[Guest]

This is starting to take root and attracting lots of attention ....

If you could choose to cycle or walk through the heart of your city, through leafy quiet streets, parks and school grounds, around harbour edges, would you? If you answered yes, you’re part of the 50 percent of ‘maybe’ bike riders who would pedal around the Greenways of their city if they could. The Greenways Project is the name we have given to our vision for a city connected by beautifully designed, constructed and planted pathways for the exclusive use of cyclists and pedestrians. It offers a network of safe, pleasant routes (or Greenways) for people to move between neighbourhoods, away from the noise and pollution of busy roads.

As well as reducing fuel consumption, traffic congestion and pollution and making it easier to reach public transport centres, Auckland’s Greenways will make Auckland the most livable place in the world, giving families a healthy, low-cost, stress-free alternative to using their cars. People of all ages and ability will choose Auckland’s Greenways to cycle or walk to schools, sports fields, shops, work places and transport centres. Young people will reclaim the independence their grandparents once took for granted by moving around the city and suburbs on beautiful pathways safe from dangers like busy traffic and car doors knocking them off their bikes. The Greenways Project is a key concept for Auckland’s future well-being and has huge economic and social advantages for Auckland.

 

[mathlete]

Great ideas. They have similar pathways here in London.

TO accompany this, it'd be great if Auckland developed a bike hire scheme like in many other cities around the world. I see Melbourne has one now too.

 

[Guest]

Great ideas. They have similar pathways here in London.

TO accompany this, it'd be great if Auckland developed a bike hire scheme like in many other cities around the world. I see Melbourne has one now too.

We had one but God only knows what happened hno:

 

[drosophila]

We had one but God only knows what happened hno:

The former citrat council refused to allow it to use the council installed bike stands around the city and as a result it couldn't sustain the business and had to close.

 

[mathlete]

This image cracks me up. Are they riding through peoples' back gardens?

:lol:

 

[Bealzebubbles]

That picture looks familiar. I think it's a community garden somewhere in the city.

 

[Svartmetall]

One of the key things about making cycling attractive to people in Auckland is to let people do what these renders all have them doing in them - letting people ride their bikes without the need for a helmet. This is one thing that kills bike share schemes in Melbourne and Brisbane and stops them from fulfilling their potential (plus biking in Australia would generally be more popular if they did away with their helmet laws).

The greenways concept is fantastic as it allows cyclists to use dedicated infrastructure that is safe and isolated from traffic that are likely to hinder/injure cyclists. As the cyclists are isolated one can further say that helmets are simply no longer needed. I love cycling in Stockholm and using the bike share programme because I don't need a helmet and because there are bike paths everywhere that keep me safe from traffic. Therefore, Auckland is implementing one of these three things with their greenways, if they can do the other two things I can see this being a real success. Good stuff!

 

[mathlete]

^^ Hah good point. Didnt notice that all the people in the images arent wearing helmets. They are quite a deterant, especially for hair conscious people, ie, women

I guess that could partly explain why cycling is big here in Europe, there are no helmet laws.

 

[viinniie]

That picture looks familiar. I think it's a community garden somewhere in the city.

this is in Mt Wellington actually

 

[OrangeKiwi]

Yes, let's make it more attractive to cycle! Back in Europe I used to do my daily 7K commute by bike. (On a so-called "granny bike", I'm no lycra-clad wannabe Lance Armstrong.) And all without the need for a helmet, exactly for the reason Blackmetal stated: the bicycle paths were dedicated, completely separate from car lanes and footpaths... If there were cycling Greenways in place today and especially if those pesky helmets weren't compulsory I for one wouldn't hesitate using them...

 

[Guest]

I cycle without a helmet .... I carry mine in the basket just in case I am told to put it on but until then I refuse to wear one.

 

[KLK]

If there were cycling Greenways in place today and especially if those pesky helmets weren't compulsory I for one wouldn't hesitate using them...

Yeah, interesting one isn't it. I think I would be in the same boat. I'd use them but I just don't like the helmets. I just can't see them dropping the law though.

Funnily enough, my high school introduced compulsory cycle helmets in about 1988, long before it was mandated by law. A lot of people challenged it but the school held firm - while in uniform and riding a bike, you had to be wearing a helmet.

They even (I think) did a deal with Vivo to give everyone free helmets (or really cheap ones, anyway).

 

[drosophila]

I cycle without a helmet .... I carry mine in the basket just in case I am told to put it on but until then I refuse to wear one.

Have you ever been told to do so? It's been a while since I last cycled in Auckland, so can't really recall whether the helmet law was ever actively enforced.

 

[Guest]

Have you ever been told to do so? It's been a while since I last cycled in Auckland, so can't really recall whether the helmet law was ever actively enforced.

Not yet *touch wood* I have seen many people cycling without a helmet on :cheers:

 

[mathlete]

I got pulled up when I was a kid, but that was nearly 20 years ago now.

 

[Svartmetall]

Just did a quick literature search on the subject and came up with a recent article on the Auckland Scoop about a group pressuring for a scrapping of the mandatory helmet law in NZ:

http://auckland.scoop.co.nz/2012/06/scrap-helmet-laws-for-adult-cyclists-says-auckland-lobby-group/

There was also an excellent post about helmet laws and bike sharing looking at Australasian bike sharing schemes:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurban...hy-bikeshare-is-failing-in-australian-cities/

Another blog post here on the issue of helmets in NSW and the reduction in cycling numbers:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2012/04/02/did-mandatory-helmets-kill-cycling-in-nsw/

Just some interesting reading on the subject.

 

[Guest]

Greenways proposal for Ponsonby Road:

 

[nilut]

Have you ever been told to do so? It's been a while since I last cycled in Auckland, so can't really recall whether the helmet law was ever actively enforced.

Got told off recently by police at the top of Queen st (meanwhile cars shot through red and casually broke the 30km limit!).

I reluctantly wear it depending on where I ride just so I don't get abused. Helmets are all good but mandatory laws are not. For anyone interested here are some sites with more good info:

http://www.freestylecyclists.org/
http://helmetfreedom.org/

 

[Guest]

So stoked that this is going ahead - bodes well for Ponsonby Road :cheers:

New greenways cycling and walking connections for Waitemata​

Waitemata Local Board has allocated $150,000 towards creating a network of ‘greenways’ to provide safe cycling and walking connections. The public will be asked for their feedback on the plans during February. As well as offering safe, high-amenity routes, particularly for schools, greenways also increase recreational opportunities and deliver environmental benefits through expanding habitats for native wildlife. At its meeting this week, the Board approved prioritisation of proposed routes that have a high level of demand and are linked to other planned works. The development of a draft Greenways Plan was a key initiative to emerge from the Waitemata Local Board Plan. Connections proposed for development in the first phase of the project include:

•
Grey Lynn Park to Cox’s Bay Reserve
•
Meola Reef to Victoria Park via a coastal greenway
•
The new Parnell Station to Pt Resolution and a connection to Newmarket via the old Parnell rail tunnel
•
Western Park to Arch Hill
•
Connecting Ponsonby with Victoria Park and Cox’s Bay Reserve.

In anticipation of a greenway connecting Cox’s Bay Reserve to Grey Lynn Park and the North Western Cycleway, the Board agreed in August to top up a parks renewal budget to widen Cox’s Bay boardwalk. That work will commence in March next year ... MORE

 

[Guest]

Green path planned

Imagine cycling to work or school along a quiet picturesque bike track, surrounded by nature and away from South Auckland's often dangerous roads. That's Kim Sinclair's dream - and he'll be calling on Auckland Council to help make it happen. Mr Sinclair is a spokesman for the Greenways Project, a non-profit initiative that aims to connect communities and suburbs throughout the Auckland region with safe, accessible cycle routes. One of those proposed routes is the Tamaki River Greenway, a 16-kilometre shared cycling and walking path from Otara Creek Reserve to Point England. It aims to use existing bike tracks and empty stretches of public land to connect schools, parks and businesses throughout the area. Mr Sinclair was inspired by the Illinois Prairie Path, a long-distance cycle track in the United States built on an old railroad right-of-way. Building something similar here would inspire many people who avoid cycling on Auckland's busy roads to get on their bikes, the keen traveller says. "When you talk to people, the big issue for them is safety. I ride along Bairds Rd [in Otara] and I nearly get killed. "Auckland's trying to be the most liveable city and for cyclists it's not the most liveable city - in fact, it sucks." Olympic and Commonwealth Games cyclist Donna Wynd, of Otahuhu, says the Greenway would be "fantastic" in terms of getting people healthy and active ... MORE