This is a guest post from Leroy Beckett, Auckland Director of Generation Zero
Join us on a bike ride tomorrow to make it clear to politicians, the council and disgruntled protesters that we support (and need!) safe biking infrastructure in Grey Lynn and across Auckland.
Last year, you helped us show our support for making Grey Lynn a calmer, more pleasant place to be. However, the recent street upgrade isn’t perfect and has a lot of people riled up, and a small group of protesters have shut down construction of a safe bike path in Grey Lynn, and are trying to do the same across Auckland.
Protected bike lanes make safe, low-stress routes connecting our homes, schools, workplaces and recreational spaces. A network of bike paths will give a wide range of people a healthy, sustainable transport option, and helps create vibrant and inclusive communities, while reducing our reliance on cars. Come and show your support for these bike paths on a ride through West Lynn village to promote inclusive and safe streets for our future.
We will be assembling at the Westmere shops from about 10am, before heading off on a cycle through Westmere and Grey Lynn to the West Lynn shops, where we will end up in Francis Reserve. We think the actual ride will take only about 15-20 minutes at a casual pace. We’ll also be stopping to pick up a contingent at Westmere School along the way, so feel free to meet us there if you’re after a slightly shorter ride.
The Route
Here’s the route for Bike to the Future 2.0
We plan to assemble at the Westmere shops at 10am, and we aim to leave at 10.30am.
From there we will be cycling along Garnet Road -> Old Mill Rd -> Surrey Cres -> Richmond Road -> through the West Lynn shops -> to end in Francis Reserve, behind Harvest Wholefoods.
If you’re wanting to do a shorter ride, we’ll also be stopping to pick up a contingent from Westmere School. So feel free to join from there.
At the end of the ride we will present the petition and end with some small speeches.
After this, we plan to stay in the area for ice creams and/or refreshing drinks
The petition
At the end of the journey, we will be delivering our petition in support of a more inclusive Grey Lynn to Kathryn King (Auckland Transport – Walking, Cycling and Road Safety) and Pippa Coom (Chair of the Waitematā Local Board).
If you haven’t signed it yet, you can still do so on easily online here.
Help us show our support for safe and inclusive roadways: sign the petition, and come out on Saturday 17 February to make your voice heard! Please also invite friends and anyone else you think would be interested through our facebook event here.
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I would love to do this on my every day work commuting E kick scooter, but bike communities don’t take anything without pedals well.
I also wouldn’t mind doing the harbour bridge crossing but again bike’s only have peddles, which isn’t true.
It is fair to say opening up the gates to non pedal drive systems will lead to boosted skateboards skates and even mopeds and motorbikes.
But with the evolution of mobility technology today, like the lithium ion battery leading to E bike’s and smaller more compact vehicles like skateboards and scooters once reserved for skatepark tricks and kids are now used for everyday commuting by adults and are excepted on public transport even in rush hour.
So opening up the gates to subcompact user/electric powered vehicles to ride alongside traditional bicycles will help move more people from cars and allow greater access to distant train stations and bus stops.
You would have been more than welcome on your scooter at the Bike to the Future event!
Can’t say the same for Bike The Bridge – as a much larger event they had to work around all sorts of arbitrary restrictions, as you mention.
Bringing a scooter on a bus or train certainly sounds more practical and more scalable than bringing a bicycle.
Ha ha, saw Penny Bright there with one of her handpainted signs 😀
I went even though I don’t live in the area. It was fun. Really good turn out. Should happen more often around Auckland. Best part was the people all yelling at Penny. 99% white people on expensive bikes. Nice Coffee too.
good work well done sir
what you think that the major changes in bikes and cars desigining.