HEALTHY TRANSPORT HOBART

Walk to the bus yo

Now I’m finding myself around a lot of busses of late due to my temporary retirement from cycle commuting and I’m noticing that I seem to be doing a lot of walking without even trying. This isn’t good for me, as I should be resting from a recent injury, but its good for everyone else and proves that yes, busses encourage us to walk as well as leave the stuffy metal box and get amongst our fellow humans and city. The find thirty campaign is a good idea, better still to encourage people to walk to the bus etc as this bus advert is proposing. There is a lot of research backing the incorporation of physical activity into ones daily journey as the most sustainable way of keeping active. Read the rest of this entry »

Robert Atkinson, orthopaedic specialist, and the Royal Australasion College of Surgeons – Road Trauma Committe, ex chair spoke briefly today on ABC Local Radio about the road safety issues with bike lanes. He is to be commended for his efforts to increase cycling safety, but a lot of cycling advocates would question his direction. Over at the authority on such things, copenhagenize.com, a set of essays has been put together on how a fear of cycling has been constructed. Dr Atkinson fits into the box of people who through good intentions cause significant damage to cyclings reputation through concentrating road safety education and influence ‘not on the drivers of vehicles, but on those who have the capacity to kill”. Listen to the Audio here: Robert Atkinson re cycle lanes and see if it makes you feel safe. Read the rest of this entry »

The new figures from 2010s super tuesday bike count are out (Australias Most Comprehensive Bike Census) and the good news is that Southern Tasmania was included for the first time. 60 volunteers kept a close eye on 60 intersections around the Hobart, Kingborough, Glenorchy and Clarence areas and counted bike riders between 7 and 9 am. All the info is available at http://www.cyclingsouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=57. Discussions re the merits of riding to work have been increasing as the plans for a new lane in Molle St are soon to be released so I had a chat to Andy Muirhead from ABC 936 breakfast about all this news. Read the rest of this entry »

I got quite excited the other day and painted myself a bike lane. There is 4 of us in the house who ride regularly so I didn’t want to be responsible for not providing a supportive environment for the good folk on bikes. Not quite up to Australian standard but definitely makes me feel special when I ride in the drive.

Posted for the love of painting your own bike lanes by Liam.C Read the rest of this entry »

The Mercury newspaper has today reported ‘Molle St loses lane to cyclists’, what great news, but this is going to be complicated. Hobart’s continued love affair with keeping prime realestate for the speeding car is sure to make a few people get a bit itchy over this proposal. In addition, the high volume of pedestrians crossing Molle st onto Collins street from the South Hobart Rivulet Track is sure to warrant some attention. I don’t cycle Molle St much as I’m usually heading to Sandy Bay when I leave South Hobart but I do have memories of smoothly turning off Macquarie St onto Molle St when heading to North Hobart and having my momentum run out half way up the hill as drivers honked at me for getting in the way. I think most of us ‘take it easy’ up the hill types would appreciate a lane on this gradient. Read the rest of this entry »

I was stoked to open the paper today and read that the Battery Point access is moving forward.

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/05/09/145111_most-popular-stories.html

For background info read here: http://www.cyclingsouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=0

and a great article from the Tasmanian times: http://www.tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/article/battery-point-shameful

MEDIA RELEASE

9^th May 2010

healthytransporthobart.org

Physical activity advocacy group Healthy Transport Hobart have added their voices to Alderman Jeff Briscoes plea for the first stage of the Battery Point waterfront route to be approved by the state government due to the surge in cycling and walking commuters the project will create.

“We believe that it is Tasmania’s first transport/recreational infrastructure project that will produce only positive health outcomes” Registered Nurse and Public Health Honours Student Liam Correy said today. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently received the email below with regards to a debate on speed limit changes to 50km/hr on Macquarie and Davey Streets. Any oppinions or information on the below debate would be appreciated.

Dear Liam Correy

The research you’re showing me makes a good case for a general urban limit of 50kmph which I support obviously, but it doesn’t convince me it is a good idea in this case. Read the rest of this entry »

Going to have to improve the standards of writing if this is going to happen regularly

I was recently referred to a fine sustainable transport newsletter which can be found at www.goingsolar.com.au/transport and gives a good run down around whats going on with sustainable transport around the country and the world. As I said in a recent post about Tasmania’s new sustainable transport minister, sustainable and healthy transport are almost interchangeable definitions. See below for a website designed to help policy makers and co realise this: http://www.healthytransport.com/ Read the rest of this entry »

Sit down, relax and pull out the book

Yesterday I caught the bus into Hobart for the first time since moving to Taroona eight months ago and discovered (surprise, surprise) that is was not so hard or inconvenient at all. My circumstances had meant that I sustained a small injury (unrelated to cycling to work) that I needed to have operated on, a funky little thing called an inguinal hernia. This little lump is the protrusion of part of the abdominal cavity contents through the inguinal canal. Occuring in approximately 27% of men and 3% of women, the relocation of the little golf ball sized lump for me, which can get as big as a foot ball is a very common surgical procedure. Read the rest of this entry »

The mass makes way for a tram

Once again it was an honour and a pleasure to participate in the Melbourne Critical Mass on the 30^th April. About 80 vibrant people rocked up on a variety of pedal powered beauties to demonstrate the splendour of getting around in a healthy and environmentally sound fashion. As the sun set on a crispy Autumn evening, the mass gathered on the lawns of the State Library then headed north; beats blaring and lights bedazzling.

Bikezilla! Photo courtesy of google images!!

The highlight for me was the presence of ‘Bikezilla’- a seven seater, six wheeled, two story multi-cycle that caught the eyes (and many hearts) of bystanders. I was lucky enough to contribute some of my ‘Kingshott Calf’ pedal power to get this beast back home and it felt truly amazing! A couple of minor mechanical chain issues were easily fixed along the way by cycle-nifty guys and short stops allowed for riders to swap over and share the joy of muscling bikezilla.

The ride cruised for about an hour and finished at the Mountain Goat Pub. The softer among the crew headed for beers, warmth and shelter inside but many of us had our own little party/camp-out in the car park. ‘Pete’, who attended the Hobart Critical Mass last month in Tassie, was back in Melbourne and continues to adopt an economical and self-sufficient way of life. He cranked up his fuel stove and put on an awesome spread of cous cous and paneer curry for group dining. I met some really awesome people and smiled so much my face hurt as I rode back home buzzing.

Written for the love of Critical Massing By Katie Kingshott, Mainland Correspondent for Healthy Transport Hobart.

Waiting at the Murray/Davey St lights

Approximately 70 riders joined Hobart’s courteous critical mass ride on the 30th of April for a quick spin around the city, the first in the dark this year. As usual the steady stream of bike lights pulsating some visual entertainment into the cbd was a spectacle for motorists and pedestrians. Thirty letters were signed and sent supporting the recent moves by HCC to reduce speed limits to 50 km/hr on the remaing 60 km/hr roads entering and exciting the city excluding the highways such as the Tasman, Brooker and Southern Outlet. Thanks to all who came along.

The letter sent to DIER, HCC and new minister for Sustainable Transport