massbug

BikeSydney

2007-04-01T03:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/on-your-bike-sydney/2007/03/31/1174761811919.html

Grab For Cycle Lanes

2006-06-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hi

this is the letter I sent to the Herald this morning

Allan

The RTA urges cyclists and motorists to “share the road”, but the Iemma Government keeps taking back the lanes that cyclists use, endangering cyclists every time.

The outrageous grab of cycle lanes on William Street is just the latest move to deny cyclists a fair share of the road space. We were forced out of the airport tunnel, off the Gore Hill Freeway while the Lane Cove Tunnel is being built and no cycle link has been built, as was promised, to parallel the M5 East.

Bicycle planning recedes into the future as the Bicycle 2000 plan was replaced by the Bicycle 2010 plan and the funding has never matched the promises. We need a liveable city with better public transport and safe bicycle access. Wake up Morris, we’re not all looking out of limousine windows.

Allan Rees
Newtown
8 June 2006

Good news - Bad news

2006-06-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Good news story,
Jan and Andrew are in the Herald.

Bad news story,
Michael Duffy is at it again.

A carbon tax on all internal combustion engines fuelled by non-renewable, ie petroleum products. Hmmmph.

WILLIAMS ST CYCLE LANE THREATENED

2006-06-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jim Hope for getting the lead letter in the SMH today!!

If you haven't yet written to the Premier & Roads Minister - please do it now.

Premier Iemma:

thepremier@www.nsw.gov.au

Minister Roozendaal:

enquiries.roads@roozendaal.minister.nsw.gov.au

Fiona

Interests of road lobby come before good health

June 10, 2006

You really have to admire the power of the road lobby. In 1998, when the Cross City Tunnel was announced, the then Premier, Bob Carr, ecstatically declared the project would "liberate the city from gridlock". Surface traffic would be reduced and space allocated to more sustainable modes of transport: cycling, walking and public transport.

Eight years on, the result of this $680 million private sector investment is obvious: traffic chaos on William Street and in central Sydney. Yet the road lobby, which campaigned vociferously for the tunnel, is now demanding and has achieved changes to the surface traffic arrangements, including removal of the bike lanes on William Street (the only bike lanes in the city centre) to fit an extra lane for traffic, and the abolition of new and planned bus lanes.

Yet it is NSW Government policy to provide for bicycles on all road infrastructure projects, because the Government recognises the individual, community and economic benefits of getting more people cycling. Every piece of cycling infrastructure is also an investment in reducing the future health budget in a society with growing waistlines and worsening air quality.

The news isn't much better for cyclists elsewhere in the city. In the recent NSW budget from the Treasurer, Michael Costa, funding for the state's roads was up $415 million to $3.3 billion a year but, of that, a measly $5 million was allocated to cycling.

There also used to be a joint NSW Government-RTA initiative, Bike Plan 2010, which aimed to build 420 kilometres of safe, off-road cycleways in Sydney by 2010. Funding for that was abolished in the 2005 state budget, a decision made by the (then) roads minister, Michael Costa.

So at a time when the city is suffering from unprecedented traffic congestion and pollution, when the threat of global warming is so serious the Federal Government is even considering nuclear power despite its obvious dangers, and when petrol prices are skyrocketing as the reality of peak oil hits home, the NSW Government is actively discouraging cycling, even though it is the cleanest, quietest, cheapest and most efficient form of transport devised.

Is there anyone in the NSW Government or Peter Debnam's Liberal Opposition game enough to tell the road lobby, and its backers at the RTA, to get on their bike?

Jim Hope Coogee

Sydney Writers Festival

2006-05-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

massbug

A nice piece on the Writers Festival, SMH p 14 Monday. Paid for by Halliburton KBR Pty Ltd?

"...public buses... were cancelled... so it was either, taxi, car or foot." (SMH Monday 29 May 2006) Which is to ignore the many patrons who turned up via bicycle, including myself on three consective days.

"Oh, if only this was a truely inclusive cultural festival where cyclists and there ken would be appreciated", (mock wringing of hands in pleading pose) especially when the headline acts of two years running have been talking up climate change, health and individual responsibility, and what oh what can we as individuals do about it.

Good on Robin Williams to fessing up to at least having bussed to within walking distance.

I had emailed the staff at the festival asking if there would be extra provisions - secure undercover parking close to the event - for cyclists and, although I got a response, it was only to tell me my email had been forwarded to the appropriate person who would then reply in due course.

The response from the Biennale Staff was more succint - all Biennale venues have cycle parking facilities.

We will attempt to locate those facilities for those who enjoy the lolling about in beautiful Sydney open air getting about on their stylish two wheelers with narry a worry about fuel costs and parking problems. It's a beautiful city, you see more of it from a bicycle seat.

Gilbert

Sydney Ride of Silence

2006-05-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

massbug
SATURDAY, 20 MAY, 2006

SYDNEY RIDE OF SILENCE - Contact Michael McGrath?: accent@swiftdsl.com.au

Assemble: 10am Hyde park Departure: (estimate) 10.15am Destination: (approx) 11.30am Macquarie Street, Parliament House

UPDATE: Forwarded message from Michael in Sydney: The Sydney Ride of Silence is all set for Saturday, 20 May, 2006, 10 am at Hyde Park. If you have any friends who can print flyers or posters for distribution, they are now available as pdf downloads from: http://members.iinet.net.au/~sratcliff/ROS/RoS_Sydney.pdf http://members.iinet.net.au/~sratcliff/ROS/RoS_A3.pdf (the flyer is designed to be printed both sides to create two A5 flyers per A4 sheet)

Of course they can just be forwarded as pdfs with emails, or links added to other websites.

Bike Plans, City of Sydney and Marrickville

2006-05-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

KENT STREET bike lanes: the City Council will put these out for comment tomorrow for just 14 days (because the staff have been dragging their feet and Councillors don't want it delayed). Look out for an email soon encouraging you, all your friends, your extended family, and everyone you met at work functions in the last year to write a submission (i.e. quick email) to support having bike lanes on Kent Street to connect Town Hall and Harbour Bridge!! See May 15 media release. A detailed map of the route.

The brochure says submissions will be accepted up to 5pm Friday 2nd May and can be sent in by email, snail mail, or in person.

*Bikeplan Review*

(Marrickville) Council is currently reviewing its original Bikeplan, which was prepared in 1996 and now largely implemented...

Your comments are currently sought on the Draft Engineering Study...

...please contact Kendall Banfield, Council's Transport Planner by email trans@marrickville.nsw.gov.au, or phone 9335 2179, or mail PO Box 14, Petersham NSW 2049 by Thursday 18 May 2006.

http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/livinginarea/transport/cyclinginmarrickville.htm

Welcome

2006-05-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the massbug blogspot. We hope to keep you informed and current on cycling news in the Marrickville area. Please visit often and contribute when you feel it necessary.
Thanks,
Gilbert