More signs & wonders

Herald Sun: Get on your bike, says Abbott
http://tinyurl.com/2gflpn

Australians will be happier and healthier if they ditch the car in
favour of a bicycle for short trips, according to federal Health
Minister Tony Abbott.

But that will happen only if more money is spent building better
cycling infrastructure, he said.

Mr Abbott was speaking at the launch of the cycling industry's new
discussion paper, entitled Cycling - Moving Australia Forward - at
Parliament House in Canberra.

Members of Australia's main bicycle organisations and lobby groups
swapped lycra and helmets for suits and dresses to attend the launch,
using the occasion to hand the government a list of demands prior to
the federal election.

Among them, cyclists want more money for new bike paths and
commonwealth funding for its national "ride to work" and "ride to
school" days.

Mr Abbott announced a $30,000 grant for the Cycling Promotion Fund to
investigate how people can be encouraged to make the switch from four
wheels to two.

More people taking up cycling could "improve the quality of our cities
... our own health and ... our personal lives", he said.

Mr Abbott said 50 years ago Australians commonly used bikes as their
ordinary means of transport.

"Ten per cent of urban journeys were made by bike in 1950," Mr Abbott
said.

"Today, less than one per cent of urban journeys are made by bike.

"Fifty per cent of all car journeys are of less than five kilometres'
duration, which means that there is considerable potential for at least
some of those journeys to be made safely and in a much healthier way by
bike."

Mr Abbott also said major new roads should accommodate cyclists "either
with dedicated bike paths or with shoulders that are wide enough to give
cyclists the safety and security they deserve".

Bicycle Industries Australia chairman Noel McFarlane listed four "big
reasons" why governments should embrace cycling.

Getting people out from behind the steering wheel and onto a pushbike
would help combat climate change, obesity, road congestion and rising
fuel costs, he said.

"The upcoming federal election is an opportunity for the country to
embrace the benefits that the bicycle offers," Mr McFarlane said.


--
cfsmtb

On Aug 9, 7:08 pm, cfsmtb cfsmtb.2v1...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com wrote:


Herald Sun: Get on your bike, says Abbotthttp://tinyurl.com/2gflpn

Australians will be happier and healthier if they ditch the car in
favour of a bicycle for short trips, according to federal Health
Minister Tony Abbott.

But that will happen only if more money is spent building better
cycling infrastructure, he said.

Mr Abbott was speaking at the launch of the cycling industry's new
discussion paper, entitled Cycling - Moving Australia Forward - at
Parliament House in Canberra.

Members of Australia's main bicycle organisations and lobby groups
swapped lycra and helmets for suits and dresses to attend the launch,
using the occasion to hand the government a list of demands prior to
the federal election.

Among them, cyclists want more money for new bike paths and
commonwealth funding for its national "ride to work" and "ride to
school" days.

Mr Abbott announced a $30,000 grant for the Cycling Promotion Fund to
investigate how people can be encouraged to make the switch from four
wheels to two.

More people taking up cycling could "improve the quality of our cities
... our own health and ... our personal lives", he said.

Mr Abbott said 50 years ago Australians commonly used bikes as their
ordinary means of transport.

"Ten per cent of urban journeys were made by bike in 1950," Mr Abbott
said.

"Today, less than one per cent of urban journeys are made by bike.

"Fifty per cent of all car journeys are of less than five kilometres'
duration, which means that there is considerable potential for at least
some of those journeys to be made safely and in a much healthier way by
bike."

Mr Abbott also said major new roads should accommodate cyclists "either
with dedicated bike paths or with shoulders that are wide enough to give
cyclists the safety and security they deserve".

Bicycle Industries Australia chairman Noel McFarlane listed four "big
reasons" why governments should embrace cycling.

Getting people out from behind the steering wheel and onto a pushbike
would help combat climate change, obesity, road congestion and rising
fuel costs, he said.

"The upcoming federal election is an opportunity for the country to
embrace the benefits that the bicycle offers," Mr McFarlane said.

--
cfsmtb

Absolutely right.

I'm inclined to think that people expand to fit the cars they buy, if
observation
is any guide. Cars are very unhealthy.

On Aug 9, 7:08 pm, cfsmtb cfsmtb.2v1...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com wrote:

Getting people out from behind the steering wheel and onto a pushbike
would help combat climate change, obesity, road congestion and rising
fuel costs, he said.

I was in Canberra today. There was a billboard truck driving about,
nasty dieselly thing. The board said, "Mr Howard asleep at the wheel
on climate change". WTF? Cough cough.

cfsmtb wrote:


Herald Sun: Get on your bike, says Abbott
http://tinyurl.com/2gflpn

Australians will be happier and healthier if they ditch the car in
favour of a bicycle for short trips, according to federal Health
Minister Tony Abbott.

But that will happen only if more money is spent building better
cycling infrastructure, he said.


How does cycling infrastructure, and I assume that means bike lanes ,
make much difference to using the bike for short trips? It's kind of
like saying drivers need more arterial roads and freeways to go to the
shop. I'd say what stops people using bikes for short trips is laziness.
Infrastructure won't change that.

Bike lanes and bike paths encourage people to get out and do some
exercise, but I can't see them encouraging people to replace the car for
short trips.

DaveB

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:43:10 +1000
DaveB wrote:

How does cycling infrastructure, and I assume that means bike lanes ,
make much difference to using the bike for short trips? It's kind of
like saying drivers need more arterial roads and freeways to go to the
shop. I'd say what stops people using bikes for short trips is laziness.
Infrastructure won't change that.

depends....

I'm a rider who is confident in traffic, so I don't need a bike lane
on my local shopping street or the roads leading to it.

Most of the people who ride bikes to the shops here ride on the
footpath rather than mix with the cars.

Zebee

Donga wrote:
I was in Canberra today. There was a billboard truck driving about,
nasty dieselly thing. The board said, "Mr Howard asleep at the wheel
on climate change". WTF? Cough cough.

You were? Why didn't you pop by and say hello? ;-)


BTH

BT Humble Wrote:


You were? Why didn't you pop by and say hello? ;-)

Dunno maybe donga was busy & important? Although he made time to catch
up with us while in Melboring.

BTW - D, did post that stuff to you. Maybe the Aus Post Gods were
displeased or something.


--
cfsmtb

cfsmtb wrote:


Herald Sun: Get on your bike, says Abbott
http://tinyurl.com/2gflpn

Australians will be happier and healthier if they ditch the car in
favour of a bicycle for short trips, according to federal Health
Minister Tony Abbott.

But that will happen only if more money is spent building better
cycling infrastructure, he said.
----
Mr Abbott announced a $30,000 grant for the Cycling Promotion Fund to
investigate how people can be encouraged to make the switch from four
wheels to two.

Wowie-Zowie. $30K! That's err, that's nearly $0.0015 per head of population.

More people taking up cycling could "improve the quality of our cities
.. our own health and ... our personal lives", he said.

Mr Abbott said 50 years ago Australians commonly used bikes as their
ordinary means of transport.

"Ten per cent of urban journeys were made by bike in 1950," Mr Abbott
said.

"Today, less than one per cent of urban journeys are made by bike.

The stats in Perth say just over 8% of urban journeys are by bicycle.
Doesn't anyone in any other State ride then?

Bicycle Industries Australia chairman Noel McFarlane listed four "big
reasons" why governments should embrace cycling.

Getting people out from behind the steering wheel and onto a pushbike
would help combat climate change, obesity, road congestion and rising
fuel costs, he said.

Ahh, so fuel will be cheaper if less people use it then?

"The upcoming federal election is an opportunity for the country to
embrace the benefits that the bicycle offers," Mr McFarlane said.

Fuggen politics. Nothing to see here people, please move along.

Theo

Herald Sun: Get on your bike, says Abbott
http://tinyurl.com/2gflpn

Ironic that the country seems to be telling Abbott and Co to get on theirs.

re bike lanes, they are only part of the solution, or part of the problem
if they are done like they usually are, cutting out when you most need them,
too narrow or not going where you want to go etc. Probably rising oil prices
will be the major shifter - govts will eventually have to start some serious
rethinking of how we transport ourselves, either that or cycling will just
continue to grow because people see the sense in it. Once we've got the
numbers we can look after ourselves and sod the pollies. Fat lot of use most
of them have been.

fb in sydnee

Fractal Wrote:
Fat lot of use most
of them have been.

To the barricades comrades!

Ah come on Bob, from your involvement over the years, surely you'd be
able to come up with something more pithy than that.


--
cfsmtb