Comment
Committed to building a great place to ride
By
Elizabeth Hole & Christian Haag : 01-Jul-2010
Committed to building a great place to ride
These are eventful times in the world of cycling. Bicycle NSW has just formed a strategic alliance with Cycling NSW, the governing body for cycling competitions in the state. We agreed to work closely together on a number of projects, including our schools' program. In fact, they have kindly offered access to Dunc Gray Velodrome in Bankstown as a prize for one of the competitions in our schools' program and this is an exciting development.
We're very proud of our schools' program and the enthusiastic response it has evoked among students. We've received over 10,000 entries to our 2010 Helmet Design Competition!
We've also been nominated for two awards for our 2009 Helmet Design Competition and the NRMA 500km Gold Medal Challenge.
Older riders are proving to be no slouches either in the Commuter Challenge we've recently launched. Over 1500 cyclists have registered and are pedalling their way to the 500km goal. The response has been so impressive that we've decided to lift the bar next year and will include challenges of 1000km, 2000km and 5000km
On a more political note, we're pleased that the State Government has released its Bike Plan that outlines the initiatives it will take to build NSW into one of the world's great places to ride a bike. At Bicycle NSW, we're committed to that too.
Elizabeth Hole
Interim CEO Bicycle NSW
Turning the corner in South Australia
In his article for the last edition of AC, Ben Wilson, CEO of Bicycle Queensland, says "it's hard then not to believe that bikes are at a breakthrough point". Happily, our experience in South Australia is similar, but with a twisty reminder that old-world views can still have an influence.
With its flat metro terrain, picturesque hill country and Mediterranean climate, Adelaide is a cycling paradise. This partly explains why our bike commuting and recreational participation rates are above the national average.
For decades, Bicycle SA has advocated for greater access and opportunity for those wanting to ride a bike. While the response from government has often been ad hoc, change is in the air and SA is definitely moving toward the "bike breakthrough" point, so let's paint the local picture:
* Climate change suddenly legitimises community debate. Fuel prices soar, bike sales spike, community debate about sustainability intensifies.
* In the media, reports slowly start to shift away from the "us and them" cyclist-motorist conflict to a more informed dialogue. Cycle tourism is legitimised and the Tour Down Under experiences record growth.
* Regional communities see disused rail corridors as valuable recreational and tourism assets.
* Sustainable urban development policies focus on "transport oriented developments" that actively encourage greater use of cycling, walking and public transport.
* The Adelaide City Council build the first Copenhagen lane in the city as a trial.
* The State Government's commitment of $12m to develop Adelaide's extensive greenways network is viewed by many as a Holy Grail in off-road mass transit.
But then, out of left field, a salient reminder that old-world views can still dominate the agenda! Barely a year after the city's Copenhagen lane was launched, the pressure of local interest groups has seen the council announce its demolition.
Why? The loss of 30 parking spaces caused local traders to lose business because customers couldn't park outside the shops and parents claim the time constraints of having to park nearby and walk their children to the local school is unworkable. It's clear that the car is still king.
To our way of thinking, these are old and unsustainable arguments. If we are to work toward a more sustainable SA, our community must find the common ground from which to build a smarter health, recreation and transport future for our children.
Christian Haag
CEO Bicycle South Australia