Local Government
Why it is in everyone's interests that Councils get actively involved
Thinking of putting a bike fleet together in place for your organisation?
( Queenstown and Wanaka's new street maintenance team )
SPARC Cycle Friendly Employers
Bikewise http://www.bikewise.co.nz/Site/Default.aspx
Sustainable Business Network: Green Fleet
New Zealand Greeen Bike Trust( based in Porirua )
There are a number of councils in Australia which have bicycle fleets.
here is the link to guidelines on setting up a bicycle fleet
http://www.travelsmart.gov.au/toolkits/bikefleets/pubs/bikefleets.pdf
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Check out this guide by Transport for London. The guide gives details of how to set up a bike fleet, including what bikes to choose and what safety equipment to provide.http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/Pool-bikes-for-business.pdf
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The Velib bicycle in Paris , France.
Salut tout le monde!
If you're on a broadband connection I'd recommend watching this great little 20 minute long ( 100 mb) documentary all about the Velib rental bikes in Paris.
Click on 'webcasts' at the top and go down to e2Transport:Paris Velo Liberte:
There are trailers and resources for teachers etc related to this
@http://www.pbs.org/e2/transport.html
and here http://www.pbs.org/e2/podcasts.html ,for a (29mb) video podcast which goes into further detail and more on AutoLib ( car sharing scheme ) (December 2008)
Film maker Mike Rubbo from Avoca Beach , N.S.W. Australia looks at how the helmet laws affect bicycle hire schemes in Melbourne in one of his excellent little films (available on YouTube )
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Auckland business trainer and cycling enthusiast Julian Hulls has set up a European style bicycle hire company called Goodgear Bikes, which has been operating from 2008 in Auckland, Whangarei, Hamilton, Tauranga and Rotorua with plans for further expansion to other centres.
Web-page: http://goodgear.co.nz/ E-mail: julian@goodgear.co.nz
Read this article from the NZ Herald Take a ride on your cellphone
And in Taupo ?
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NELSON CITY COUNCIL have purchased 2 utility bicycles (below) for use by their staff.
The Northland Regional Council has two (mountain)bikes available for staff to use in and around Whangarei. Notice the vertical parking racks there too which are a great way for minimising space needed for parking.
Northland District Health Board have a fleet of utility style bikes for their staff.
Rodney District Council ( in Orewa) have 4 mountain / road type bikes for staff to use for either meetings or pleasure and are looking at getting a couple of more comfortable and user friendly utility style bikes in the next financial year.
North Shore City Council have 3 (mountain) bikes for their staff
Housing New Zealand have a communal (mountain)bike in their Glen Innes office in (East) Auckland City.Ph (09)261-5016
Papakura City Council have 2 (mountain) bikes for their staff. Read this article from the NZ Herald
Hamilton City Council have recently purchased 2 bikes for their staff.
Tauranga City Council have bought a utility bike for their staff to use.
Opus in Tauranga are using 'cruiser' style bikes with baskets and panniers.
The Transport section has also recently secured sponsorship for two bikes to be used
by staff for local trips. The purpose of these bikes is for staff use for trips around town
that they would otherwise make by car.
HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL: were ( 2007/10) considering purchasing some 'Yuba mundo' bikes for their staff ( ? )
( Unconfirmed ) Wairau Hospital in Blenheim have bicycles for their staff to use around town.
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If you know of any Councils, organisations or companies that could serve as models for others to follow, please let us know@: urbanbicycles@gmail.com
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Outside New Zealand...
In Melbourne there are a number of councils which provide their staff with bicycles.
The City of Yarra ( Melbourne)has some innovative policies
Council-owned bicycles
Any staff member or Councillor can be offered exclusive use of a Council-owned bicycle if:
•they ride - or make a commitment to ride - an average of more than 20 kilometres per week for work purposes or on council duties
•and they have completed an agreed bicycle-training course or can show that they have more than two years’ experience of regular cycling in an urban environment.
The purchase and maintenance of this bicycle will be the responsibility of the Council’s mechanic and Fleet Management Coordinator. The following are the requirements for the purchase of a Council-owned bicycle.
• The bicycle must meet the minimum specifications as set down by the Victoria Police for purchase of bicycles.
• The bicycle must be provided with front and rear lights, a high quality lock, a helmet and repair kit containing a multi-tool, tyre changing equipment and a spare tube. Employees may wish to have a rear rack, mudguards or other items fitted.
• The bicycle must be appropriate for work purposes. This would usually mean a mountain or hybrid (cross/comfort) bike or flat-bar road bike fitted with cross or road tyres.
There are a number of councils in Australia which have bicycle fleets
here is the link to guidelines on setting up a bicycle fleet
http://www.travelsmart.gov.au/toolkits/bikefleets/pubs/bikefleets.pdf
( For more scroll down to the bottom of the Australia page )
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The Seattle Bicycle Master Plan ( .pdf )
Bicycle Refurbishing Project. ( International )
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Velib in Paris http://www.en.velib.paris.fr/comment_ca_marche
Using Vélib'
Vélib’ is a Self Service “bike hire” system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Multi pick up and drop off location allows you to pick up your bike from one service point and drop off to another.
... En savoir plus
Service points
The Vélib’ Service Points are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is located 300 meters apart, consisting of terminals and stands for fastening the bikes.... En savoir plus
Bikes
Vélib’ has made several thousand bikes available. And your comfort and safety are guaranteed on every one of them.... En savoir plus
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( from Cycleliciousness in Copenhagen 30 th of December 2007 ) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From London, U.K. A very different patrol bike is this electrically-assisted Eco-bike Tornado. It is fitted with wire spoked wheels and is all-silver. It is used to patrol Hyde Park in London. It has 'police' wording on the frame and panniers.
This Gazelle police bike is one of many used in Selby and York in the U.K. for community police officers. Small yellow panniers on both sides are marked 'police'. It has no blue lights or siren.
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'Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany,' by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler, published in "Transport Reviews," Vol. 28, No. 4, July 2008; at http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf .
This paper describes the policies and planning practices that result in very high levels of cycling transportation in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, and the feasibility of applying these strategies in other countries.
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In Japan , the Nagoya City Hall has turned its attention to bicycles as an environmentally friendly means of transportation. In 2001 it began offering its employees who commute by bicycle twice the normal transportation allowance, and this triggered a jump in the number of bike riders from 360 to 1,200. In addition to helping to curb air pollution, the policy is also reducing traffic congestion.