I recieved an email about this event that happened last week …
City Bike Day
A celebration of safe winter cycling
Auckland Transport would like to acknowledge the efforts of cyclists, who have continued to use pedal power past the summer season, with a special event, City Bike Day.
City Bike Day will take place at Aotea Square on Thursday, 12th May from 7am to 10.30am.
For cyclists, there will be a breakfast of fresh coffee, juice and muffin*, distribution of safety packs* and high visibility gear* plus bike checks – all free of charge.
… And I can’t help but wonder what there motivation was.
It isn’t like it will attract more people to riding a bike … how many people do you reckon thought “oooh there’s a free breakfast at Aotea Square; I think I’ll take up cycling”! How many people looked at that picture and simply had to give cycling a go!
I ride my bike all year round and even I didn’t make the detour … funnily enough the allure of ‘safety packs’ and ‘high vis gear’ just isn’t sexy enough! But obviously someone at Auckland transport believes it is (that’s the really worrying bit). So what was the point? Perhaps it is just to make us winter cyclists feel loved?
Personally, I would have preferred council transport staff to stand on the side of the road at various points around the city and give every person on a bike a round of applause and a rousing ’thank you very much from Auckland Council’ from a loud hailer. Or how about running a lottery where every 20 person who arrives gets some money – that would certainly get people on their bikes if nothing else! Or perhaps they could reward us by giving us one day when cars are restricted to a single lane and we get a whole lane of our own! Wow, how good would that be? Or if you want to be practical about it, how about spending the money on a new bit of decent cycle infrastructure? A sign, a painted line for a cycle lane? … Anything really
Anyone got any other ideas than the old ‘cyclist breakfast’ to spice up their calendar?
Thanks Unity for saving me from having to right this post myself. Hi viz – yes.. give people on bikes the status of road work workers.. that'll be a big draw.
Please!
I don't want to sound ungrateful to the city – but i can't quite bring myself to say "it's the thought that counts". My heart sank when I saw this ad.
No, we need a real cycle promotion campaign focussed around what will be attractive about cycling, for non-cycle riders.
An effective cycle promotion campaign will be focussed around getting people to try short, slow trips to the shops or cafe in the weekend, and communicating the real levels of risk involved relative to not cycling (ie much less). No amount of bike to work breakfasts is going to encourage anyone who is already cycling, to stay on the road, (they're already The Committed), much less persuade anyone already scared shitless about the idea. Certainly not hi-viz give aways. Oh dear – we have a long way to go.
I agree about cycling breakfasts. I have always struggled with why anybody would want to get up earlier than they need to and cycle off to have a muffin and luke warm cup of coffee while socializing with a bunch of strangers. ADmittedly I am not a morning person but still?…
And especially cycling breakfasts that come with an implicit message that us "naughty" cyclists should behave and wear our high viz in winter…
I think the cycle style event organized last year was much better for encouraging people to give it a go who normally wouldn't.
Bike to work days can help lift the number of cyclists.
http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/05/13/btwd-attracts-new-riders-in-d-c/
Thanks for this post Unity. I wasn't going to go to this breakfast but then thought I would to give some feedback.
From what I could see everyone there (except me) was already in flouro (around 8am).
There were survey forms and I made the point of saying … well, a lot of things, but my main points were that their focus wasn't right.
Why is it that the first word on their web page for this event is "fitness"? A term only reinforced by their image. Aren't they a city transport organisation?
In good Copenhaganize fashion I suggested their main focus needs to be that city cycling is easy and fast; that they should be promoting bike lights; and that flouro only increases the perception of danger … not to mention changes needed to speed limits, some bike lanes, etc, etc, you know the drill.
And what business is it of Auckland Transport to be asking in the same survey if people are interested in off-road bike training?!?
I hope that CAA is suggesting to AT and the Council to radically alter whatever strategy underlies this event.
I do think the event, as a way to encourage and support people cycling in what can feel like rather dismal conditions, is a great idea (and I'm more and more encouraged by the numbers of people biking around the inner city).
As to other ideas: some strategically placed coffee/hot chocolate carts along popular roads/corner in July would be the goer for me – corner of K Rd and Queen Street, and Symonds St and K Rd are the places I'm most familiar with.
The worst part was the organisers hiring two burly security people at either end of Aotea Square telling us to get off our bikes and to wheel it to the bike racks because apparently a shared space is for pedestrians only.
"You know … like the shared space on Darby St where cars and people walk …"
LAME.
I completely agree that this is the wrong way to encourage more people to cycle through the winter months. "Hey guys.. cycling in Auckland is so dangerous that we'll give you FREE hi-vis"
If the free high vis was replaced with free ding-dong bells and the 'safety packs' with something useful like a puncture repair kit, I might have gone.
The graphic that came with the email said it all. An image of a lycra/sports cyclist looking ready to race around lake taupo. These people are already cycling. this type of event is not really going to attract new people to cycling. This type of event MAY just keep the current ones cycling. I know of sports cyclists who have given up commuting due to the danger-real and perceived.
I read this email, it said it was to encourage those that cycle.
Quote, missed from the above article: "The days are getting darker earlier and the weather wetter. As well as celebrating all-season cycling, the event aims to raise awareness of the importance of staying safe by being seen."
I'm really interested, if it is dark or raining when you are riding your bike, what do you all do?
Susan, the council funds/assists with funding the construction of some off road MTB facilities as a liesure alternative. Arch Hill, Sanders Reserve etc. Being an event aimed at cyclists, this would be an opportunity to see any crossover between road riders and mountain bikers I guess. The council are looking to fund an off road facility in West Auckland as well, and such survey results may assist to justify that expenditure.
Su Yin, that definately is lame! I guess they were just thinking about liabilty. Sigh.
Hi Viz *spew*
So apparently to ride a bike in winter you've got to look like the retard uncle of Bobo the Clown. Perhaps what would've been better is if they'd given away lighting packs instead, or better yet, used the money to actually make some inexpensive but effective improvements for cycling.
@Susan, I was the other guy not in fluro!
@Su Yin, I saw some of that going on… Agree it was totally unnecessary! The council should be following the lead set by police, and turn a blind eye to people riding on the footpath, and pedestrian spaces.
Yes the key focus of the event was misguided.. But at least there was an event. It was good to see all those bike lined up, for an event other than a triathlon. Plenty of general intrigue from passers by – and jealousy at the idea of free coffee. So I guess public awareness of cycling was raised at the very least. So that's one positive.
Here's a wishlist I drafted a few months back when it seemed like everyone had a top ten list for the Super City:
-implement 40 k/h speed limits throughout the CBD.
-implement one bike corral conversion as a demonstration project on Ponsonby Rd (converting 1 parking space to 8 bike parking spaces)
-provide free beer to cyclists attending Edge Events
-Close streets in Wynard Qtr one evening a week in the summer and hold criterium-style races (and slowest bicycle race, etc).
-Convert outside lane of Ponsonby Rd to a bike lane on Sundays in the summer
-convert giveway signs to stop signs in the cbd
-work with bike advocacy groups to develop a bike valet service for city events
Stating the obvious here, but it is clear that the Council has a huge role to play in bicycle advocacy. Jonathan Daly at Cyclized argues that to shift to sustainable transport the City needs to provide “both physical and socially supportive infrastructure.” So while the Council is expected to deliver the physical goods, can they really ever succeed at the “cultural thing?”
So I think that two things needs to happen:
1) The Council should work closer with advocacy or social groups to develop behavior change strategies. This might mean that the Council simply sponsors events, or awards a budget to local advocates to implement particular interventions.
2) Advocates should not expect the Council to lead the cultural change, instead we need to do better at getting together to show our numbers while having a good time. The logical solution is more time meeting up at pubs.
I spent too many years driving buses around Wellington in the dark and used to bike to work simply because it let me stay in bed longer in the mornings, but, it meant that I learnt a few things like:
your eye is drawn to movement and the human form, so while lights on the bike are important, so is making yourself visible, there seems to be a bit of anti fluro feeling here, BUT THOSE PEOPLE WEARING FLURO ARE OUT THERE RIDING THEIR BIKES!! get over it
the second thing I learnt was that wheel reflectors are a con, they can only be seen when directly in a vehicle's headlamp beams, so the cyclist's own sense of self preservation (defensive cycling) will mean they won't cross in front of an oncoming car unless it's safe, so they serve no useful warning function, second, the rotating mass on the wheel makes stopping harder, I had some fast descents with sharp turns coming down from Kelburn and I was surprised how much better my braking was without the wheel reflectors, of course I only took them off when I was satisfied that they didn't work
OK, some of this is a bit off topic, but I don't think the strong anti fluro sentiments really help the cause, we need to be supporting and encouraging ALL cyclists, let's not forget that a few years ago the struggle was simply keeping the numbers up, now we can have a more positive focus on building numbers and if that means that some new cyclists wear fluro because they feel safer that way, more power to them!
I really wish we had one (or more) of those bike counter thingys, though picking a location would be tricky, i'd go for one on Dom Rd, maybe another at symonds/ K rd…..
there's a bike counter on Tamaki Dr and possibly another on Lake Rd between Takapuna and Devonport
Just got info on the giveaways, a puncture repair kit was included.
I'm not anti-fluro.. I just wish the drivers in this country were as good as other countries where cyclists don't rely on fluro and body armor to stay alive.
@Steve
I think the negative comments about hi viz are not cyclist bashing. The arguement is more sophisticated than that. If the aim is to get more people cycling, the big question needs to be asked…'what is the best way of doing that?' Hi viz, helmets etc may in fact be detrimental to achieveing this. It would be nice to find out what stops people from taking up cycling with some targetd research. I think we all know what the answers would be-it feels unsafe. If that is the case, what needs to be done to make it safer and more attractive. With that information it would then be appropriate to make those necessary changes. It could be done by infrastructure improvements or by cultural changes eg. educating motorists to be sensitive around people walking and cycling.
Sure, the cycle breakfast wasn't perfect. The numbers weren't great and I was less than impressed to be told off like a naughty schoolkid for riding my bike into Aotea Square by one of the security guards.
But the offer of a free coffee, muffin, plenty of muesli bars and a high vis vest made it more then worth it getting up ten minutes earlier than usual. ALSO the free bike checks were a life saver, and the friendly and knowledgeable team there from Big Foot did a great job!
This event was thoroughly worthwhile and deserves our support.
I've been thinking about this, because I'm not interested in bike to work breakfasts and the like. Why would I go somewhere in the cold to do something I can do in the warmth of my home? 'Worthwhile and deserving of support' doesn't cut it for me, nor for most of New Zealand I suspect. So how to motivate people to attend?
This event is aimed at people who are already riding, so I reckon giving out something useful like a set of decent lights would be a good incentive to turn up. Lights tick the boxes for the safety hysterics (who always seem to be involved in organising these events – 'safety packs? really? sigh…) and are required by law so are useful to every person riding on the road.
I'd turn up if there was something in it for me. I think most people are like that.
Sure. Reward cyclists who are currently commuting to the city with something useful as a way of saying thank you.
Something else needs to be done to encourage non-cyclists to get on their bike for the first time. The try my bike sessions organised by North shore City were well received. Build on those ideas.
It occurs to me that I'd be more interested in a Bike to Work Breakfast put on by my employer. I'd feel more rewarded. I also think that it would send good messages to the non-riders in the company. Maybe Councils ought to consider partnering with businesses in this way.
And I would love the students who I pass going to school on their bicycles everyday to be acknowledged somehow. Mayor Len Brown wants Akl school students to be cycling to school. I wonder what the action plan is to make it happen?
Mark, the action plan has been in place for some years, it's called "Safe Routes to School" and is one of the unsung successes of Auckland's past councils. Belmont Intermediate was one of the first schools to participate and now has 35% of students biking to school!
North Shore City Council was very active in this programme and had (I think) three full time staff on the job. It involved promotion and training of staff and students in sustainable travel, particularly walking (establishing walking schoolbuses) and cycling, as well as infrastructure improvements on streets and footpaths to improve safety for students.
By the time the council was amalgamated, a majority of North Shore schools had participated. Other councils also had similar programmes, but I think the Shore was ahead of the pack on this one!