Hobart Rides, February 2009
February 28, 2009
Hobart put on some fantastic weather once again for a ride following the same route as in January around the CBD and then down through Sandy Bay and back up through Battery Point to Salamanca.
The count of riders came to approx. 150 which included a wonderful mix of people and included a group of riders from the 2009 Diabetes Tasmania ‘Pollie Pedal’. Liberal Senator for Tasmania, Guy Barnett, addressed the group and spoke of the importance of promoting active lifestyles.
A small selection of fresh fruit was available during the gathering period and three small bike lights where distributed as spot prizes.
The ride was the 12th in a row since February 2008, which kicked off a consistent gathering of bicycle users every month since.
All riders are to be commended for their patience and positive attitudes despite the slow pace.
Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgqG7IRE6xo
All photographs courtesy of Jack Robert-Tissot of Collective Photographic: http://collectivephotographic.com.au/index.html
Gear up for this Friday
February 23, 2009
Join Hobart cyclists (young, old and in between), for the monthly Courteous Critical Mass Bike Ride this Friday 27th Feb. Chat away through 50 minutes of gentle riding around Hobart, Sandy Bay and Battery Point to finish at Salamanca Square for refreshments. Meet at 5.15pm on Franklin Square to celebrate bike riding as a healthy, fun and sustainable form of transport and recreation.
Sun Shines on Hobart’s January Ride (aka courteous critical mass)
February 6, 2009
Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne adresses the riders
Commuters, downhill mountain junkies, families, road bikers and police cycled through a sun kissed Hobart for the first time in 2009 on Friday January 30th. The diverse range of approximately 80 participants enjoyed a fresh route through Sandy Bay and Battery Point.
The monthly ride has maintained high numbers over the past year with representation from all political parties and various grass roots organisations.
Turning into Sandy Bay Rd
Ready to Roll
Nursing student, Katie Kingshott of the University of Tasmania said “I love attending Courteous Critical Mass. It’s a fun way to celebrate the many health, environmental and social benefits of bike riding and helps to build a sense of community”. Riders were treated with fresh apricots from nearby Newtown as well as free puncture kits and reflective tape.
A rider reflects his intelligence
Healthy Transport Hobart spokesboy Liam Correy said he was “thrilled with the positive vibe and the cooperation of the police and other road users”.
Waiting to leave
Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne attended and said that the ride was helping to “give people the confidence to get out there and get back on their bikes” and that she’d “like to thank the Tasmanian Police for being so supportive”. She emphasised the need to support the planned developments for the Sandy Bay Marieville Esplanade pedestrian and bike route. She also said that “the Greens are dedicated to improving the situation for cyclists”.
The top of Bath St
Salamanca Square
All Photographs Courtesy of Jack Robert-Tissot of Collective Photographic: http://collectivephotographic.com.au/
Southern Outlet Bus & Bike Lane
February 2, 2009
This sign says it all!
At last an incentive!
A place for simplicity
Great news for people who ride the southern outlet from Kingston to Hobart. There is now new signs and road paint on the last 1.5km down into Hobart making a priority bus and bike lane. This is fantastic news, as current incentives to get out of the car are pretty trivial. This lane however would save bus passengers 5 – 10 minutes in the morning and gives those of us who fly bikes down the southern outlet every morning a legitimate place on the road to cruise past the banked up cars, safely and with a smile. Congratulations to Metro, DIER and whoever lobbied for the bikes to be included.
Painting our message
February 2, 2009
- Promotion Trailer parked in Salamanca Square
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- Easy choice eh? If only we knew how to paint nicely!
Healthy FreightMakin the most of the bike track
Catchin the bike track commuter traffic!
Despite the fact that none of us have much talent with the paint brush. We’ve been working hard to make our message a bit more visible. We hope it helps people make the connection between us, our bikes and why we are riding. If anyone has talent in this area and would like to help, we’d love to have some creative minds on the job!
Getting the message out there
February 2, 2009
Liam asking the mountain if it can hear
We now have a stunning megaphone in our possession following a generous donation of $120 from the Heart Foundation. From McCanns music shop, this device will save our voices considerably and mean people can actually hear the safety briefing and spot prize facilitation prior to the Critical Mass rides. And, in case anything untoward goes down, it has an ear splitting siren function which would drown out even the most cranky of trouble makers.
Healthy By Design
February 2, 2009
From Left: Liam. C, Jim Wilkinson, Grame Lynch and Katie. K
Nursing students Katie and Liam attended a meeting held recently at the Tasmanian Heart Foundation head office in Hobart on the 29th January. The discussion, facilitated by Graeme Lynch CEO, was in relation to a new initiative planned for release by May 30th titled ‘Healthy By Design’.
Ella Ashley, also of the Heart Foundation, gave a presentation on the importance of healthy urban planning regulation and how it promotes walking and cycling. She spoke of how all through the last few decades, urban design has been predominantly focussed on cars, where as ‘Healthy By Design’ will be going the opposite way in promoting Active Living instead through a supportive and safe environment.
Grame Lynch highlighted that cost should hardly be a limitation when the cost of Cardiovascular ill health in Australia alone is $14 Billion, or 1.7% of GNP.
Ella made an interesting point that currently we are ‘PLANNING FOR A FUTURE THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED’, an example being the $41 million Kingston Bypass in development at the moment which, by the time it is built, will still not cater for the volume of private cars forecast to be commuting into Hobart.
Graeme also informed us about the significant benefits to heart health that physical activity brings compared to stents and bypass surgery. While they might have a lifespan of 3 to 10 years, consistent physical activity can stave off heart related disease like nothing else.
MLC for Nelson, Jim Wilkinson, said that despite the importance of planning, it is often put on the back burner.
Bicycle Tasmania President, Tim Stredwick, raised the importance of cultural and attitudinal change in allowing an increase in cycling numbers.
Hobart City Council Alderman, Helen Burnett also gave some great contributions and Katie and Liam added some information from a couple of World Health Organisation reports about reduced speed limits and studies in Melbourne on the lack of class discrimination of active transport for getting people physically active.
