling is mine also and would probably be my leading issue if elected to ashburton council .........Happy cycling . Fraser 8/10/2007,
=================================================================from Jac Sparks As this is an area that interests me, i will do so, and follow on with any thoughts that i might have as soon as I can. I would certainly cycle more than I do if it wasn't for the way car traffic behaves in Ashburton.
Each year it gets worse. When my littlest was a preschooler, I cycled all the time with him on the back, and felt quite confident.
Crossing two roundabouts and a railway line on the way to my workplace, especially at rush hour, is now quite nasty!
I have been lucky enough to visit England and Italy recently, and the little old lady in downtown Milan surrounded by italian drivers, helmetless and still cycling quite serenely was a revelation.>
> Would you actively pursue policies that would enable utility cycling to
> develop along the lines that have made it the transportation mode of choice
> for so many in Copenhagen?
Yes, I would certainly push for that. I would also like to see the
system where a town/city has a bicycle hub which contains locked
bicycles which can be borrowed for a small fee
> (must be a card, as it is traceable to the individual) and when the end of the journey is reached, it is locked up again to another hub....gossip from my son living in London.
>
> Would you lobby to rescind the law that compels cyclists to wear helmets in
> order to make it discretionary on the rider (as it is wherever utility
> cycling is well-established ) ?
This is a difficult one, as it's firmly embedded in the NZ psyche that
helmets do save lives, brains etc. If roading could be made safer for
cyclists as a prerequisite, then I would certainly do so. I am happy
to cycle without a helmet in other countries.
>
> Would you give preference to a comprehensive network of cycle lanes over
> retaining the right to curbside parking?
I certainly would.
> Would you lobby to rescind the law which prohibits cyclists from using
> pavements (at least as an interim measure for the years it will otherwise
> take to establish real separation from motorized vehicles)to enable 'slow
> cyclists'(e.g.the elderly)to take up utility cycling?
> -Before you answer this question, next time you're out driving, take note
> of how few pedestrians are actually using our pavements and keep in mind
> that there are places in the world where cyclists and pedestrians co-exist
> harmoniously in significantly greater numbers.
Yes, i would be interested in this. In our town there are probably
more pedestrians than in Christchurch, however. We do have the main
SH1 bridge that allows shared usage, and that seems to work very well.
>
> 'Leaving it to the market to decide' is not working as virtually none of New
> Zealand's bicycle importers or retailers are taking the initiative to either
> promote or make available the types of bicycles and technologies which would
> make utility cycling practicable by a much broader range of people(e.g. the
> elderly ) or practical (e.g. for carrying children or shopping).
> To ensure that fleets of utility bicycles become established throughout New
> Zealand's urban areas, would you promote or support a campaign that will
> create awareness of utility cycling technologies among the public to help to
> stimulate consumer demand ?
> e.g. actively lobby for the acquisition of a fleet of utility bicycles for
> council staff to get around town on.
> I would.
>
> Would you lobby for the installation of bicycle racks on ALL public
> transport vehicles ?
I would do this also...except that we have to lobby for public
transport in Ashburton first!
>
>
> Do you cycle yourself? - And if not at this stage in your life, what would
> it take to get you to take up 'utility' cycling in the future ?
> I do. I do some utility cycling - especially in the weekend - and sometimes to school.
>
> Would you recommend that other people (children/ the elderly) cycle?
Absolutely. It interests me that children bike quite happily to school
up to the age of Year 8, but comparatively few cycle to the local
college.
>
> Why? / Why not?
Even Ashburton is being choked by traffic.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer this.
cheers, Jac
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