"Kristina, your 'country' needs you!
Join up today and say "YES" to cycling - match Clover Moore's spending on necessary infrastructure now!
We don't have the luxury of time, and it's cute of you to 'recognise the need for an updated, comprehensive bike plan...and related funding and infrastructure'
...but we need you to show us what you're made of and start 'biking' the talk!! - today!"
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...oh! and Premier, when you're next having a 'cuppa' check out the 'cycling video round-up' posted by Mark from i b i k e l o n d o n - loads of helpful material!
Good for you, Sue, for hitting the nail on the head here - indeed much much more needs to be done to start re-engineering Sydney into a shared, livable urban environment (as oppose to just a cut-through for cars) I'm thrilled that Clover (one of my favourite polis of all time) has taken a lead on this, let's hope the glacially slow NSW Government picks up their heels and catches up.
ReplyDeleteThis all said, spending on infrastructure and urban planning needs to be done in consultation with cycle campaigners and walking groups in order for the money not to be wasted on 'crap' cycle lanes (as oppose to good ones) - do you think Bicycle NSW are up to the job? These are the people who really need to be taking the lead on this.
Oh, and thanks for the link!
Mark
Thanks, Mark, and re Bicycle NSW being up to the job, that is definitely questionable.
ReplyDeleteGiven that they are so committed to the helmet lobby and the Sport of Cycling, I could almost guarantee that they do not have the interests of all cyclists at heart. To date Bicycle NSW does not appear to have considered utility cycling as a cogent public transport option. In fact, to all intents and purposes, they look like they would actually prefer to maintain existing & proposed cycling infrastructure as their own domain.
It is not for no reason that they constantly jump on the 'danger-mongering' band-wagon. (apologies for the double negative!) You and I as true 'travellers on bicycles' know that cycling is not inherently dangerous and that with a little political leadership (namely municipal funding & motorist education) cycling would become a viable public transport option for most of us from 'babyhood' to 'granny&grampshood'.
Hence why we love 'Clover'; (Go, Clover!)...but we need 'Kristina' to come on-board too!
...and given that she is also a fellow 'traveller on a bicycle,' we eagerly await her committment to "put her money where her mouth was"!!!!
But all that aside, very excitingly one thing we know for sure is that the current 'Zeitgeist' will dictate that cycling will be a state election issue next year...
...so I'll be asking Kristina or Barry...or maybe even Malcolm, "who's listening to us & do you want to play 'Reciprocity'?!!"
It's astonishing that there aren't more campaigning organisations in NSW for cycling - over here we have British Cycling, which looks after the sports side of things, and then the CTC or London Cycling Campaign to do the utility / leisure / training children and infrastructure thing. I think we are very blessed. I would like to go to Bicycle NSW and put a stick of dynamite under their wheels and get them to wake up and smell the coffee.
ReplyDeleteSports cycling, whilst fabulous, is a minority past time (as is say rock climbing, or sailing, or playing footy) utility cycling is potentially for EVERYONE - the opportunity is out there, we just need the campaigns and the polis to wake up to it!
...why don't you live here? - we need you!
ReplyDelete