To help get myself back into my cycling and running and to make some sort of effort to get my fitness up a bit before I head off on my Dreaming Tour in July I have joined other Twitter users in the 1000 minutes of exercise in May challenge.

It is based around the #may1000 hash tag and follows on from the #april1000 hash tag.  Participants in the challenge simply tweet updates on how they are progressing using the #may1000 hash tag with the idea being to complete 1,000 minutes of exercise. Are you up to challenge? Why not join us on Twitter. You can follow me at @Aushiker.

I am tracking my #May1000 progress here as a table.

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts #May1000 and/or your ideas on motivating yourself with your fitness program with the rest of us.

I am always interested in others ideas so please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

The 2012 WA State Trails Conference is being held on Friday May 25, 2012 at the University of Western Australia. It is free to attend so it is a good opportunity to network and become up to date on trails development in Western Australia both from a walking as well as a cycling perspective.

The 2012 WA State Trails Conference program will include an update on the two long distance WA trails, the Bibbulmun Track and the Munda Biddi Trail; issues in developing trails over multiple land tenures; trails and health; and trails interpretation.

The 2012 WA State Trails Conference highlights include

• 
Terry Waldron, MLA, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Racing and Gaming opening the event;
• 
Dafydd Davis from Wales as the keynote speaker with his presentation on sustainable trails. Dafydd Davis is a mountain bike trial builder;
• Issues in the development of the Busselton to Flinders Bay rail trail;
• Trails and health – a nature play perspective;
• Australian mountain bike trails – a travel log of recent developments;
• 
Venue booked at the University of Western Australia overlooking the beautiful Swan River;
• 
Best of all, it’s FREE!

The conference will start at 8:15 AM and finish at 3.45pm where delegates will be invited to move straight into the WA Planning Commission Trails Industry Sundowner.

This is the premier trails industry event of the year and anyone involved in trails or the outdoors is encouraged to attend. Registration is required by Friday May 11, 2012.

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts on the 2012 WA State Trails Conference with the rest of us.

I am always interested in others thoughts on such conferences, if you intend to attend, your review of the conference and your thoughts on the state of trails in Western Australia so please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

Short notice on this one but there is an organised ride on Rottnest Island on Sunday May 6, 2012 called the The Quokka Classic Charity Bike Ride. It consists of three separate circuits: a 7 km for beginners, 39.2 km for intermediate riders and 58.8km for advanced riders – the Quokka Classic Charity Bike.

For the more experienced cyclist, this is your chance to test out the UCI World Cycling Tour’s Time Trial of Rottnest.

The ride is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Perth, all proceeds from the Quokka Classic Charity Bike Ride directly benefit Passages – a joint venture between the Rotary Club of Perth and St. Vincent de Paul Society to help marginalised young people in Perth make positive changes to their lives.

Do you want to know the best part? As well as the warm fuzzies you’ll get from helping out a local charity, and the endorphins you’ll have from the ride, your hip pocket will thank you with your return ferry to Rottnest being included in the ticket price, exclusively with Rottnest Express Ferries!

Quokka Classic Charity Bike Ride Categories and ticket prices

1. Rise to the Challenge in the Quokka Challenge – 7km – $65 entry fee
2. Push yourself further in the Quokka Circuit – 39.2km – $100 entry fee
3. Conquer your limits in the Quokka Classic – 58.8km – $135 entry fee

Signing up is easy, just jump online at http://www.quokkaclassic.com.au/ and fill in your details.

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts on the Quokka Classic Charity Bike Ride with the rest of us.

Are you planning to complete the ride? Did you have a go? How did you find it all?  Worth supporting? Do share your thoughts on the ride, ticket pricing and so on by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

Research into the effectiveness or otherwise of one-metre safe passing distances for cyclists is limited. In part because such rules have only been promulgated in a limited number of jurisdictions including fourteen states in the United States.  To my knowledge no such legislation exists in Australia and in my personal experience the current so called “safe passing” in Western Australia are a waste of time.

Love (2012) has examined the effectiveness or otherwise of the three-foot passing law which took effect in Maryland (MD), United States (US) in October 2010.  Of course the law as only been in place for a limited time and the research undertaken by Love was some 11 to 12 months after the law was passed.  Is this a sufficient time period for a law to become embedded into the psychic of motorists?  Love’s findings suggest not.

While further research is need into one-metre safe passing laws, this preliminary paper does suggest that the one-metre safe passing laws on their own are not sufficient to change motorists behaviour and to encourage safer respectful sharing of common land, i.e., roads.

The abstract for Love (2012) follows and the full paper can be download here.

Maryland (MD) recently became one of fourteen states in the United States to enact a traffic law requiring motor vehicles to pass bicyclists at a distance of greater than three feet. To our knowledge, motorist compliance with the law has never been assessed. This study measured the distance between overtaking motor vehicles and cyclists [e.g. vehicle passing distance (VPD)], to develop baseline metrics for tracking

implementation of the three-foot passing law in Baltimore, MD and to assess risk factors for dangerous passes. During September and October 2011, cyclists (n = 5) measured VPD using a previously published video technique (Parkin and Meyers, 2010). Cyclists logged a total of 10.8 h of video footage and 586 vehicle passes on 34 bicycle commuting trips. The average trip lasted 19.5 ± 4.9min and cyclists were passed on average 17.2 ± 11.8 times per trip. VPDs of three feet or less were common when cycling in standard lanes (17%; 78 of 451 passes) and lanes with a shared lane marking (e.g. sharrows) (23%; 11 of 47 passes). No passes of three feet or less occurred in bicycle lanes (0 of 88 passes). A multiple linear regression model was created, which explained 26% of the variability in VPD. Significant model variables were lane width, bicycle infrastructure, cyclist identity, and street identity. Interventions, such as driver education, signage, enforcement, and bicycle infrastructure changes are needed to influence driving behavior in Baltimore to increase motorist compliance with the three-foot law.

Love, D.C. (2012). Is the three-foot bicycle passing law working in Baltimore, Maryland? Accident Analysis and Prevention, in-press.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

In February 2012 I had the rather nasty experience of a very frightening close pass by an International Energy Services fuel tanker operator. I documented my experience in my blog posting and in a hardcopy letter to Mr Vin Stenta, Chief Executive Officer of International Energy Services. I sent the letter and a copy of the video on DVD to Mr Stenta in February 2012.

In conclusion I have come to the view that Mr Stenta does not give a toss about the safety of vulnerable road users, and that Mr Schwarz is more concerned about International Energy Services corporate reputation than the safety of vulnerable road users.

A very sad state of affairs when the “reputation” of company becomes more important than a human life, a very sad day indeed.

Roll forward to April 2012 and out of the blue a comment was posted on my blog by Mr Bernie Schwarz, who it turns out is the Regional Operations Manager East / West at International Energy Services. Mr Schwarz comment was

We have used your video in toolbox discussions with the drivers, it is an insightful and usefull learning tool which we will continue to repeat regularly so all of our drivers are reminded of the importance of sharing the road with all users.

Our General Manager also provided you with a reply by email as to the actions to be taken unfortunately you have not chosen to acknowledge this on your website or in correspondence.

While I appreciated at the time that International Energy Services had used (note the tense) my video in “toolbox discussions with the drivers” I was very disturbed by Mr Schwarz criticism of myself; that is this comment:

Our General Manager also provided you with a reply by email as to the actions to be taken unfortunately you have not chosen to acknowledge this on your website or in correspondence.

I pride myself on my practice of providing a right of reply as I value my integrity and  so was very concerned by Mr  Schwarz’s comment.

I undertook a very through search of my emails (they are achieved back some three odd years) for any emails from the email address used by Mr Schwarz, for emails from International Energy Services and for emails from @Cootes.com.au to no avail. I also knew that I had not received a hardcopy response to my letter to Mr Vin Stenta of February 2012 despite providing my physical address, my email address, my web address and my phone number in the letter.

In light of this I felt it appropriate to provide Mr Schwarz an opportunity to clarify his criticism of me before I responded publicly to his comment. Mr Schwarz has been emailed twice in April 2012 and despite his expectations of myself, Mr Schwarz has never bothered to reply those email. It seems Mr Schwarz has some issues with applying what he expects of others to himself.

I also felt it was appropriate to respond in a timely manner to Mr Schwarz’s comment and posted this reply on April 5, 2012.

Thank you for your comment Mr Bernie Schwarz.

As you are aware or should be aware I have some serious concerns with the veracity of your comments and hence have raised those concerns with you privately via email on April 4, 2012.

In light of those concerns I am extending you the courtesy of replying to me in a reasonable period before I make my concerns public in a follow-up post and with Shell Australia Limited whom I understand you provide fuel delivery services for in Western Australia. A courtesy mind you Mr Schwarz not extended to myself either by you or Mr Stenta nor your articulated truck operator in February.

That comment got an email response from Mr Schwarz, unlike the emails! The substance of that response was that Mr Greg Niven, General Manager of  IES Liquids had emailed another person who had a gmail email address, not myself at andrew@aushiker.com. This was despite actually providing ALL my contact details in a hardcopy letter in February 2012. That letter which by the way continues to remain unanswered!

So not only do I have my life put at risk by the International Energy Services operator, I cop criticism for ignoring an email never sent to me! I would hate to think how International Energy Services would have treated my family if their operator had killed me.

Throughout all this not once, yep that is right, not once has Mr Stenta responded to the letter sent him in February 2012, not once has Mr Schwarz actually responded to the emails sent directly to him, and not once has Mr Schwarz shown an ounce of decency and offered to withdraw his unjustified criticism of myself, a criticism made because Mr Niven emailed someone else, not myself! How rude is that?

The only shining light in all of this has been an email from Mr Matthew Taylor which has gone a little way towards acknowledging the very poor handling of this matter. Mr Taylor’s email follows:

Thanks, the easter break was a welcome warm change from this Melbourne weather!

I monitor all IES related communication I come across in an effort to ensure our public profile is maintained. I don’t normally get involved with these matters, however as you addressed me directly, I thought it appropriate I reply.

I’ve just had another meeting with the GM of Cootes (Greg Niven) to try and shed some light on where the communication has fallen over. Clearly, outside of the incident itself, there has been a breakdown of communication and a response was sent to someone whom Greg believed was the rider. As I understand it from the blog comments, Bernie Schwartz also believed you had been responded to directly… although I agree that could have been articulated a little better and directly to you rather than in the forum.

With regard to the incident itself, Greg has confirmed that the driver in question has been spoken to regarding sharing the road with other road users. The silver lining out of this is the Cootes team are using your footage as a training tool in their Toolbox meetings (meetings with the driver group) as it gives a good perspective of the ‘other road users’ we talk about. I’m not a cyclist myself however I have ridden motorbikes for some years so can appreciate what it’s like to be the sometimes ‘unseen’ road user.

My contact details are below should you need them.

I find it staggering and this is the only conclusion I can come to given the events that have unfold that Mr Stenta considers it smart business practice to ignore a letter about a very serious road safety matter and then to standby when his senior staff make matters worse (Mr Stenta has been copied in on all emails) and to do nothing.

In conclusion I have come to the view that Mr Stenta does not give a toss about the safety of vulnerable road users, and that Mr Schwarz is more concerned about International Energy Services corporate reputation than the safety of vulnerable road users.

A very sad state of affairs when the “reputation” of company becomes more important than a human life, a very sad day indeed.

I have taken the rare step of moderating further comment from International Energy Services as I have no desire for further discussions with them. International Energy Services has been given every reasonable chance to respond appropriately and with integrity, regretfully they have not taken taken up that opportunity.

I just hope I never had to experience their dangerous driving again and I really really hope that no family ever has to make the ultimate sacrifice at the hands of an International Energy Services operator.

Please stay safe our our roads; watch out for those green and white fuel tankers delivering fuel for Shell Australia.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

The fourth Australian Cycling Conference was held in Adelaide in January 2012. The organising committee, Australian Cycling Conference Incorporated have kindly released the full conference proceedings which includes full copies of the papers presented to the conference.

There where fourteen papers presented at the Australian Cycling Conference. The papers fall into the following broad categories: cyclist and pedestrian interaction (one paper); participation in cycling (eight papers); and road design and cycling infrastructure (five papers).

Of the papers presented at the Australian Cycling Conference four in particular grabbed my attention. These where the papers by Cumming (2012) on roundabout designs, McDonald (2012) on just how much space to cars really need; Kotsoglo (2012) a Western Australian paper examining the potential of moisturising cycling infrastructure and Puniard (2012) who takes a look at cycle tourists and choice of mapping programs.  The papers and their abstracts are listed below. The full copies of the papers can be download (PDF). Other related research is also available.

Australian Cycling Conference papers

Cyclist and pedestrian interaction

Upton, J. (2012, January). “Can cyclists and pedestrians get along?” How to effectively engage with specific groups of cyclists in order to develop better coexistence between cyclists and pedestrians on shared paths. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Upton (2012) is:

This empirical research was conducted in April 2011 by BikeWise and the City of Sydney as part of the City‘s coexistence campaign between cyclists and pedestrians on shared paths. The City identified a particular group of cyclists as not only hard to reach but also key perpetrators of poor conduct on shared paths. The research sought to explore the world of this group of cyclists in order to understand how to effectively engage with them.

The research methodology used a qualitative approach enabling a discursive exploration of the attitudes, perceptions and opportunities for these cyclists. Two 2-hour mini-group discussions were conducted; one group of ‗club riders‘ (cyclists affiliated to a cycling club), one group of ‘training riders‘ (cyclists with no official club affiliation).

The findings revealed some key opportunities for the City to work more closely with these cyclists. In particular, this club and training cyclists identify themselves as different and do not relate nor associate with ‗other types‘ of cyclists (e.g. commuters, riding for transport), thus communications which reference ‗other cyclists‘ are rarely effective. Although this group of cyclists support the broad goals of ‘more people cycling‘ and the co-existence philosophy, they perceive nothing in the City‘s 2030 plan that benefits them and feel largely ignored by the City‘s communication and infrastructure investments. The absence of a meaningful relationship between this group and the City is at the heart of enabling effective engagement.

Participation in Cycling

Bauman, A., Meron, D. & Rissel, C. (2012, January). “Where have all the bicycles gone?” Are bicycle sales in Australia translated into health-enhancing levels of bicycle usage? Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

Due to restrictions imposed by the Elsevier there is no copy of this paper.

Berridge, G. (2012, January). The impact of the 2007 Tour de France Grand Depart on cycling in London: a review of social and cultural legacy. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Berridge (2012) is:

The impacts of events, both positive and negative, is recognized as occurring in several ways, notably through economic, political, social, environmental and cultural impacts (Bowdin et al, 2010). What is less clear from research is how a host city uses an event strategically to act as a catalyst for urban socio-cultural change, since many events have limited and intangible impact beyond the immediate aftermath of their occurrence. Drawing on a range of secondary material and using five key indicators for successful social and cultural impact (Wood and Thomas, 2006) the paper demonstrates that the bidding, organisation and delivery of the Tour de France Grand Depart was not undertaken in isolation but was contained within a broader strategy to promote and develop cycling in London. The paper documents and charts a series of key initiatives from up to 2011 that have enabled London to make significant interventions in terms of cycling provision and participation. It suggests that the host organisation Transport for London, working under the auspices of the Mayor for London, have implemented a series of post-event initiatives to develop provision and have thus deflected what Chalip (2004) suggests is common of such events: that only immediate benefit accrues with no significant legacy.

Chidoka, O. (2012, January). Cycling as an urban transport solution: Federal Road Safety Corps efforts in Nigeria. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Chidoka (2012) is:

Nigeria‘s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) paper is intended to:

1. give participants the basic benefits in cycling as means of urban transport from Nigeria’s
2. perspective;
3. help participants appreciate the efforts of FRSC in marking acceptable and Nigeria‘s urban
4. centers cycling friendly;
5. invite willing partners to join forces with us in this project.
6. The context for cycling in Nigeria up to the present is that:
7. it is a means of transportation in rural areas from the time of early civilisation. Our parents still
8. use them in the villages today;
9. those who use them did so basically out of necessity rather than a choice for any other
10. purpose, except for those using it for athletics.

When properly planned, it is a convenient means of transport with the lowest cost, for exercising, with no pollution and no traffic jam.

Gordon, G. & Parkin, J. (2012, January). Identifying distinct cycle route typologies from single point bicycle counts. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Gordon & Parkin (2012) is as follows:

Accurate estimation of bicycle traffic volumes and trends is important in transport monitoring and planning. Nationally, the UK government measures levels of cycling activity from information collected through the National Travel Survey (NTS), and from counts which form the National Road Traffic Estimates (NRTE). The Department for Transport has been concerned about monitoring mechanisms for some time and accepts that surveys tend to under-record the level of cycling activity and that the incomplete coverage of surveying of traffic on minor roads and lack of coverage on motor traffic-free routes leads to an under-reporting of cycle use.

The establishment of patterns of cycling for different route types will help in understanding the variability in cycling. Current methods of analysis used for traffic counts are not sufficiently well disaggregated by route type to provide robust estimates for cycle traffic.

This paper investigates available cycle count data from Sustrans, a UK sustainable transport charity, and presents a range of route typologies for cycle traffic based on an analysis of patterns of use by season, day of week, and time of day.

Kretschmer, R. (2012, January). Spatial representations of walking and cycling catchments: adding meaning through local participation. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Kretschmer (2012) is:

In late 2010 Plan B, La Trobe University Student Planners‘ Association, produced ‘Zone B‘ (see liveplanning.net/category/transport/), a walking, cycling and public transport catchment map resource for the city of Bendigo, Victoria. The resource adds context to conventional sustainable and active catchment mapping through community participation, local experience and knowledge.

Plan B has reviewed a selection of existing sustainable transport catchment-based behaviour change map resources and literature. Catchments are typically generated through desktop assessments using simplified, geometric distance-based formulae. This method can lack real meaning and local context, such as local knowledge of shortcuts or physical barriers such as terrain or suitable paths, and is potentially counterproductive.

The project brings together community participation and local knowledge to spatially represent contextual walking and cycling catchments that reflect local conditions. A grant has enabled the group to develop an online video and toolkit that provides community groups and local government with a participative model for engaging their communities with active and sustainable transport behaviour change. The toolkit is innovative and flexible, allowing communities to share results and engage with sustainable and/or active transport in a manner that reflects and is responsive to the local community.  Communities can also use the toolkit to support advocacy to government in the development of walk and cycle supportive environments.

Lumb, P. (2012, January). Cycling, walking and biodiversity: Occupying urban landscapes. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Lumb (2012) is:

This paper notes that in urban Adelaide cycling has to some extent succeeded in occupying the landscape. On-road cycle ways are commonplace, shared use paths edging new major road infrastructure along freeways and expressways have become standard, and disused rail corridors are being occupied for cycling and walking. Australian and South Australian policy developments provide additional opportunities for walking and cycling infrastructure and that is to further occupy a growing number of ‘greenways‘.

The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide was published in February 2010. It posits a ‗new urban form‘.  This will accommodate an expected 350 additional residents per week in ‗greater Adelaide‘ for 30 years, and increase density ‗from 8-11 dwellings per hectare…to closer to the international standard for sustainable densities…of 35 dwellings per hectare‘18 : 2010) Fifteen transit oriented developments are proposed.

Using phrases drawn from The 30-Year Plan it is clear The Plan‟s aim is to protect existing biodiverse native vegetation but also importantly to maintain and improve natural resources: to restore water courses; to adopt water sensitive urban design principles; to provide green buffers which provide visual contrast, to cool, and mitigate urban heat island effects and climate change; to use indigenous species and to increase the extent of functional ecosystems. In and through this new urban ecological form The Plan aims to provide a foundation for a network of connected open spaces

… to provide ‘greenways‘ through which pedestrians and cyclists can travel. Biodiversity and walking and cycling infrastructure are able to be built together. Further South Australian impetus was given to cycling when in September 2011, a new Target ‘Double the number of people cycling in South Australia by 2020‘ was added to the Health targets of the South Australia Strategic Plan (SASP).

Since February 2010, potential impetus has been given to the spread of pedestrian and cycling paths through greenways, due to the introduction of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative [CFI]) Bill, and the proposed Biodiversity Fund of $946 million over six years as part of the Clean Energy Future policy by the Australian Labor-Gillard government. This legislation and policy potentially provide significant new funding sources for continuing pathways‘ occupation of greenways.

It is argued in this paper that The Plan, the SASP, the Bill (CFI) and the Policy (CEF) provide impetus for building in walking and cycling infrastructure to the growing biodiverse green infrastructure to become greenways. Three major urban Adelaide projects are suggested as examples which meet a range of criteria required by The Plan, the CFI Bill and the Biodiversity Fund.

This paper sets out policy developments and discusses the politics required to optimise emerging opportunities for this kind of green infrastructure. This will involve pedestrian and cycling planners and advocates working with diverse others in greater Adelaide in a context where there are more people, more homes, and more pedestrian activity and cycleways, more biodiversity and global warming. This is a complex political and administrative context but one with considerable emerging possibilities for occupying new landscapes for walking and cycling while creating cycling infrastructure of a higher order than now exists.

…landscape restoration is critical for the conservation of biodiversity, the maintenance of ecosystem services and the mitigation of climate change and needs to become the core business of landscape ecology and landscape and urban planning in the 21 st century (Seabrook et al 2011: 409)

Patterson, F. & Radbone, I. (2012, January). Adelaide City Bikes – an alternative public bike model? The potential is exponential: Incentivising provision of cycling facilities. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Patterson & Radbone (2012) is as follows:

Public bicycle hire schemes have evolved since they were first adopted over thirty years ago. They have grown in terms of popularity, sophistication and expense. New technologies have helped to overcome problems that plagued earlier schemes. An essential feature of most modern schemes is that bikes can be hired from many locations, which are unstaffed.

Adelaide City Council established Australia‘s first public bicycle hire scheme in 2005, with 70 bikes that could be hired from the office of BikeSA. The scheme has since grown steadily. In 2010-2011 thescheme involved 16,400 hires from seven nodes, using at least 150 bikes. Adelaide City Bikes is still
small compared with more well-known bike hire schemes, and is limited in that the bicycle must bereturned to the location from which it was hired and nodes themselves must be staffed. Nevertheless it is relatively cheap and has overcome some of the problems faced by bike hire schemes adopted in Melbourne and Brisbane.

The question remains as to whether the Adelaide City Bike scheme can continue to grow incrementally or whether at some point the Council will need to abandon the model for the self-service approach used in other cities.

Puniard, D. (2012, January). Maps for Australian cycle tourists in the online world: who uses them and what content are they looking for? Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Puniard (2012) is:

Many cyclists are making increasing use of mobile communication and navigation devices to plan and record their cycling activity. A number of web mapping tools, such as MapMyRide and Bikely, provide features that were difficult for cyclists to access before the emergence of the social web 2.0. It is possible now with mobile applications to plan rides using online maps, record them on a mobile phone or GPS unit on a ride, share routes with other cyclists and keep a log of all rides, routes, distances and elevation profiles. This paper reports on recent research at the University of Canberra that has explored the use of online technologies by cycle tourists in Australia. The paper briefly explores the definition and scope of cycle tourism and then goes on to identify the online aids that cycle tourists are using and what content they are seeking from these sources, particularly online maps. A total of 671 cyclists responded to an online survey in which they were asked to identify the mapping tools they use and what content they were seeking. This paper reports on the findings of this research, and
identifies some future research opportunities in this space.

Road design and cycling infrastructure

Cumming, B. M. (2012, January). A bicycle friendly roundabout: designing to direct cyclists to ride where drivers look. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Cumming (2012) is as follows:

Roundabouts improve safety by reducing speeds and conflict points, but safety benefits don‘t always extend to cyclists.

Many researchers conclude that cycling on the edge in roundabouts is dangerous; and recommend cycling in the centre of lanes when approaching and negotiating roundabouts.

All crashes occurring at Victorian roundabouts from 2005-2009 are analysed. An entering car striking a circulating cyclist accounts for 82% of crashes involving bicycles and nearly a quarter of all crashes.

Conflict points and conflict paths are considered, comparing cycling in the centre of lanes with cycling along the edge (as a second traffic stream).

Cycling in the middle of the driving lane maximises cyclist visibility to cars, minimises conflict points and reduces likely collision speeds.

The C1 Roundabout is a new single-lane roundabout design concept which provides cues to cyclists to move to the middle of the lane – where drivers are most likely to look. It slows vehicles and aligns them for improved visibility to the right. It is recommended that road authorities review the research about the dangers for cyclists on the edge of roundabouts and revise design guidelines, with circulating bicycle lanes prohibited rather than recommended.

Kotsoglo, P. (2012, January). The potential is exponential: Incentivising provision of cycling facilities. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Kotsoglo (2012) is as follows:

In many parts of Australia and other western countries, we are overly reliant upon the car and we are excessively car orientated. Automobile Politics has been explained in detail by many with Patterson providing an extensive insight.

The paper looks at the planning system and provisions of planning schemes, including those relating to parking and cycling facilities in Western Australia. Whilst it primarily focuses upon the planning system in Western Australia, the aim of the paper is to enhance the integration of the bicycle into our daily travel routine, so it becomes part of our daily life. So that cycling becomes the first real first choice for our short (mechanical) journeys.

The paper looks at the cost of transport (parking) infrastructure, and considers the alternatives available, along with the benefits of broadening the opportunity to choose cycling as an option for the preferred transport mode of choice for the community.

The paper makes recommendations for cycle planning and policy. The paper makes recommendations to alter the orientation of the statutory regime to create an environment where developers and government authorities want to provide cycling facilities. The aim of the paper is to produce an environment which makes it more commercial, or beneficial economically to provide cycling facilities. It is envisaged the recommendations will, in part, make cycling a more attractive transport option, through improving the applicable statutory and financial regimes.

McDonald, A. (2012, January). A car is 1.9m wide. How much extra space does it really need? Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for McDonald (2012) is:

The paper summarises the innovative approach that the City of Yarra has been undertaking in the last decade to implement non-standard facilities in order to improve conditions for cyclists. This has beendone by calming traffic, reallocating roadspace, implementing 40km/hr speed limits on 90% of local
roads and various other non-standard treatments. Together, these measures aim to provide a more conducive environment for cycling.

Yarra has largely ignored the Australian Guidelines by implementing 2.5m wide traffic lane widths, significantly lower than that suggested in the Australian Guidelines. This innovative approach has meant that Yarra has been able to install bicycle lanes, most of which are wider than 1.5m, on approximately 35kms of Yarra‘s streets These changes have been achieved through an incremental implementation of road space reallocation and the use of ‗Yarra Standards‘. While the Australian Guidelines, designed essentially for greenfields sites, state that the minimum width of a traffic lane should be 3.0m, Yarra has typically implemented 2.5-2.8m traffic lanes. This method has allowed Yarra to install wide bicycle lanes while traditional doctrine would dictate that either no bicycle lane or only a narrow bicycle lane could be provided. These works have meant that vehicle tracking has become more consistent, traffic speed lowered and cyclists given more separation thus creating a safer environment for all users.

The roadspace reallocation has been implemented incrementally in the last 10 years whenever a road was relinemarked and has resulted in 6.4% of Yarra residents cycling to work in 2006. As works have been ‗low impact‘ and implemented gradually it has meant that very little consultation has been
required, little parking has been lost and no negative publicity has been received. Due to the high quality facilities in Yarra and the resultant improvements in cyclist numbers, Yarra is now able to start to remove parking to begin the next phase of improving bicycle facilities in Yarra.

McGill, A. & Zwart, J. (2012, January). All things considered: Developing a holistic and all encompassing assessment system for evaluating prospective active transport infrastructure. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for McGill & Zwart (2012) is as follows:

There are many ways to decide if something is worthwhile. You can undertake an intense ‘pros and cons‘ process, you can ask people what they think, you can consider the relative costs, you can even toss a coin! But as the demand for cycling infrastructure increases, governments are finding that determining a robust, efficient and reliable way to ensure that the most worthwhile facilities are delivered has become a challenge. But such a system exists. And not only does it work, but is adaptable and implementable for a range of contexts and needs.

The paper outlines this assessment system, explaining the process undertaken, analysis and outcomes, as well as providing an insight into how the capital works and grants processes in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have been developed. The assessment system can be applied to other jurisdictions and it is hoped that the knowledge of this assessment system will help start a conversation about the prioritisation of, and investment in, active transport infrastructure.

Patterson, F. (2012, January). What went wrong? A review of Adelaide City Council’s Sturt Street trial. Paper presented at the 4th Australian Cycling Conference 2012, Adelaide, South Australia.

The abstract for Patterson (2012) is:

In 2009, Adelaide City Council began the trial of a separated bicycle lane in Sturt Street, Adelaide – a style of facility often described as a ‘Copenhagen-style‘ bicycle lane. Overseas experience suggests that in order to increase the modal share of cycling to double-digit levels, such separated bicycle facilities are necessary in our cities to address cyclists‘ (and, more specifically, non-cyclists‘) safety concerns. However, the trial was deemed a failure and the separated bicycle lane abandoned after less than 9 months of the 12-month trial period.

This failure has been noted amongst other jurisdictions also considering separated bicycle lanes, and raises questions for those intending to implement similar treatments as part of creating cities for cycling.

So, what went wrong? Is it, as suggested by one Councillor, that the attitudes and culture of South Australians are just too different to those of Europeans? Or were there other factors at work? This paper, based on one presented at the AITPM National Conference in 2011, looks at publicly available evidence to critically examine the Sturt Street separated bicycle lane experience. This review indicates systemic failure in the trial process and provides pointers to avoiding the headwinds that were encountered by the Sturt Street trial.

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts on the papers presented at the Australian Cycling Conference with the rest of us.

Have any of the papers caught your interest? Do you agree with the author’s conclusions? Is research a waste of time or does it promote cycling; safer cycling? Please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

The George Institute for Global Health has a released a paper titled The Pedal Study: Factors Associated with bicycle crashes and injury severity in the ACT which summarises the findings of a study into the characteristics of bicycle crashes in different cycling environments in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the investigation into the type and severity of injuries associated with the type of clothing worn. The objective of the study is inform strategies to reduce bicycle crashes and the severity of the associated injury.

The pedal study has been released as a final report with a July 2011 publication date.

Continue reading …

The pedal study by Liz De Rome, Soufiane Boufous, Teresa Senserrick, Dre Richardson and Rebecca Ivers concluded that …

[T]his study confirms the value of on-road lanes reserved exclusively for cyclists as a means of reducing their crash and injury rates but raises questions as to the safety of cycling on shared paths and pedestrian areas.

The number of crashes involving pedestrians and the relatively high speeds of some of the cyclists on shared paths and footpaths suggests that the regulation of cycling in shared areas should be reviewed, formally recognized as a part of the road reserve and appropriate speed limits applied. Such measures would be in the interests of cyclists and pedestrians, as cyclists who crashed on shared paths sustained higher average injury severity scores than those injured in any other road environment.

The high proportion of crashes between cyclists is also a matter of concern as almost half of all multi-vehicle crashes were between bicycles. Whereas better traffic management such as centre lines and warning signs on shared paths should reduce such conflicts, it is apparent that behavioural factors such as speed and riding in close packed groups should also be addressed. Other cyclist dependent factors associated with crashes included alcohol, usage of shoe cleats, carrying unbalanced loads such as back packs and shopping bags and poor bicycle maintenance. 

The study found that full body coverage including gloves, shoes, long sleeved tops and full length pants, regardless of the materials used, provided a significant benefit in preventing or reducing injuries. 

Consideration should be given to undertaking a large population study (i.e. Case control study) to examine risk factors of cyclist crashes in the ACT in order to identify appropriate countermeasures. The study would provide an opportunity to further examine the incidence of conflicts with pedestrians and the impact of factors such as alcohol use, helmet use, road infrastructure, protective and conspicuous clothing on cyclist crash and injury risk.

For those interested in the paper, a copy can be download here (PDF) and a list of related research can be found here.  The full citation for the paper is:

De Rome, L., Boufous, S., Senserrick, T,, Richardson, D., & Ivers, R. (2011). The pedal study: Factors Associated with bicycle crashes and injury severity in the ACT.  The George Institute for Global Health.

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts on the Pedal Study with the rest of us.

I am always interested in feedback on such studies so please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

The Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA) is running a petition titled “Fight for 10c back on bottles and cans.” This is a call for 10 cent refunds on glass, aluminium and plastic discarded drink containers.

The Northern Territory gets it right on drink container recycling

From a cyclists perspective such a 10-cent recycling refund for drink container scheme has the potential to reduce broken glass and other hazards so frequently found on shared paths and in the shallows on roads. I am sure we all are familiar with the good old glass introduced flat tyre.

Such a scheme as the 10-cent recycling refund for drink container has the potential to reduce the risks for cyclists but it also has greater positives for both the environment and the community.

As the Conservation Council of Western Australia points out, South Australia has achieved some great outcomes with their discarded drink container recycling program. These outcomes include:

• A recycling rate four times that of Western Australia’s
• Support for charities and community groups – South Australian Scouts raise more than $9 million are year by collecting bottles and cans
• Creation of employment opportunities.

Please consider supporting this petition. If you wish you can sign the petition at the Conservation Council of Western Australia website. The wording of the petition/email is as follows:

I wish to make comment on the Packaging Impacts Consultation Regulation Impact Statement

I believe that a 10-cent recycling refund for drink containers is the only effective way to tackle Australia’s growing problem with packaging waste and litter.

The beverage industry’s alternative – placing recycling bins in public places – will not work and cannot take the place of a proven recycling refund solution that is already working in many countries.

Placing recycling bins in public places will do nothing to reduce litter. These bins become contaminated and vandalised and are a huge burden on the finances of local government. On the other hand, a recycling refund scheme will save money for local councils, reduce litter and pay people to do the right thing when they recycle.

For years, under the National Packaging Covenant, recycling targets have not been met. We cannot let ineffective solutions and flawed industry schemes distract us any longer.

The Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) makes it clear the main packaging problem is beverage containers with overall recycling well below 50%, and away-from-home recovery at about 22%.  Beverage containers need to be the priority for action.

A container deposit scheme will cost less than half a cent per container and will generate new sustainable recycling industries, jobs and investments. A recycling refund scheme also has the potential to support a network of recycling drop-off centres that could be used to collect electronic goods and other valuable waste material for recycling.

The RIS says a container deposit scheme is expensive because it requires investment in new infrastructure – but this is investment by the private sector in recycling systems, which should be encouraged instead of treated as a cost.

It’s important for the community to participate in recycling, but they have to know it will benefit the environment. Only a container deposit scheme delivers clean material for recycling so we can save maximum energy and resources and reduce pollution globally and in our communities.

In the meantime if you see a hazard to cyclists on the road and paths including broken glass, please report it. There are a number of reporting options all documented here. Personally I use Neatstreets which is an application on my Google Nexus smartphone.  This means I can report the hazard  at the time I come across it, without having to remember the details for later on. Only takes a moment or two.

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts on the call for a container deposit scheme with the rest of us.

I am always interested in others views so please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

The Bibbulmun Track could celebrate the best of Perth reads the headline of the comment piece by Frank Roberts in the April 19, 2012 edition of the West Australian. Frank Roberts is Perth architect and planner according to the footnote to the article, but there is no mention of his experience as a bushwalker or what his experience is, if any is of bushwalking or the Bibbulmun Track, but it seems that Mr Roberts expertise as an architect and planner have encouraged him to share his vision on the Bibbulmun Track.

Ball Creek Campsite Bibbulmun Track

I am not sure what to make of Mr Robert’s opinion piece. I initially thought it might have been a call to extend the Bibbulmun Track though to the Walyunga National Park and then west connecting to the Coastal Plains Walk Trail and possibility on to the coast, but alas it is instead a suggestion of extending the Bibbulmun Track into the Perth CBD and then on to the coast.

Is this really want we want of our premier bushwalking track? For sure lets encourage the development of more walking trails and greenways, but please lets be careful to not degrade the integrity of the Bibbulmun Track. Do you want to camp in the CBD? Maybe in the flight path of the airport along the river? Suburban camping your idea of getting away from it all?

Seriously I think Mr Roberts may want to stick to planning buildings and not walking tracks; I am not sure he has a real grasp of what a track like the Bibbulmun Track is about.

On a positive note it is good to see discussion of this sort. We need more of it! Maybe it will spur consideration of some valid development of the Bibbulmun Track. Personally I would love to see it connected to the Coastal Plains Walk Trail or at least extended into Walyunga National Park.

The Bibbulmun Track article in the West

The article as published in the West Australian on page 20 of the April 19, 2012 edition does not appear to be online so I have reproduced the body of the article here for your reading pleasure. Frank Roberts however has the substance of his commentary piece on his blog here.

In 1972, the planners of the Bibbulmun Track conceived a walk from Albany to Lancelin, and when you look at a map of the current track, the northern terminus at Kalamunda seems an odd place to end what is becoming one of the great walks of the world.

Perth remains so tantalisingly close. Overseas and interstate visitors would surely appreciate the walk being extended to take in the urban landscape of a major city. It’s not as if Perth isn’t a pretty place to walk through or that there isn’t a green trail (of sorts) already through the metropolitan area.

There is an opportunity to link the Indian Ocean through Perth to the Southern Ocean and create a trail which will be of use to Perth residents as well as walkers of the track. It would mean adding a few green ways to make the route continuous, and would extend the track, currently 963km from Albany to Kalamunda, to more than 1000km.

It also seems odd that the track has adopted the wagyl as its symbol and track marker and then ignored Perth. According to Noongar culture, the wagyl is a snakelike dreamtime creature responsible for the creation of the Swan and Canning rivers, as well as other waterways and landforms around present day Perth. And the wagyl reputedly appointed the Noongar as guardians of the land.

Legend has it that the wagyl slithered over the land, his track shaped the sand dunes, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, he created bays and lakes. Piles of rocks are said to be his droppings, and such sites are considered sacred. As he moved, his scales scraped off and become the forests and woodlands of the region.

As the wagyl is strongly associated with rivers and lakes such as Lake Monger, and is supposed to reside deep beneath springs, perhaps the route through Perth should follow its waterways.

Western suburbs councils are researching pedestrian trails, with one interesting possibility being a Swanbourne/Bold Park/Underwood Avenue/Kings Park route.

A route through central Perth could enliven the city, celebrate the landscape of a green city and perhaps influence the final planning of open space around Perth Waterfront and the location of the pedestrian link to the planned Burswood stadium.

East of the city to Burswood it could take in Langley Park, Heirisson Island and its Aboriginal connections. West of the city, it could traverse Kings Park, hopefully by way of a better link than climbing Jacob’s Ladder. What about a cable car system based on the one in Wellington or in Bergen, Norway?Through Kings Park, Shenton Park and Underwood Avenue bushland, Bold Park and you’re at Swanbourne.

By adding a few green footbridges over busy roads, the Southern and Indian Oceans have been linked.

A trail through to Fremantle is an alternative. It could hug the banks of the rivers (Helena, Canning and Swan) from Guildford to the port city, taking people through barely known tracts of riverside beauty east of Perth.

Perth desperately needs to add to its stock of hotel rooms, and walk trails through the city and suburbs could encourage the growth of bed and breakfast accommodation.

A smorgasbord of tracks allows for choice with one officially being designated as an extension to the Bibbulmun Track.

The gain to Perth will be a network of pedestrian links, an encouragement to walk, to appreciate the scenery and discover new places, to better understand Aboriginal and colonial culture and heritage and to feel pride in a connected city.

The Bibbulmun Track was opened in 1979 and was extended and re-routed in 1988. What better way to celebrate its 35th birthday in October 2014 by investing the next two years in planning and implementing an extension through Perth?

Resources/References

• Urban Bibbulmun – Frank Roberts opinion piece on his blog
• Bibbulmun Track Foundation

Your Turn To Talk

I hope you liked this post! Please do stop by the comment section below and share your thoughts on the Frank Robert’s vision for the Bibbulmun Track with the rest of us.

Has Frank Roberts got it right? Have I got it wrong? Are there better ideas? Please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia

Blokes on Spokes workshops are a new development in the City of Stirling following on from their successful Women on Wheels program.

Blokes on Bikes - Source: Bicycle Transport Alliance

The City of Stirling is holding its first Blokes on Spokes workshops on Sunday May 5, 2012 between 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM with follow-up workshops on  Sunday May 20 and 27, 2012 between 9:00 AM and 12:20 PM and 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM. So plenty of options there.

The City of Stirling is also holding “Rusty Cyclists” workshops for those who haven’t ridden in a long time.  The Rusty Cyclists workshops are being held on Sunday May 20, 2012 between 9:00 AM  to 12.30 PM and between  1:00 PM to 4.30 PM and again on Sunday May 27, 2012 between 9:00 AM  to 12.30 PM and between  1:00 PM to 4.30 PM.  So four workshop times for rusty cyclists.

The cost for each workshop is $15.00 for City of Stirling residents and $30 for each worksop for those blokes who live outside the City of Stirling.

Interested readers can register for the workshops by visiting the City of Stirling website.

The idea of the Blokes on Spokes workshops are for men of all ages to get together with liked minded men to improve their riding skills or those who haven’t ridden in years to get a handle on the “deadly treadly” again.  I think this is a great initiative by the City of Stirling and whilst I am often a critic of the City and its dealings with cycling infrastrcuture I am happy to give them my full support with this initiative.

I hope these first workshops become regular events and other Councils follow suit.

My thanks to Joanne Burgess the Travelsmart Officer at the City of Stirling for fulling in the details for this posting.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aushiker: Bicycling & Bushwalking in Western Australia