In the lead up to VeloCity Vienna, Bas de Geus from the Free University Brussels (VUB) presented the health benefits of cycling, which he said would be nothing short of fantastic if Europe managed to achieve a 15% modal share. Air pollution, coming mostly from cars, “presents much more serious risks to cyclists than to car occupants”, he said.   Despite this and other risks, he insisted that “the health benefits remain high compared to the risks of not doing physical activity.”

de Geus reported that researchers observed that where rates of cycling are high, there are relatively more women than where cycling rates are low.   On this basis he said that some have argued for “women to be considered as an indicator species”, a kind of barometer for cycling.

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Vision:

A safe and effective network of road and shared paths for people riding bicycles in Western Australia, integrated with public transport nodes, making cycling the dominant means of short distance transport and the norm for getting to school

• The BTA continues as the lead advocacy organisation for people who use a bicycle to ride to work, school, train stations, shops and local attractors, and aims for cycling funding to be 3% of the Transport Budget
• The BTA works to ensure the promotion of cycling as a viable and important transport alternative, in a safe road environment
•  The BTA strives for direct representation of cycling on the Road Safety Council.
•  The BTA promotes improvement of cycling facilities – particularly on-road and Principal Shared Paths; and end-of trip facilities.
•  The BTA works with appropriate government bodies to legislate a one meter passing distance and a 30 km/h speed limit on selected urban and suburban roads.

•  Develop and improve advocacy activities with State and Local Government for achievement of objectives including agencies, clubs, and other transport agencies.
•  Endorsement, support and strong engagement with the WestCycle initiative of Department of Sport and Recreation.
•  The BTA to seek membership of Road Safety Council (RSC), and endorsement of RSC’s objectives (Safe Roads, Safe Users, Safe Vehicles and Safe Speeds).
•  Active involvement with design, implementation, and maintenance of cycling infrastructure, and particularly the implementation of the West Australian Bike Network Plan.
•  Submission of public comment regarding long and medium term planning strategies.
•  Submission of public comment for local planning and building approvals and active advocacy for mandatory end-of-trip facilities for employees and customers.
•  Establishment of mandatory compulsory cycle coaching for all upper primary aged school children.
•  Get access to, and monitor hazard reporting on bicycle infrastructure, to ensure reports are acted on in a timely and comprehensive fashion
•  Communication with internal stakeholders – members, board, employees, affiliated BUG’s and Clubs.
•  Communication with external stakeholders – MainRoads WA, BikeWest, Cycling WA, Bicycle WA, Public Transport Agency, Department of Sport and Recreation, Department of Transport, Department of Planning, WALGA and Local Governments, RAC.
•  Increase BTA membership and annual growth through marketing and public relations activities.
•  Promote BTA activities amongst stakeholders.
•  Promote BTA activities amongst the WA cycling industry
•  Consider alternative membership for schools, work places, universities through promotion of BUG’s.
•  Communication with the cycling community via an interactive website, a regular newsletter and an active Facebook page.

•  Cycling participation as measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (currently at 1.7%) to double every four years (to 3.4% by 2017, 7.2% by 2021)
•  More people cycling – an increase in the gross number of people cycling and an increase in the frequency of people cycling.
•  Membership is satisfied with the activities of the BTA, as measured in an annual survey of members, with membership numbers constant or increasing
•  High levels of Board and employee satisfaction.
•  Reduction in serious cycling related accidents, measured in a reduction of cycling related hospital admissions relative to bicycle trips made.

The post BTA strategic plan appeared first on Bicycle Transport Alliance.

AUSTIN – Share the road.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Police are cracking down on motorists who aren’t giving bicyclists enough room on the road.

The city passed the Safe Passage Ordinance last year, which requires motorists to be at least three feet from the cyclists when they pass. Commercial vehicles are required to give six feet of space.

San Antonio police Chief William McManus said on Wednesday that officers will be going undercover and on their bicycles to ensure motorists are following the rules of the road.

“We will have officers out there on bicycles with a police car paralleling. And in the event there is a violation, the bike officer will radio the car, the car will pull the motorist over and site them for violation of the Safe Passage Ordinance.”

Violators may be fined up to $200.

Helen Hunt, a local cyclist, said everyone needs to be more courteous while sharing the road — including cyclists.

“They need to stop at stop signs. They need to stop at lights. They need to signal when they turn. I see cyclers ignoring the road rules as well,” she said.

The ordinance only applies within city limits. Cyclist like Hunt said they hope other areas catch on and pass the same type of rules.

“We don’t expect motorist to stick a yard stick out the window,” McManus said. “The idea is: Give them a wide berth, give them a break.”

The post Safe legalised passing distance – updated with AMG petition appeared first on Bicycle Transport Alliance.

All bicycle grants to local governments for each financial mapped on Google, with completion status where known. Quite a few unknowns…..

Click and enjoy!

2012/2013

2011/2012

2010/2011

2009/2010

2008/2009

The post Bicycle Grants to Local Governments mapped 2008 – 2013 appeared first on Bicycle Transport Alliance.

“If you ask people today what a street is for, they will say cars,” says Norton. “That’s practically the opposite of what they would have said 100 years ago.”

Norton explains that in the automobile’s earliest years, the principles of common law applied to crashes. In the case of a collision, the larger, heavier vehicle was deemed to be at fault. The responsibility for crashes always lay with the driver.

One key turning point, according to Norton, came in 1923 in Cincinnati. Citizens’ anger over pedestrian deaths gave rise to a referendum drive. It gathered some 7,000 signatures in support of a rule that would have required all vehicles in the city to be fitted with speed governors limiting them to 25 miles per hour.

Local auto clubs and dealers recognized that cars would be a lot harder to sell if there was a cap on their speed. So they went into overdrive in their campaign against the initiative.

The industry lobbied to change the law, promoting the adoption of traffic statutes to supplant common law. The statutes were designed to restrict pedestrian use of the street and give primacy to cars. The idea of “jaywalking” – a concept that had not really existed prior to 1920 – was enshrined in law.

Read the article by Sarah Goodyear here

The post How pedestrians got banned from the streets appeared first on Bicycle Transport Alliance.

The Shire of Murray is currently developing a Local Bicycle Plan which will guide the future allocation of funding to implement cycling improvements beneficial to the community.

The Shire is asking members of the community to complete the Local Bicycle Plan survey to obtain your views, issues and opinions, which will help shape your Local Bicycle Plan. We are seeking feedback from both cyclists and non-cyclists.

To complete the survey click on the below link:

Local Bicycle Plan survey

or obtain a hardcopy from either the Shire of Murray’s Administration Office, Murray Library, Murray Leisure Centre or the Pinjarra and Dwellingup Visitor Centres.

Local Bicycle Plan survey closes 5.00pm on Tuesday 30th April 2013.

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Interesting to me is the concentration of bike sharing schemes, and the realisation that this is not a wealth driven initiative, but a congestion driven one. It is worthwhile to explore the supporting information.

And then looking at the comments underneath the symbols, with some (to me obscure) places in China planning for 60,000 bikes and 200 stations by 2015 (Chenggong).

I found this on Shareable Cities

The post World map of bike sharing schemes appeared first on Bicycle Transport Alliance.

Perth, 13^th of March 2013

Feedback to the Draft Bicycle Plan

Overall this is a comprehensive and authoritative bicycle plan that addresses a way forward for the Town of Bassendean to become a locality with a more people friendly feel.

The plan would be more accessible with an executive summary that expresses the growth potential for cycling in Bassendean, the benefits that would accrue to rate payers and the locality, and the main measures proposed.

The connection of the Principal Shared Path (PSP) to Ashfield is not addressed. The PSP in its current form is of no use to people living in Ashfield. At least there should be planning/lobbying to enable people on foot, gopher cars or bicycles to cross Guildford Road to access the PSP at Coulston and Chapman Roads. The minimum required is a mid-road refuge, but traffic lights would be safer. Considering that 3000 additional dwellings are planned for Ashfield in the medium term, it is important to create a safe environment for people to use active transport to reach local destinations, workplaces and transit hubs such as train stations.

We suggest that the design guidelines are changed to stipulate a maximum 30 km/h speed in environments where people in cars and on bicycles mix. On roundabouts there should be by-pass options for people on bicycles, and all new roadwork should have mountable kerbs to allow people on bicycles to travel closer to the kerb line.

Green paint has been used by MainRoadsWA to highlight conflict zones between vulnerable road users. This should become the standard treatment for crossings where substantial bicycle traffic is planned for.

The maps of the proposed new paths should be enhanced to show schools, trains stations and shops, as connection to these places increases the chance of participating government funding.

The Greenway concept suggested as a trial has been successful in other locations, and there is evidence that property values on Greenways are higher than on similar non-calmed roads in the same locality. The Greenways concept is more than just traffic calming, often it encompasses other “green” measures such as in situ storm water usage to create a road that feels different and invites lower traffic speeds.

The innovative nature of the suggested Greenways opens the possibility that funding for a pilot project could be obtained in part from the State Government beyond the standard grants issued for cycling infrastructure. This prospect is enhanced by the route selection (Whitfield Street) that connects parks, schools and major shopping areas and ends close to a train station. Consideration should be given to raise the street level where the Whitfield street Greenway crosses Bridson and Palmerston streets.

The promotion of Bassendean as a people and cycle friendly locality could be promoted by showing cycling themed material as part of the “Movies by Burswood” initiative.

When riding a bicycle few things are more annoying than a puncture. A caltrop spotting and eradication initiative would remove the most common source of puncture for urban cyclists.

Identified projects (page 37): In our view the projects on page 37 are broadly in the correct sequence, but for financial reasons consideration could be given to have project 4 done after project 5. Projects 8 and 12 are likely to be undertaken by MainRoadsWA in the next three years, and would cease to be of concern to the Town of Bassendean.

Overall we commend the Town of Bassendean for commissioning a Bike Plan, and hope to see its staged implementation starting soon.

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