marlborough
http://www.can.org.nz/events/elections07/campaigns.htm
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Steffan Browning
Mayoral & Council candidate Blenheim Ward
thankyou for your questionnaire.
I am up against it timewise to complete any further questionnaires in detail ahead of Saturday, but as the strongest environmental advocate standing for Council here in Marlborough, I can assure you I support your views. I have experienced the European experience of significant emphasis on cycling access, the use of pavements etc and am advocating the same, so yes to all of your questions except surprisingly the personal use of cycles. I need to make much greater use of cycling, and will more when I get the streets of Blenheim to be more cycle safe and I gear down my lifestyle.
Thanks again
Steffan Browning
Mayoral & Council candidate Blenheim Ward
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Jill Bunting- Councillor and RMA Hearings Chair Marl District Council
Hi Alan and thanks for your questionaire- I wish the questions had been as interesting at the "meet he candidates" evening.
I am not sure that, no matter how effective this strategy may be in a very large city it would be worthwhile trying to replicate it here in NZ. There are a number of very active lobbiests against any such "violation of rights". For every sensible suggestion in NZ we seem to have 10x more halfwits who oppose and generally our laws are either watered down "please everyone" stuff or hysterical knee-jerk stuff which no matter how many people give good feedback on inpractibilities, vote catching attempts by politicians who frequently don't understand the consequences push them through- such as dog micro-chipping, anti smaking etc.I probably am more for education by starting with getting in some proper safe cycle lanes to enable mums & dads to feel comfortable sending their kids off to school on a bike. That always flows over then into the rest of the famly philosophy. NO MORE LEGISLATION PLEASE!!
Having worked for the past 10 years as a specialist recovery therapist for head injury ; no I would not advocate a law change to allow any flexibility in helmut wearing. It is a relatively cheap and innoffensive practice which can possibly save the country more than half a million $ in care costs a year and at least five families a return of a family member to them in a functional rather than vegatative state.Helmuts definitely assist in preventing disatrous damage to the brain when falling off a cycle. Two wheeled vehilcles with pedal power have in built wobble factors!.
I agree totally that the recent recommendation to Council to put cyclists in between parked cars and moving cars was only exceeded in stupidity by that of puting them in a lane on the same side as oncoming traffic for half the day and in the same lane, going with it the other half. In fact most of the report was so silly I could not believe that a "consultant" could have intended it as less than an insult to any cyclist. I believe that pedestians and cyclists are far safer to share space ,than cyclists v cars and trucks.I did suggest that the very wide grass verges in Maxwell Rd whilst ripped up during he recent works could be relaid as half cycle track and half grass thus making a good start to a communter cycle way.. It seems that another year of consultation is mandatory.Politicians, on the whole, do not make decisions readily! Nelson has done very well with a comprehensive cycleway which is fabulous.We have made some progress here with seal widening on the arterial routes and the Taylor river is excellent as well but we need to get a commuter cycle plan underway so that workers and kids can take the healthy safe option and cycle.
Council staff in the main are well represented in the "cycle to work" stats.
I remember being determined to spell the healthy message out to patients when I was a visiting community therapist but giving it up after being sympathised with by a number of dear older ladies for "those cruel brutes" not even giving me a car!, and also my job being made impossible by not having the range of equipment I required to do my work. It is similar for council staff and certainly in my job as Hearing Chair I have an enormous amount of paperwork to do in terms of reading at home prior to hearings and also have to arrive back at Council with all that with me as well as being dressed in a professional manner. It does sound like a series of lame excuses but I am very engaged in healthy exercise and fitness in my "other life" and would not see myself as being able to do other than the workshop type meetings at Council biking from my home on the western outskirts.
I did use to cycle to the hospital every day to work before being elected as a councillor,but I had the use of the hospital vehicle fleet when I got there.
Yes bike racks on public transport need to be addressed- would be an excellent idea.
Yes I cycle every week (when its not pouring with rain or blowing a gale)-I have compteted in the Grape Ride and the Women's Tri
I have encouraged many previously sedentary friends, family and aquaintances to walk and cycle and generally gather a team of previously slothful ladies to introduce them to fun exercise for the women's tri.
Cycling in summary is great, its a fabulous form of excercise- better on the joints than my previous favourite of marathons and half marathons and can be done successfully by anyone of whatever shape size and fitness level. Life should be fun and if you're fit and healthy thats not a hard goal to meet.
Thanks for the questions Alan
Jill Bunting- Councillor and RMA Hearings Chair Marl District Council
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Julie Berriman
I have stayed in suburban where Denmark in a place called Veijle where it takes ten times as long to get anyway by car as it does by on cycle or three times longer than walking as the cycle lanes cut through to where you need to go and the roads meander.
So I think this may be more what you mean. I do not support the voluntary use of helmets as I work in an emergency department and see the damage even a fall onto concrete can do without a car involved. My children wear their helmets because it is the law if it wasn’t They would fight me every day.
The NMDHB is putting cycle stands on their buses to promote cycling in Nelson city for people who commute from Richmond and Stoke. Blenheim has no public transport other than a bus on Tuesdays and Thursday which is no good for work commuting and so is not viable here.
Wairau hospital has just purchased bicycles for its staff to attend meetings on and to borrow for fitness and put secure cycling racks up all around the hospital. I myself got my first ever brand new bike for Christmas.
I wish you well and I support cycling.
Julie Berriman
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Clare Crosswell
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 although I am not sure what these policies would be (am completely new at this!) - Marlborough is an excellent place to bike around as in most parts it is flat (especially in the main township).
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 ) ? No - I think cyclists should still wear helmets. We have spent such a long time educating children on the importance of wearing a helmet. Unfortunately not everyone will stop using their car in favour of a bike and if I was involved in a car/cyclist crash I would certainly prefer to have a helmet protecting my head!
Would you give preference to a comprehensive network of cycle lanes over retaining the right to curbside parking? I am not sure how this would work in a small urban area such as Blenheim however there are definitely some streets which do require cycle lanes.
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? No. In Marlborough we have a large number of aged persons who use mobility scooters and ride these on the footpath so I think it is better to leave the footpath for pedestrians and these scooters only.
'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 think education is extremely important so yes, would support a campaign creating an awareness - I don't know if I would lobby for a fleet for Council staff to use for work - we have such a huge area to get around and the time it would take for them to bike to Picton to inspect a site would not be viable financially. However, I would support a campaign encouraging staff to cycle to work.
Would you lobby for the installation of bicycle racks on ALL public transport vehicles ? Not for this area :) (we only have a "shoppers" bus which drives around town) and no other public transport vehicles).
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 ? Have to confess to being totally unbalanced on a bike..so I walk to work rather than take the car. I am sure with more practice I would get better! So what would it take - more practice and a nicer bike with a padded seat!
My husband cycles to and from work every day.
Would you recommend that other people (children/ the elderly) cycle?
Yes, our children cycle to and from school most days (except if it is pouring with rain). I'm not sure about the elderly - would be good exercise but I'm not sure how many you would get to take it up.
Another big concern is educating motorists to be more "cyclist aware". Pulling out at intersections and opening car doors are pretty much standard hazards!
Kind Regards
Clare
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Jeremy Jones
Thank you for your informative and timely email. It contains some valuable food for thought.
I do use a bicycle myself (see photo on website http://www.jeremyjones.co.nz/policies.asp ) and have promoted the use of bicycles during my campaign as a Councillor for the Marlborough District Council.
When I purchased my bicycle I had in mind what I now know (thanks to you) is a utility bicycle, but as you say, they don't seem to be available in NZ, at least not in Blenheim.
I am pleased to be able to report that the Marlborough District Council does have a "Walking and Cycling Strategy" 2006 -2011 which you can download from the MDC's website if you are interested: http://www.marlborough.govt.nz/content/docs/roads/Marlborough_Walking_Cycling_Strategy_Final.pdf
I realise that there are several issues you have raised which are not addressed in the strategy, however it is as well to remember that Marlborough is a geographically vast area and I would have thought, it would not be practicable to have too many of the Council employees using this mode of transport for their day-to-day work (Considering time, hills and distance).
I have been encouraged to learn however that there are many dedicated (secure and covered) cycle "parks" in the Council carpark and they are always full, so I can only deduce from that the cycling culture is alive and well in our District Council.
Your information will be a valuable source of reference, particularly if I am elected ion the 13th, and I thank you again for bringing this whole issue to my attention.
With kind regards,
Jeremy Jones
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