Wallace's blog: No easy answer to cycling in our cities (Sep 29)
No easy answer to cycling in our cities.
If you've always wanted to come along to the live show, but have never got around to it, or have been a bit shy, recess weeks are always a good time.
They're often a bit quieter and you can get a seat more easily. And tomorrow is one of those nights.
We have a great core audience that comes along weekly, but it's always good to see new faces, and particularly people from out of Wellington who have seen the show on TV and decided to come along on a whim. If you are one of those people, do come up and say hi after the show.
And if you're a dedicated bike rider, or ride to work or whatever, then DEFINITELY come, as it will be a lead topic tomorrow, and will be interesting to get your input. It was disturbing reading in the Herald On Sunday, about the car that ploughed into the cyclists on Auckland Tamaki Drive, leaving one in a critical (but now stable) condition. Many cyclists reading that will shiver at the thought of the various close calls they've had with motorists - and not just on Auckland roads either. The one-way system in Dunedin for example is hugely dangerous - big trucks careening through the centre of town not 40 or 50 cm away from your bike.
I've long been a cyclist; been riding every day now for almost 20 years. And not really for environmental reasons either. I have simply found it faster getting around Auckland on a really good bike, than in a car. And the savings I've gathered by cycling and not driving - well, they run into the thousands. And the health benefits are fantastic - you get to be in pretty good shape right throughout your life. I've just come to love the experience of getting air in your lungs, and not having the hassle of spending 15 minutes routinely scouring for a carpark.
The downside is, and I'm talking about Auckland here, is - Christ, you have got to careful on them roads. Barriers everywhere, intersections are mayhem, roads siphon off into slim pipes as the never-ending roadwork's continue. You constantly look down the line of parked cars to atch for opening doors. If you get clipped by one of them, you're pretty much dead. And it's not easy for the drivers. As my girlfriend said last night, there are so many things going on at one time as a road user in Auckland that you just don't "see" the cyclist.
I don't know what the answer is. Cycle action groups are calling for a 1.5 metre gap between cyclist and car. But how realistic is that! Roads are stretched as they are. Dedicated track facilities would be a wonderful thing, but where are you going to put them?
I'm at a loss for an answer - but we'll get some interesting views tomorrow night.
Also Peter Dunne is on the show, and he is saying that New Zealand could make the transition to being a Republic pretty quickly if we demanded it. So we'll be covering that as well.
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