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Sydney needs to wake up to the benefits of pedal power
Christian Wolmar, one of Britain's leading transport commentators, serves on the board of Cycling England, which promotes cycling. Last month he spoke at three On Your Bike conferences organised by the NSW Government.
ripped from The Sydney Morning Herald
By Christian Wolmar
August 12, 2008
When I came to Australia to talk about cycling, I borrowed a bike and headed off to the suburbs, with the help of an experienced local rider. It was an eye-opening experience. I had no idea how far behind Sydney was compared with most European cities in terms of accommodating, let alone encouraging, cyclists.
There seems to be an almost overt hostility to cyclists not only from many motorists, but more importantly from the planners and highway engineers who create the street environment.
It may be only a small thing, but even the drains in gutters can easily catch a cyclist's wheels because the grooves run parallel to the road rather than at right angles, as is the case in most other cities. When I was cycling on Parramatta Road, I desperately needed the safety of those gutters to have a reasonable chance of surviving the rush-hour traffic but found that I had to swerve out into the car lane to avoid being felled by the storm drain.
Sydney has the occasional bit of good infrastructure, such as the dedicated paths over bridges, the lanes laid out by more supportive local councils such as Leichhardt and the cycle parking hoops that have started appearing in the central business district, but clearly there is no overall policy supportive of cycling. (.cont)
Contrast this with London, where the number of cyclists has doubled over the past five years. Having cycled in London for 40 years, I find that motorists are far more accommodating and courteous towards me now than they have ever been, quite possibly because many of them occasionally jump on bikes, too. London has a long way to go but cycling has reached the critical mass stage which makes it safer and easier to ride there.
Sydney can get there, too. Sure, there are difficulties with the number of roads with fast, heavy traffic, the occasional hill and, in summer, the climate. But despite these obstacles, cycling could easily grow as rapidly with political goodwill and concerted effort.
It is impossible to pinpoint precise reasons why cycling in London has increased so much. It is a combination of factors, ranging from overcrowding on public transport to the imposition of the congestion charge, but undoubtedly the initial trigger was a pro-cycling attitude from local authorities who in the past had been negative or even hostile to cycling, as are some politicians in Australia. Now, support for cycling is virtually universal among elected officials since they see that it combines the benefits of a healthy lifestyle with an environmentally sustainable form of transport.
To make progress, however, does not mean immediately spending millions of dollars on heavily engineered cycle routes which may, in any case, be in the wrong place or badly designed. Sure, money will eventually be needed to create these facilities, but first hearts and minds have to be won over. At the moment, it is only the hard-core Lycra-wearing cyclists who take to the roads and the first task is to show ordinary people they can occasionally jump on their bikes, even if it is just to go to the shops.
Oddly, one of the key catalysts for the improvement in London was also one of the cheapest: painting a green area at every traffic light which only cyclists had the right to enter when the light was red. Immediately, this sent a message to all road users that cyclists not only have a right to be there, but they even have priority at junctions.
To put it bluntly, Sydney is where London was about 20 years ago. There were virtually no cycle facilities and one local council, the affluent west London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, was so hostile it ripped up one of the few lanes that had been laid out by the Greater London Council on the grounds that cyclists got in the way of cars. Now that council, with the same Conservative party in control, has not only relaid the cycle lanes, but has even created special ones in one-way streets to allow cyclists priority access.
None of what needs to be done is rocket science. It can be done, as London has begun to show.
Comments
your arguing at yourself
your arguing at yourself doddy. And then your proving it with another conversation with yourself.
I understand your frustration but please stop dragging us through the dirt just so you can make a point while arguing at us... and then preech your wisdom from on-top of your soap box. So by saying "we" are all bad your pointing the finger at us and anointing yourself beyond it... hmmmm. or have I missed the meaning again?
Ive told you this before .. make yourself a blog... document it all in one place instead of across different websites ... U can write what you want from here... im not gonna read your reply even if you post one... "make your own maps next time"
Punch it chewy
This is a messenger website,
Let it be run by messengers or...
Change the name to YogiBMA
or just shut the dam thing down,
Losing is for winners
Please shut up doddy. Yogi
Please shut up doddy. Yogi does hard work on this website. Everyone in Sydney is bitching about how annoying and senseless your posts are not Yogi's. Start a blog, get a life and read all the crap you have written(if you can stomach it).
We not looking for a fight with you were just over your rambling crap.
There is no theory of evolution, just a list of animals 390Love allows to live.
Eat a bag of dicks 390...
Sure i made a few crappy rants, but the reality was i was trying to contribute which is something that you do not do. When Yogi was complaining about people not using this site i was one of the ones that was trying to help him and You were one of the ones that were bitching about him. Im sick of ranting and im sick of talking to myself so why the fuck would i want to start a blog?
All i was ever trying to do was get unconstructive cunts like you to stop bitching about Yogi and start utilising this site.
Losing is for winners
Word.
Word.
There is no theory of evolution, just a list of animals 390Love allows to live.
We are behind London eh.
Maybe we should attempt to do what they did 6 years ago...
A furious row is set to erupt between Britain and Europe over proposed legislation to make car drivers responsible for all accidents involving cyclists - even when the bike rider has broken the law and is in the wrong.
To the delight of cyclists and the dismay of drivers, a European law is being planned to force motorists to pay compensation and damages in all accidents with cyclists. The measure will put car insurance premiums up by an average £50.
The move prompted a furious response last night from motoring and insurance organisations, which claimed it would encourage 'bicycle guerrillas' who do not obey the Highway Code and frequently shoot red lights.
The proposed law, supposedly designed to harmonise car insurance terms across Europe, contains measures to crack down on drivers in Britain, where officials believe legislation is biased in favour of motorists.
The European Commission document says: 'Motor vehicles cause most accidents. Whoever is responsible, pedestrians and cyclists usually suffer more. In some member states the cyclist is covered by the insurance of the vehicle involved in the accident irrespective of whether the driver is at fault.'
The British Government is expected to oppose the move, arguing that Britain should be allowed to opt out of the legislation provoking a battle between Britain and European officials, who want it to be imposed Europe-wide.
Insurers and motoring groups have vowed to fight 'tooth and nail' to prevent the law being imposed on Britain.
'Drivers are going to have to pay higher premiums to compensate cyclists for their own mistakes,' said Kevin Delaney of the RAC.
'Many cyclists behave as if there were no legal constraints upon them - ignoring traffic lights, signs, one-way streets and pedestrian crossings, travelling as fast as possible with no lights or bell: they are bicycle guerrillas.'
The pro-cycling lobby says the law would 'redress the balance' against 'the most vulnerable road user'. Supporters want motorists to be criminally liable for any acci dent involving a cyclist or pedestrian.
Refusing to condemn cyclists who break the law and are to blame for some accidents, Kevin Mayne, director of national cycling body CTC, said the numbers of aggressive cyclists breaking the law and harassing drivers were hugely exaggerated.
The law could lead to a tougher criminal process for drivers who injure or kill cyclists, he said. 'It's not the person sitting in their steel box who gets killed by the cyclist.'
The proposals have been drawn up by from the Internal Market Directorate of the European Commission and will be debated by the European Parliament in the autumn. If Britain opposes the plan, it would be imposed here with majority support from other EU countries.
European officials believe the move will make the roads safer and encourage more people to get on their bikes.
In Britain, drivers are presumed innocent and not liable for compensation unless the cyclist can prove negligence. But in France, Belgium, Scandinavia, Holland and Germany, drivers are almost always liable and must pay compensation from their insurance policies.
Cycling in Britain now accounts for less than 2 per cent of all journeys undertaken each year, compared with 80 per cent of journeys by car. Britons made an average of 16 trips per person by bike last year, compared with 21 in 1991.
The RAC claimed insurance premiums could jump by 10 per cent, adding about £50 to the price of the average comprehensive motor policy.
Mayne said: 'We expect a ferocious fight from the motor and insurance industries.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/aug/04/politics.transport
London supports my theory why don't you? Please explain?
Losing is for winners
Firstly: name the "disagree"
Firstly: name the "disagree" bit. There are plenty of bad drivers with the wrong education about driving.
secondly: I have seen Brettski stop at red with clear intersections all the time. More than any other Bike Courier in Sydney.... so "You" watch "your fingers".
Thirdly : I have just pressed a little button that will not allow changes to posts once they are up. Strictly so you cant change a point you made previously. After all your origina message seems to have different words in it since I read it the first time.
and Lastly you say You ran reds with me I "It was peer pressure, I swear I did not inhale or enjoy it". Might I remind you the guy who wanted to beat me up up with plastic bags
Punch it chewy
Are these more than rumours? true or false
Brettski...
Brettski had an accident involving a J-walker.
Brettski was obeying the law when this happened.
the impact did not kill the j-walker she had a heart attack because of the collission and died (she was obese)
The Police charged Brettski with man-slaughter (the charges were later dropped because the pedestrian was actually at fault (just the usual discriminating authority figures).
Brettski example... i said Watch Your mouth he doesnt talk about it so dont use brettski as an example.
The last messenger to die in Sydney....(the only one i have ever heard of thankfully)
was not actually a messenger.
She was hit by a bus.
She was a "pecker"/backpacker that was hired by mail call couriers.
She had barely any cycling experience.
She was not trained assessed and in inducted as to how to properly deal with traffic (she just followed someone around for a day).
So if you believe in policies.... Where is the Oh&s section with our recommended policies and guidleines on this website? ... Oh fuck... Wait a minute i just want to rant to myself...
from (simonmck@optusnet.com.au)
Sent: Sunday, 3 August 2008 8:15:49 AM
To: michael dodd (doddrag@hotmail.com)
thanks Doddy
On 02/08/2008, at 3:10 PM, michael dodd wrote:
>
> Whats with you telling me to post it Yogi? when i post movies they just
> come up as a link. You can do the whole movie screen kit and
> kaboodle? Maybe its easy for u but not for me.
>
> Plus i cant be fucked starting my own blog... Talking to myself
> isn't much fun.
>
> Fuck it. You rang me and asked me what direction i think the forum
> should take.... I thought about it long and hard. Bike messengers
> stereotypically cop a lot of shit. We need to put our opinions and
> advice across, something that we can be proud to show the general
> public.. We should be highlighting the problems and dangers that we
> deal with everyday and what we think the solutions or changes that
> need to be made are. Sure we cant change the world but we can push
> towards a better deal or at least express our valid opinions to
> authorities and the general public
>
> Motorists, Bus Companies and taxis have lobbied and pushed for
> changes over the years and they've happened (to our expense). We
> haven't done shit... we've been too busy arguing amongst each other.
>
> Because you can add content on the home page the forum is useless...
> An oh&s section is how i think we could make the forum useful.
>
> It should have.
> -facts and statistics.
> -recommended hiring policies.
> -training and induction guidlines
> -advice to dealing with traffic.
> -risk assessment.
> - urban planning and solutions to problem areas.
> -Driver and Cyclist safety concerns and advice.
>
> If it doesnt happen it doesnt bother me. If someone adds something i
> may join in to the discussion. if not fuck it! I can't be fucked
> talking to myself anymore. The forum can just rot away like it has
> been for the last year or two.
> j
> Anybody else got any ideas?
>
> Ive given up trying to be constructive.
>
> Happy Birthday Shifty
>
> ________________________________
>> From: Julian@seventy8.com.au
>> To: doddrag@hotmail.com
>> Subject: RE: [messengers] Re: Critical Mass NYC
>> Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 11:01:48 +1000
>>
>>
>> Yeah Post it....
if we had policies and guidelines that were not followed by major companies anytime messengers recieve criticism we could put the honus back on the employer for not meeting our national requirements. Why doesnt this happen? Because the governing body of Yogibma ruled against it.
Heres what another messenger wanted.
View Profile Personal Message (Offline)
Re: constructive
« Reply #41 on: April 28, 2008, 07:58:39 PM » Reply with quote
Quote from: scooter on April 25, 2008, 10:59:07 AM
what about the federation of australasian messengers? aka THE FAM.
ideas for an agenda.
# set up citywide "messenger handbooks", ala NYC, Toronto etc
# hook up with our brothers in Auckland and other NZ cities.
# get incorporated. maybe we could offer income protection insurance, carriers ins for indys.
# encourage the independent messenger. isnt this the way of the future?
# do for ourselves what unions like the TWU have always promised and been to fucken useless to deliver on.
# allow scooter another platform to rant away to anyone patient enough to listen
word of the month SUPER. as in why dont you fuckers pay me superannuation?
Then Yogi decided...
With the forums that the sydbma currently have.. you can create a "book" this is a collaborative document. In other words you can finally make that manual and also how to go about becoming indipendant and we can bind it in a gum back that has the word "scooter" pre printed on it..
Anyway.
if you wish to start to use your forums ... I believe that the SYDBMA forums are the one I am going to use under NATIONAL . If I cant make this work I will inform you all and say.. hey Im not as smart as I thought.
So you want us to use this site.... but you want us to keep our shit to ourselves instead of putting our heads together interactively on a forum....
.
So 390 cocklove all you ever do is log on to give people shit and tell them to shut up and Yogi thanks for putting so much effort in but dont crack the shits like you did when people stopped using the site.. Its clearly your site and not our (messsengers) site....
How 'bout I just go away and pack up my store and shut my doors?
Absolutely annoyed. I am the home page to many bike messengers who just seem to think that being in an association is just too hard for them. Not only that but when they want to have a meeting they just tell a select few people to come. Probably only the ones who have previous knowledge of the meeting so no one is in disagreement.
I can not believe that of all the registered users it's pretty much just me who adds content to the site. Your site. The reason is: "I don't know how to do that" which of course is utter bullcrap. To me it shows a lack of interest and apathy.
The SYDBMA has been de-registered as an association because it's too hard. Or in layman's terms, all the super cool guys who are just so happy to just do it are being conceited as they just have nothing to say and then pull secret meetings. How lazy are you? I call you out and call "YOU"lazy. You're too lazy to add content on this site , you're too lazy to tell anyone your having a meeting and you're too lazy to actually do anything that might interrupt your so important lifestyle or riding all day, drinking all night and then whinge about how tired you are cause you spent the whole night getting drunk. But you're cool. You're so cool.
Being flavour of the month is very short lived indeed. You know who you are and I sure as hell don't need to point the finger but there are many of you.
You blurt out your opinions in the pub , your talk is tired. You whinge that this is not fair or that is good and great. But putting your opinions on this site is JUST TOo HARD FOR YOU. You're a bunch of lazy asses who have no idea where your bread is buttered. I believe you to be out of touch, even though it is about you. As you strut around locking your bike then twirl and fall in an uber cool lump on a chair.
As a group there is very few of you who actually try and be pro-active as a group because for some reason it's good to have secrets that someone else has no idea about beacause in your twisted world .. that is empowerment.
I believe you're so wrong. You're breaking up your group and you think you're keeping it together.
I was a messenger in 1989 and I tell you now, those guys were cool. They did not rely on the FIXED phenonomen to make them cool. They where happy and hip and they were faster than you across town any day, they earnt more money and did more jobs. They did not have data units and they were just as contraversial as you. I was a bike messenger for 12 years and now I am the builder of this site. You all look at it and none of you contribute. Nothing has changed except you. In 1989 people were much more into the messengering community than you, they went for rides on Fridays, the group was huge, they stopped at pubs and they really had a good time. Now you guys just fend for your space and think you're cool. On weekends we used to do a whole range of things from paintball to bowling. You guys can't get off the couch.
I find it totally disrespectful that I do this site for you and you're not willing to put even a little bit back. I know you read it as I monitor IPs for bots and how active it is. You don't comment but you're ready to diss anyone, in secret, behind their backs. It's gutless.
If you do not agree with me: get off your butt and comment, cause all I really want is for you to use the tools that have been given to you. For example, when exactly is the Xmas party? Others than those in the secret society might want to know..
* yogi's blog
Comments
Fri, 01/04/2008 - 16:41 — doddsy
love u yogi
You are right in so many ways bud. Sometimes being constructive is not enough...
Abuse is what we need.
ACMC Adelaide Easter Full Tilt CLINTS!
Fuck it im done. No more ranting on this site unless other people actually start to contribute.... I have certificate 1 in occupational health and safety and id like to utilise it on this website but id like other peoples input (because its not all about me.)
Im working for an independent messenger company in Calgary ,i have a system that is available to be used here in Australia. I can seriously help Contribute to making a guide to going indy.
Create an Oh&s section in the main part of the forum (so that we can put subsections underneath it)
Do the same with a guide to going independent (that needs subsections also).
If you dont let messengers contribute to the designing of this site then i dont feel like i can contribute much longer unless other people start using it (come on 390).... Im sick of talking to myself and im sick of reading stuff that Yogi posts that i've already read elsewhere.
Personal blogs suck (in my opinion anyway).
Losing is for winners
IVE SEEN YOU INHALE.
And ive also seen brettski ride down martin place and barrack street.... Please explain why you used brettski as an example when he clearly has a blatant disrespect for road rules?... What he did should not be illegal when you take into account the other unsafe "legal" options he could have taken to get to his destination.
The road rules are often unpractical and you know it..... eg. A couple of years ago i got stopped and ticketed for riding on the sidewalk only a little faster than walking pace on North Terrace (Adelaide) the Police officer stopped and asked me why i was not using the road. I replied "because i would have to cross 16 lanes of busy traffic just to go 150 metres. just to obey the road rules". (4 lanes one way 4 lanes the other just to get to the left lane and then id have to cross back again)... Going out of your way to obey the road rules is clearly sometimes dangerous. He should not have been aloud to book me unless i was riding with undue care.... To the police officers credit he was only doing his job (the powers above had told the police force to go out and target cycle messengers... (he apologised when he gave me the ticket and said some "idiot politician filed a complaint and is making us target you".)
And no i did not edit my reply you just shot your mouth off before you read it properly.
Whatever Yogi you know and i know it. Every single cyclist will always break road rules unless they are changed. Anything you do to get out the way of busy traffic should not be illegal unless you are blatantly riding with undue care.
How many weird anti terror and world youth day laws have been passed lately? Surely passing a law that allows cyclists to break road rules for there own personal safety would be a good thing.
Losing is for winners
Policies Schmolicies...
Our biggest, easiest and cheapest problem to fix is the road rules... If they change the road rules to acknowledge that cycling is a completely different form of transport to driving we would be a lot better off. Cycling would instantly become a lot more practical and acsessible... The road rules should acknowledge the fact that when a motorist makes a mistake that results in an accident they normally hurt someone else, when cyclists make a mistake they usually only hurt themselves.
When cycling the breaking of any road rule should become completely irrelevent if the cyclist is getting out the way of motorised traffic.
Getting out the way of motorvehicles should be legalised and riding with undue care should be the only traffic offence a cyclist can be penalised for.
Give cyclists the ability to take advantage of any situation in traffic for there own safety and more people will ride bikes, If we get more people riding bikes we will then get a better cycling infrastructure. Theres no point in creating an infrastructure for millions of Sydney cyclists if they don't actually exist yet.
Due to lack of participation i took that road rule debate (from the forum) elseware so this is how it evolved...
http://www.sydneycyclist.com/forum/topic/show?id=1321712%3ATopic%3A24625
Does anyone agree with this? Or do messengers just constantly break road rules in pretty much every capital city around the world because they are fuckwits?... No matter what we do or where we go there will always be idiots and Idiots should clearly be on bicycles instead of in motorvehicles.
Losing is for winners
good grief
dont burn your bridges will ya..
and there was a positive way to complain about complacency and arrogance... but you did not choose that did you?
And, No I do not agree with you... Just ask Brettski.
Punch it chewy
What the hell are you talking about Yogi?
After the last decade of messengering i can honestly say that every time i've nearly gotten run over has been when im obeying the road rules and some other deuchebag has not been paying attention or just blatantly driving like a dickhead putting my life at risk...
So what are you saying Yogi? Road rules are more important than getting out the way of motor vehicles? So if im waiting at a red light with dozens of cars, buses and trucks its safer to take off with shitloads of motorvehicles than utilise a break in traffic to jump the red and get away from them? Getting away from traffic is safer than riding with it.
Brettski? Example!?.... Watch your mouth.
Over the years buses, cars and taxis have all had solid representation in lobying for change of road rules and theyve succeeded, Now buses can legally pull out into traffic making other vehicles give way- they seriously abuse that privilige when cyclists are involved. Motor vehicles got the cbd speed limit changed from 40 to 50 and taxis are aloud to overtake on the inside bus lane which also puts us at risk (even tho taxis do nothing to ease traffic congestion)... Cyclists have not had any representation when it comes to the changing of road rules....
The road rules are the biggest problem with cycling safety. Putting cyclists in the same rules and cattegories as cars is just plain dangerous (they are bigger heavier and faster than us.)
Legalise getting out the way of motorvehicles... No road rule is or ever will be more important than road safety.
Arrogant... thats you isnt it? Your such a bloody hypocrite... Youve broken road rules and run red lights with me heaps of times.... Why the hell do you disagree with me?....
More people would ride bikes if they were permitted to do things that motorvehicles arent.
Burn bridges?Please explain.
Losing is for winners
disagree, I didn't. There are
disagree, I didn't. There are plenty of crap drivers , their fault or the systems.
Brettski has been known to stop more for reds and "legality" more than almost any other Bike Courier at any time. So, Excuse me!
I believe your changing or editing your post entries after the fact (that is kinda "not Kosher")(or at least some one is).
Don't you have bigger fish to fry than Make arguments AT me.
And I may have run a red or 2 ... but It was peer pressure , I did not inhale and I did not enjoy it. After all its your fault some guy wanted to bash me with Plastic Bags in the Mall at Adl.
Punch it chewy
Firstly i argued with the article and not you.
And secondly you attacked me, with your burning the bridges bullshit. Good drivers bad drivers, whatever. motorvehicles are dangerous no matter how you drive them and thats all there is too it.
What can i say? I just hate the way people thinking making policeis, funding bike paths and restrictions will solve our problems. Too many cycling advocates confuse road rules with road safety and its mainly just a load of crap. Road Safety is simple don't drive unless you really have too. Be cautious around pedestrians and don't get hit... They are the only road rules that matter.
The government should be saying "Just ride you fucken bike and do whatever the fuck you need to do to be safe."
Fuck the policies just ride a fucken bike.
Losing is for winners
"Just ride your fucken bike
"Just ride your fucken bike and do whatever the fuck you need to do to be safe"......... Quote doddsy - Well there must be something in that as you only need to observe say Aisan countries where bike transport on all levels (motorist/cyclist) is independently managed mainly by the rider - a hord of riders where incidents are minimal in comparison to the bikes and riders on the road in A/a and the rule is safety comes first - it is not science but respect. And to top it off the road rage too is at a minimum - get over yourselves with your conservative ideals of road rules - safety is toleration and respect for one another -
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