NSW Liberal Party: Supporting cycling
Posted March 2nd, 2007 in The Desk
It’s election time and the NSW Liberals have recently presented their policy paper on cycling. It’s a pretty good document that starts with an obvious premise; that cycling should be made a viable transport option, and touches on most of the motherhood issues that concern cyclists in the state. Here is the document stripped of it’s opening and closing statements. I’ll comment later.
Update: The full policy document can now be found at Peter Shmigel’s site. While you’re there check out his home page image. Nice.
THE NSW LIBERAL/NATIONALS COALITION PLAN TO SUPPORT CYCLING
The NSW Liberal/Nationals Coalition has developed a comprehensive plan to support and promote cycling in NSW.
CYCLING TARGETS
• An increase in cycling usage up by 100 per cent by 2011, particularly by growing the number of regular cyclist commuters.
• A 10 per cent reduction in cycle-related accidents by 2011, particularly through the provision of improved infrastructure.
CYCLING INSTITUTIONS
• Establish the Cycling Unit in the Transport portfolio to promote the interests and benefits of cycling on a “whole of government” basis across agencies, and including local government. The NSW Liberal/Nationals Coalition proposal to re-shape government into nine departments will achieve real and practical integration of policy and management. The NSW Coalition will also abolish the RTA and transfer it’s necessary functions to other departments and agencies to ensure greater accountability and community focus.
• Review and revitalize the Bicycle Advisory Council – linked to the Cycling Unit - as a key advisory and strategic group consisting of external experts and stakeholders.
• Require a public annual report by the Cycling Unit covering actions taken by all government agencies to promote cycling, including provision of new infrastructure.
• Track expenditure on cycling as a line item in the NSW Budget Papers.
• Encourage and facilitate Local Government Area Bicycling Plans by all Councils in NSW and particularly foster regional linkages between Councils.
• Support key cycling events, such as Ride to Work Day, the Big Ride, and Sydney Spring Cycle.
CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE
• Deliver a cycling network for NSW and Sydney that is coherent, direct, safe, attractive and comfortable
• Conduct a comprehensive review of Bike Plan 2010 – together with Bicycle NSW and local Bicycle User Groups (BUGs) - to identify what uncompleted on-road and off-road cycleways and other infrastructure should be prioritised to improve cycling network coverage and density, particularly for cycle commuting.
• Require transport authorities to provide cycleways wherever possible in new road developments.
• Promote understanding and skills in government infrastructure and planning agencies to ensure greater consideration of cycling in the design and maintenance of roads, footpaths, parks and developments.
• Audit the current status of “rail trails” and develop strategy for their further construction in order to leverage their regional economic and tourism potential.
• Support to the City of Sydney’s proposal to develop a major “bike hub” within the CBD including bicycle parking, change room facilities, bicycle hire/bank, and bicycle repairs.
• Review current design and construction standards and professional training for bike lanes, cycle crossings, and cycleways to achieve improved cyclist safety and better shared usage of roads.
• Fund an expert review of cycling-related accident data since 2000 – including RTA and NSW Health - to better understand causes and to recommend safety improvements.
• Establish a “black spot / black length” on-line registration system through the Cycling Unit for the use of BUGs, individual cyclists and others and conduct an annual safety audit.
CYCLING INCENTIVES
• Examine, trial, and where appropriate implement, initiatives that provide greater incentive to regularly cycle, including:
o Installation of “bike banks” in major CBD areas of NSW (as per the initiative in Lyon, France where a commercial provider of street furniture is required to do so as part of a contractual arrangement).
o Removal of charges to bicycles taken onto the public transport system during off-peak and weekend periods.
o Increasing bicycle storage / areas at public transport nodes and on public transport vehicles, (such as bike racks on some buses or designated areas on some trains).
o Incentives, sponsorship and partnership projects for business on: provision of “end of trip” / change room facilities; provision of bicycle parking / storage; salary packaging for purchase of commuter bicycles; reimbursement for staff using bicycles for business meetings, and; provision of shared bike fleets.
o Making Government offices more “cyclist commuter friendly”.
o An accreditation scheme that enables businesses to qualify for government incentives by adopting “cyclist commuter friendly” practice.
• Promote “bike-buses” of cyclist commuters from key suburbs in Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong as a commuter alternative.
• Conduct an awareness and education campaign on the benefits of cycling commuting with a particular emphasis on reaching out to women as new riders.
• Promote “bike-buses” of cyclist commuters from key suburbs in Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong as a commuter alternative.
• Promote regional cycling tourism in coordination with Councils and tourism stakeholders, using the ‘Big Ride’ as a model.
• Investigate increased mountain biking opportunities in the State estate (excluding National Parks where it is currently banned).
• Conduct a holistic cost/benefit analysis of cycling in NSW, including its social, environmental, health and other benefits.
• Based on improved social research, better target road safety educational initiatives to promote shared and tolerant road usage between cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians, with a particular emphasis on young male riders who tend to be most likely to be involved in accidents.
• Enforce the law in terms of road sharing. Enforce the law in terms of illegal protests using bicycles.
• Better integrate cycling promotion with educational activities by NSW Health, schools, and other fitness/health stakeholders.
technorati tags: cycling, bicycles, nsw, liberals, policy
What others have to say…
Sorry Tim, no link, the document was e-mailed to me and has actually been released by the Libs but they haven’t posted it anywhere yet.
I spent a bit of time looking through their websites for it so I could pass on a link but no go.
Wow. I’m pretty sure neither of the main U.S. political parties include anything about cycling in their platforms, even at the state level. Even the U.S. Green Party Platform on transportation is a fairly anemic and vague “spend money on bike paths” statement. Ralph Nader believes bicycling in traffic is dangerous and refuses to ride a bike.
Peter Shmigel (the Lib candidate in Balmain who put the Policy together) said it should be available by Monday on the website
At the very least it is great to see that cycling is being viewed here as a viable transport option and not just as a recreational or sporting activity.
The RTA already has a very comprehensive document that has been distributed to all Councils that deals with the issues of making roads, paths, driveways, roundabouts, etc cylcing-friendly. In general it is a great resource, that, unfortunately, mostly Councils seem to ignore. However, BURSTBUG has found that if you bring the document to their attention during the planning process, they will make the necessary changes.
As an aside, I’ve seen Peter Schmigel riding his bike around so at least he has some experience of cycling in the inner west and would have some first hand knowledge of what it is like at the moment.
I agree this is a good doc from the POV of how it views cycling, good on Peter Schmigel for getting this up.
What I’d really like to see is the Libs post this up on their site in a way that allows comments.
Bah, pissweak. Nothing in there that would make the Libs worth voting for. I resent the Daily Telegraph inspired reference to bicycle protests. The line about the national parks reminds me of the 4wd lobby.
This is a nice little policy, but seriously: is it more than an hour’s work, and is it anything more than a motherhood statement that says ‘bikes are good, we should support them’?
A set of bullet points like this could have been cobbled together from some BUG websites and other documetns in no time at all.
So nice to know they care. It would be nicer if this was more than a PR exercise.
Jake, see my following point by point post on the incentives for a take on the protest line. Agreed, it sucks.
Simon, agreed it’s pretty obvious that we could do most of this on the back of an coaster at the pub, but as you say, it’s the thought that counts.
It’s not the saying, it’s the doing.
I like to see this stuff, but with churning governments, I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets left behind. The best thing about it is the increased infrastructure. That alone will be inviting to people that want to use their bike.
Second, there should be an aggregated effort amongst those in the cycling community to provide more incentive to bike. Get the rest of the community involved as well:
bikething.org
Cheers
Thanks everyone for the comments. On-going dialogue about cycling issues and policy is very much welcome. A key element of the policy approach is bringing the cycling community “back to the table” in terms of Government processes. In terms of posting the policy, it will hopefully be up on websites later today. If you want to contact me about anything, my mobile is 0419 163 668 and my email is peter.shmigel@nsw.liberal.org.au.
Thanks for commenting here Peter, it’s nice to see the Libs put this up. It’s a good policy, but as I mentioned in an earlier comment, it’s the doing, not the talking.
Obviously the devil is in the detail, particularly your stuff about the RTA breakup, I found that really interesting and a particularly difficult proposition given it’s position as the biggest state instrumentality.
The policy position in breaking up the RTA has definite merit assuming a broader transport authority is created.
WA went through similar steps when it removed the privileged position of its Roads Authority and created a sustainable transport authority in its place.
Abolishing Roads Authorities can be done and as seen in Perth it has led to revitalisation of sustainable transport.
Contrast this to Victoria where VicRoads (the roads authority) has its own direct access to the Minister and it is little wonder why sustainable transport seems like an afterthought for too many Australian Governments.
Alex Makin
Maybe this will spur the Libs in Victoria to do more.
Not bad policy. Obviously at least one NSW Lib policy analyst has credibility — and cycles.
Yea!
The Libs policy is now on Peters site
http://www.petershmigel.com.au/about/about_peter/coalition_cycling_policy.html
What exactly is the “illegal bike protest” referred to in the Lib policy? One poor cyclist riding the wrong way up a one way street because there is no other way, or giving the finger to a motorist who has cut them off, etc? It cant be Critical Mass because they have had police approval and assistance for years (with some slight arguments and tactical moves here and there). It would be good to get a police rep to comment on this. CM conforms to the law in that you need to notify police of a public gathering, whether it is for a “protest” or for a procession, street party or whatever.
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Have you a link to the actual policy on their website? I cant seem to find anything.
Tim