Article: No excuse to not get on your bike, Brisbane residents told

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

No excuse to not get on your bike, Brisbane residents told

No excuse to not get on your bike, Brisbane residents told
Article from: MX

Torny Jensen of mX

February 25, 2009 12:00am

BRISBANE city-fringe dwellers have been told to get on their bikes and stop making excuses.
International design and planning company EDAW has released a ``No Excuse Zone'' map of Brisbane, which urges residents living within a 9km radius of the CBD to ride bikes to work.

The map is part of EDAW's CycleCity strategy.

EDAW landscape architect Mike Harris said No Excuse Zone maps had already been established in Sydney, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Berlin and Copenhagen.

The new Brisbane maps would be included in the latest UBD Green Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast Refidex street directory.

The map estimates residents living in suburbs including Toowong, Lutwyche and Tarragindi would spend 30 minutes on their bike commuting, while it would take only 20 minutes for those living in Red Hill, Bulimba and Woolloongabba to ride to work.

"As designers, it's our responsibility to find the most economic and socially beneficial ways of moving people around cities,'' Harris said.

"The CycleCity strategy proposes a new level of infrastructure for cyclists that maximises the bike's effectiveness as a means of mass transit.''

Harris said the strategy would develop cycle paths across already-established commuter routes and would link to key destination points such as employment centres, universities, hospitals and schools.

He said if more commuters cycled to work several times a week not only would congestion be eased, but cyclists would also be committing to a healthier lifestyle.

"For individuals, the opportunity to meet the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day and to save on vehicle costs, travel time and petrol represents real health and economic benefits,'' he said.

"At the same time, societies benefit from a reduced impact on the environment and a cutting of costs associated with health, peak oil production, pollution, climate change and traffic congestion.''

mX is free at outlets in the CBD, Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane.

[Mozz]

I am 11km from the CBD at Oxley and would ride in a heart beart if there were dedicated bike/pedestrian paths but they they are only on about 4km of my 11km journey - the other 7km I have to battle with cars on the congested black tarmac which has to be one of the most dangerous things a person can do in terms of commuting to work.

I can say with absolute confidence that at least 80% of people I have known that ride to work on pushbikes have had accidents with cars , motorcycles and/or buses and trucks some multiple times, some involving just broken bones, some requiring long hospitalisation and lengthy recovery.

[ozbob]

Good beat up this one ... 

I regularly rode a bike in my younger days.  Pedalled often to school and the biggest hazard I had to cope with was the tram tracks in Melbourne.  Traffic was always an issue but it was a bit slower than today's lot.  I remember two serious accidents that I was hit by cars at intersections, survived.  Lately, a number of my colleagues who ride to work have had very serious accidents.  These accidents have been on the normal road system, not on bikeways.

So I am with you Mozz.  Unless I could ride on a bikepath ALL the way, much prefer an EMU thanks ..

[haakon]

Indeed, good quality dedicated bikeways can make all the difference. Just look at the bikeway next corrination drive. It is having capacity issues due to it's popularity IIRC.

[SteelPan]

Yep, must be a dedicated bikeway and NO serious hills! LOL.