Manhattan High Line in late November…
Category Archives: Public Transport
Architecture Photos Public Transport Sustainability Transport+Urban Design Travel Urban Design WillManhattan High Line
2018, December 3 – 13:32
Cheating into Myanmar
2018, October 23 – 01:03
Biking Bangkok
2018, October 16 – 03:34
I’ve been biking round Bangkok now, including the day-and-a-half spent coming in from the countryside, for six days, covering maybe 100km including trips to the camping shop, bike tour hq, embassy and round hotels. The short version: it’s terrible!
Road capacity
2017, February 28 – 09:47
I wasn’t aware of this research by Botma and Papendrecht. A striking set of figures.
Cycling in Berlin
2016, June 13 – 20:19
Typical Berlin scene
We stayed in Neukölln, an inner suburb of Berlin, for a few weeks and looked at cycling infrastructure and how cyclists seemed to be faring.
Submission re Dublin Transport Study
2015, August 7 – 18:28
In the context of major construction works in the central city to accommodate a new tram line, Luas Cross City, the 2015 Dublin Transport Study made several progressive proposals. I’ve made the following personal submission. read more
Submission for Cycling Advocates’ Network on climate change
2015, June 3 – 16:15
Submission to Ministry for the Environment regarding climate change target
CAN is deeply concerned about climate change.
CAN strongly supports evidence-based decision-making, and the evidence available strongly supports robust action.
CAN is concerned that the current Ministry for the Environment discussion document calculates the cost of action on climate change, but fails to set out the far higher costs of taking little or no action, which is the current national policy.
read more
Impressions from Vélo-City 2014
2014, June 10 – 12:34
Every year there’s a global get-together for all those interested in the promotion of cycling. Transportation experts, mayors, town councillors, consultants for ‘liveable cities’, documentary film-makers -and of course cycling advocates- attend the Vélo-city Global Conference. The European Cycling Federation organises the event, and this year it was held in Adelaide, South Australia. Nearly 600 delegates attended.
[print_gllr id=4729] read more
Congestion the bitter harvest of poor urban planning
2013, April 29 – 16:47
An extraordinary reaction to the ‘Funding Auckland’s Transport Future’ report, published in April 2013 shows the cluelessness of policy-makers.
Auckland’s ‘Consensus Building Group’ today published a report setting out two options for raising the twelve billion dollars allegedly required for future transport funding there. Two options are set out-
- Higher rates, fuel taxes and a regional fuel tax
- Road pricing (like London’s congestion charge)
Remarkably, presiding National Party transport minister Gerry Brownlee immediately insisted in a statement that congestion caused by excess car use and under-controlled urban sprawl is not to be questioned or challenged.
According to Radio NZ, ‘Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee, who hasn’t read the report, said a regional fuel tax, congestion charges and road tolls as they stand would never be agreed to. Mr Brownlee said New Zealanders ‘won’t be paying twice for roads’ when money has been generated through their excise duty or road user charges, while a congestion charge would not be appropriate on government-owned roads.’ Have motorists even paid once for these roads? Or does he expect the rest of us to support motorists’ expensive habits?
Fairfax Media reports, ‘A group of Auckland’s business and community leaders, convened by mayor Len Brown to give its view on funding projects to solve the city’s transport crisis, is today calling for public feedback on two funding options. Group chairman Stewart Milne says Auckland faces a $12 billion transport funding shortfall by 2041 if nothing is done. Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Kim Campbell says the city will suffer if nothing happens: “Finally when the place comes to a grinding halt, that’s when people leave. We don’t think that’s a responsible view.”
“Our population is projected to grow by as much as 1 million, with around 60 per cent of that coming from our existing populace”, says Brown.
The public is being asked to submit feedback on the group’s proposals before it makes its recommendations to Auckland Council in July.’ (Scott Morgan, Stuff.co.nz, 2013- April 29th)
This the same day that John Key was wheeled out for a conference of petroleum industry representatives in Auckland to tout oil exploration by ‘large oil companies’ in off-shore claim areas. Hmmmm…
I’m not up to date with the issues but it certainly seems remarkable that funding challenges of up to $12 billion can be discussed by senior Government members without reference to the Unitary Plan, denser urban planning, and the concepts of reducing transport needs from unnecessary car trips.
And looking beyond this current spat, it looks like some of the problems arising from virulent car-dependent sprawl are coming home to roost.
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