More Unrealistic Cycling Culture

I saw this poster in the local shopping centre while passing the shop window.

I for one would like to see this more often in Australia but these models are breaking the law. Yes criminals would you believe breaking not one but two laws for riding a two wheeled device.
There are many fashion retailers now including bikes in their sales campaigns but there is only one master at combining the two:      Mikael Coville-Anderson and this is how you do it..............

Bowen Underpass delayed

The NCA brings word that due to unforeseen works needed at Scrivener Dam, the Bowen place underpass will now be delayed until 2014.The NCA due to cutbacks has had to carefully budget for works in the parliamentary triangle and Lake Burley Griffin area but could find a revenue stream by introducing pay parking.

A large majority of Canberra's public servants work in the parliamentary triangle that drive rather than using public transport or cycle.


View Larger Map

The ACT government doesn't have jurisdiction over the Parliamentary triangle which is controlled by the Australian Government agency the National Capital Authority (NCA). They have held numerous consultations on introducing pay parking but has yet to implement it. Canberra has some of the cheapest car parking rates in the world at just under $7 dollar a day average  across the city. Building car-parks is not a cheap exercise so what is the true econimic cost?

Donald Shoup professor of urban planning at UCLA, California, USA describes the issues here:

Donald Shoup on the High Cost of Free Parking

He has also written a book about it as well.

Unrealistic cycling culture advertising

Several ads in the print media and consumer products  always seem to show a cycling culture that is unrealistic in Australia with many adds continually showing helmet-less riders.

Recipe  Ad.

Cereal Ad.

Real estate Ad.

 ...and who can forget this issue of the In the City last summer :

Bowen place 'Underpass'

The Canberra Times is reporting that the final design for the Bowen Street underpass has been release for comment by the NCA. Originally they were looking at a bridge(overpass) and was the preffered option  by many respondents to the three designs. The undetrpass was not considered as an option originally but has now been considered as the preferred option as it wont impede on those pesky site lines in the Palimentry triangle.

At last a government agency has taken pedestrians and cyclists seriously for once. The same can't be said for the same agencies response to the Kings Ave overpass which has created poor crossing facilities and infrastructure for
pedestrians and cyclists.

Kings Ave overpass ,cost: $32 million

There is no grade separation for pedestrians and cyclists except for the cyclist riding on an unprotected cycle lane under the bridge. This originally was a three lane roundabout with a high number of accidents so an overpass was a necessary, but it could have been designed better so pedestrians and cyclists are completed separated with grade separation at crossing points.

This intersection in Bogota' shows a different design that keeps the roundabout but with grade separation for  traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. Certainly a 'win win' solution.

Embassy's of Cycling

Canberra is no stranger to embassy's given that Canberra is the national capital of Australia ( a trivia question that many people overseas get wrong) as we have embassy's from countries all over the world.
In the Netherlands they have just launched the Dutch cycling embassy modeled on the Danish cycling embassy which has been going for a few years now.
The aim of these embassies is to bring together the experts like government organisations, non government organisations, consultants and planning experts to promote cycling and communicate cycling solutions. A one stop shop for cycling advocates.
Great Britain has also formed a cycling embassy which would operate differently advising organisations in their own country on the benefits of cycling and cycling infrastructure from knowledge gained from other countries, like the Netherlands. This is important given the demise of Cycling for England .


So to the worlds cycling experts of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, and the excellent video produced and narrated by Amsterdamize 's Marc Van Woudenberg. Lets hope our Government gets in contact soon.   

Helmet freedom at Last!

Well, only if your playing Bike polo it seems or if you are over the age of 17 living in the Northern Territory. This article on ABC online caught my attention. Bike Polo is starting to become a popular sport, having been introduced here from the United States.

I'd say it won't be too long before the powers that be will start to enforce those pesky mandatory helmet laws.
Sadly it is still making the news with  the usual  for and against on whether the law should stay.
This was in the local weekly mag. , having a go at Canberra cyclists not stopping at red lights and not wearing helmets. Now we wouldn't want riding a bike to appear dangerous now would we. People might actually stop riding a bikes!

I wonder what she would make of those silly dangerous cyclists in other countries that don't have Mandatory Helmet Laws.

Copenhagenize

Amsterdamize

Australia's Best Cycling City Award!

Now wouldn't that be a good idea. Australia has awards for tidy towns but as I'm aware nothing that recognises a city or town on its cycle friendliness. The CPF has annual awards that does recognise towns though it is more of a local government award. But a national award and title that gives a city or town recognition on the work and funding a city provides to promote cycling would create competition and a willingness by some local governments to invest more in cycle facilities.

Maybe the CPF and the Australian bicycle council could consider this and look to the example of Fietsbond in the Netherlands on the annual Fietsstad with this years feature on cycling to schools in each of the five cities nominated.

Here a couple of those lesser known cities (to Australians).

         

         

In the latest Pedestrian and Cycle review for Canberra, the study was only looking at commuting and not cycling routes to schools. Maybe awards like this can help to improve the overall thinking in Australia on what makes a cycle friendly city, one that includes all aspects of cycling not just commuting or cycle racing.