She is a go-getter who stays informed, keeps up with local and national politics, and donates a lot of her time and energy to helping the community. She was an early adopter to the e-scooter, uses the city’s cycle ways, and is all for saving the planet and getting cars off the road.
But, and here’s the big but, she raised a very valid point the other day regarding said cycleways. Guess who is not using them? The cyclists.
She and her husband were walking along Auckland’s Tamaki Drive waterfront, the very same Tamaki Drive that had years of disruption as extremely expensive extremely wide cycleways were installed. And what she witnessed, was cyclist after cyclist after cyclist riding on the footpath, not the cycleways.
Within a five minute timeframe she noted no fewer than 10 cyclists barrelling past them on the footpath. Worse yet, they got abused for being in the cyclists’ way. She and her husband were on the footpath, walking, where pedestrians are supposed to walk. They were abused by cyclists trying to ride along the footpath, instead of the cycleway.
Now whenever you criticise cyclist behaviour you get accused of being anti-bikes so I want to stress she is anything but. She said she was on the side of cyclists when they got their gold plated cycleway paid for by 99 percent of ratepayers who don’t cycle it. She was happy for them. Right up until she got abused by them as they nearly ran her over, because they wanted the footpath all to themselves too.
And this is where cyclists, some cyclists, not all, do themselves a huge disservice and lose people’s support. There were more cyclists on the pavement than on the cycleway. The cycleway was empty.
My friend’s point was: why should hardworking ratepayers fund expensive and expansive cycleways if cyclists won’t even use them? She has appealed to Auckland Council and Mayor Wayne Brown to start fining cyclists who use footpaths when a cycleway is available. She said until cyclists embrace them, the vast majority of ratepayers who do not use them should not fund another metre of new cycleway. She said money raised from fining footpath clogging cyclists could be used to fund the new cycleways instead.
She makes sense I reckon, it’s hard to argue with. They have expensive lanes laid out especially for them, so why aren’t they using them? Even cyclists agreed with her. Some saying if there’s no cycle way available they’ll ride on the road before they even consider hopping on the footpath. One cyclist pointed out that cyclists who ride in packs on busy roads also give cyclists a bad name, and those who think it’s their right to abuse pedestrians on the footpath are equally loathed.
Someone wrote to me the other day and said in Wellington, it's the cycle lanes that are creating so many choke points that traffic across the city has been reduced to a crawl. Frustrating when the traffic's crawling past empty cycleways.
It’s the same in Auckland.
And I’m just not sure if those who designed the cycleways and decided they should have all that space on the road, actually thought through the winter months and how the half the year the weather precludes cyclists from even riding their bikes anyway. So bang for buck, are they all really worth it?
Kate Hawkesby is a political broadcaster on Newstalk ZB - her articles can be seen HERE.
3 comments:
A curious observation. But many cycle lanes are terrifying with all traffic, including trucks and buses actually closer than on the road when at least some give a wide berth and are legally required to do so. And cycleways require very concentrated straight riding to provide for unheralded overtakers, often powered, at high speed. Little opportunity to look around. And the footpath gives greater separation from vehicles which suddenly turn left. Cyclists are at greatest danger when speed is far below surrounding traffic. As a feeble elderly cyclist I often ride at jogging speed or less uphill on the footpath. But I have 70 years of riding and driving experience to develop anticipation. I usually dismount for groups. For me a total ban would be a calamity. A road crash is usually very serious for older persons. The greatest danger is 25 kph and more scooters ridden by unidentifiable, untraceable, inexperienced, irresponsible young persons with no developed anticipatory skills.
I concur and, for places like Wellington with hills, high winds and bad weather, they are a truly lousy 'bang for buck.'
Interesting, I see Paris has now banned rental e-scooters.
The other observation I've made is that many, not all, and typically male cyclists are arrogant gits. I think it might have something to do with those tight lycra pants strangling the blood supply to their small egocentric brains.
When I was a child you weren't allowed to ride your bicycle on the footpath. Simple as that. Often people using the footpath were pushing prams. It was just post baby boom times so we were still in a nursery state. Sunny days and trips to the dairy on bicycle to purchase a 5 cent bag of mixed lollies. Once in London where the pedestrian walkway was being altered and was cordoned off and the cycle way was to be used and it had orange plastic fencing and signs for pedestrians to share. Upon using this a cyclist came hurtling toward me with abuse for being in his way. When did people get to be so intolerant? It was like cyclling was his God given right. In Amsterdam annoying as it is they at least ring their little bell to alert you that they're on their way and you're in their way.
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