20161012 Submission by Alan Preston

Submission by Alan William Preston

4 Insley Street , Mangawhai, Northland, New Zealand

tel (09) 4315389

mobile: 021 02377242

urbanbicycles@gmail.com

Petition:

"That the House recommend a change to the New Zealand Road Rules to allow cycling on the footpath by children under 14 years of age (and accompanying adults), seniors over the age of 65, and vulnerable users (such as those with mental or physical disabilities); make bells mandatory for any bicycle used on footpaths or shared use paths; and allow local authorities to exclude, on a reasonable basis, certain areas of footpath from being used for cycling."

I am writing in support of Jo Clendon's petition, but also advocate that cycling on what are now designated as 'footpaths' be allowed by all demographic groups."

Kia ora.

Alan Preston here writing from my home in Mangawhai, Northland.

I am a 56 year old male New Zealander. I have lived most of my life without owning a motor vehicle and use a bicycle as my primary means of transport from my home to the places I go within my community. Where possible I ride on the footpath.

I spent 10 years living in Japanese cities and getting around by bicycle ( unhelmeted ) and sharing the footpaths with pedestrians - as is the norm in that country , where there is a substantial industry keeping an estimated 86 million bicycles in circulation. During all those years of cycling (Yokkaichi & Kyoto ) on a daily basis I never experienced nor witnessed any collisions between pedestrians or motor vehicles. Cycling in Japan is practicable by a wide demographic group - especially the vast majority of plain old ordinary folks, the 'vulnerable users' - children, the elderly, women of all ages, the unfit, the risk-averse . The demographic that rides bicycles in Japan is broader than that which drives cars in New Zealand.

After returning from Japan in 2006 I spent 3 years living in Addington, Christchurch during which time I got around by bicycle - and became involved in Spokes, the Christchurch branch of CAN ( Cycle Advocacy Network) as a core member.

The layout of the urban streetscape in Christchurch was more similar than different to that which I'd been living in in Japan, but the contrast from the perspective of a 'Japanised' cyclist was stark. I realised I was now a member of a persecuted minority group.

I was compelled by law to endure the imposition of riding with a helmet and to put myself in the path between moving and parked motor-vehicles - on asserted ( not physically-segregated ) cycle-lanes which resulted in so many near misses on a daily basis that after a short time , I resolved to remove myself from the 'share the road' experiment, seeing that it was only a matter of time before I would be taken out of it and from that time on , I became a 'sneaklist' - riding illegally on the footpaths, keeping a lookout at all times for the police, by whom I was once fined.

I actually witnessed numerous instances of impact between motor-vehicles and cyclists who'd been riding front of me in which the cyclists were badly injured through being 'doored', cut off and actually run over - ironically, always in designated 'cycle lanes'.

The cycling culture that has evolved in New Zealand is COMPLETELY different to that which exists in Japan - or indeed any country where cycling for everyday transport is prevalent.

The demographic that cycles here are what I call 'officer class' cyclists - those described by NZTA's transport engineers as 'competent and confident' enough to endure the risks that are inherent in complying with existing laws.

The attitudes of this demographic are prevalent in the cycle advocacy groups. I would be extremely surprised to hear that any of them are supporting this petition .

Cycle advocates in New Zealand are generally advocating for 'vehicular' cyclists and are disregarding the needs of the vast majority of 'vulnerable/risk averse/unfit/non-competitive 'would be /could be cyclists - who for the most part (98% + ) eschew cycling as a means of transport.

Being responsible law-abiding citizens, they confine their planning and advocacy to fit within existing laws and have to date taken a conservative approach and not advocated for repeal, or ammendments to be made. Indeed there is no mention of this petition on the CAN web-site.

Cycle advocates are asserting that cyclists' needs must be provided by Local and Central Government but they refuse to acknowledge the reality that while there are so few of us, there is not enough political support for prioritising spending on infrastructural developments. While we're all waiting for the roll out of cycletopian infrastructure along our busy ( narrow ) roads and imposition of the 5kmph rule in our cities, would-be-cyclists need somewhere to ride.

Allowing people the freedom to exercise the right to choose what is the safest route for them will enable and encourage many who do not currently use bicycles to do so.

In 2007, during the lead up to the Local Government Elections, I set up the Urban Bicycles web-site to draw attention to the practices and technologies that facilitated the emergence of cycling cultures in the 'cycletopias' - places where cycling for transport is prevalent.

An aspect that was glaringly obvious was the almost total absence in New Zealand of the kinds of bicycles that are preferred by 'utility' cyclists in Western Europe, Japan, China ) and I set up a page to let people know where they could purchase such styles of bicycles and associated technologies in New Zealand.

In the years between 2007 - 2012 there was a lot of interest in these technologies, but many of the the importing and retailing businesses that were set up have since closed down. Anecdotally, I have heard that 'there is nowhere to ride these styles of bicycles in New Zealand'.

Personally I would need to see the law changed to allow cyclists to use the existing physically segregated infrastucture ( i.e. 'footpaths' ) before I would risk getting into the business of importing urban-appropriate utility style bicycles.

The utility style bicycles I speak of here are suitable for a much slower style of cycling - by the missing 'vulnerable road users'. They are usually fitted with mud-guards, chain-guards, ( for riding in the rain and in loose clothing ) baskets ( for carrying stuff ) lights ( - just like on a car ) powered by internal-hub dynamos ( so you don't have to buy or worry about batteries ) internal-hub-gearing systems ( which allow riders to change gear when stationary ) . They always have a bell attached and riders always use them.

The law determines our attitudes and validates our behaviours.

Currently, educators are not permitted to teach how to ride safely on footpaths - because the law dictates cyclists can only ride on roads.

Drivers of motor-vehicles and pedestrians feel righteously aggreived when they encounter cyclists on footpaths and feel they are in the right to disregard them.

This is especially true with regard to the 'backing out of driveways' issue - where drivers seem to believe they have no responsibility to warn footpath users of their intention to pull out.

It would be a mistake to extrapolate that the reckless behaviours demonstrated by the few cyclists who ignore the law and ride on the pavements while it is illegal ( curb-jumpers etc ) serve as a model of what behaviours that the vast majority of 'slow' cyclists will demonstrate. We should not limit the freedoms of the majority in fear of aberrant behaviour by the few.

Sharing space with pedestrians :

For the most part, cyclists using footpaths will find that they can go long stretches without even seeing any pedestrians.

Cyclists can usually see pedestrians well in advance and they are just as keen to avoid collisions as pedestrians are. People's sense of self-preservation prevails

Collisions between cyclists and pedestrians are likely to be a lot less harmful than collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists.

Bicycles should be fitted with bells. (I was told by a bicycle importer that they remove them before shipping as they 'don't fit with the image' of New Zealand cyclists ).

An important part of an education campaign on how cyclists and pedestrians should interact would be be on the use of bicycle bells - a friendly tinkle from a distance - so as not to cause pedestrians to turn around into the cyclist's path.

Driveways

Cyclists can hear a lot more than drivers and can usually hear vehicles coming out of - or pulling into driveways.

An important part of an education campaign would be to remind drivers of their existing responsibility to check for pedestrians ( and cyclists ) on footpaths - but also to use their horn to warn of their approach.

Infrastructural upgrades and modification of construction standards to accommodate cyclists on footpaths.

Local Territorial Authorities have the responsibility of upgrading footpaths to ensure they are safe for cyclists.

Surveys would need to be undertaken to identify existing problems and new construction standards adopted . e.g. the nib height on driveways is currently damaging to bicycle wheels and often the cause of accidents for cyclists when attempting to cross them.

New Zealand is a signatory to The Paris Agreement 2015 which commits us to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Governments who aren't doing anything to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions need to get out of the way of individuals who are.

While there is some educational work needed to encourage a cultural acceptance, changing the law to allow cycling on footpaths is THE prerequisite to opening up cycling to ordinary folks - of all ages - who refuse to endure the risks that complying with the law currently entails.

Putting the needs of vulnerable road users first ensures that everyone's needs are taken into consideration - thereby increasing the numbers who cycle for transport which will in turn provide the political support for further spending on infrastructural developments such as those being rolled out in the cycletopias e.g. Copenhagen.

I am available to speak to clarify any issues that may arise out of my submission - but on the proviso that this can be done by phone or by remote conferencing technologies - skype etc.

Alan William Preston .

tel (09) 4315389

mobile: 021 02377242

urbanbicycles@gmail.com

Riding bicycles on footpaths is now legal for all demographic groups in most states in Australia

and in Victoria and New South Wales for up to 12 year-olds accompanied by an adult over 18.

CAN's 2008 policy is predictably opposed to allowing riding on footpaths.

Further reading - a debate with a vehicular cyclist on my Urban Bicycles website

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Alan Preston

4 Insley Street , Mangawhai, Northland, New Zealand

tel (09) 4315389

mobile: 021 02377242

urbanbicycles@gmail.com

http://urbanbicycles.googlepages.com