Our good friends at Cycle Action Auckland have been undertaking a bit of change and yesterday became Bike Auckland.

The voice of bike advocacy in Auckland has a fresh set of wheels. As of Tuesday 24 November 2015, Cycle Action Auckland is… Bike Auckland!

In welcoming this new era, we salute all the heroes who’ve brought us this far. Longterm advocacy is the work of many hands, hearts and minds, and we are where we are now thanks to the tireless efforts of Cycle Action Auckland’s teams over the years, in tougher times, with less recognition. You know who you are: we stand on your shoulders.

Under the name Cycle Action, we’ve been part of a revolution in transport across almost two decades, especially so over the past 5 years. Our evolution into Bike Auckland reflects the surge of energy, investment and public demand for biking in our city.

We’ll continue to be a strong voice for our hundreds of members and many thousands of supporters – and for all Aucklanders who want safe streets and connected cycleways, so that riding a bike is as natural and obvious an option as walking, driving, or taking public transport. Our representation at the top table to help make this happen is secure.

I attended their launch party yesterday along with a number of readers, politicians from both sides of the political fence as well as staff from various organisations including the The Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and NZTA which was great to see.

Well done on the change and the logo looks great.

ba_logo_colour

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9 comments

  1. I feel it’s worth pointing out that a key part of the change is that Bike Auckland is now an umbrella group connecting individual groups around the city, the “Bike Burbs”.

    Bike Auckland will represent at the top table, but it’s up to us to get involved in creating bike-friendly conditions in our own neighbourhoods.

  2. While I think they are a great group for Auckland I don’t understand the brand change. What were the drivers for the change? The only good reasons to change an established brand is when you have utterly screwed up and you want to distance yourself from it OR your brand is not distinct enough OR it doesn’t represent your mission. There isn’t exactly a lot of competition in the cycle advocacy field so it can’t be differentiation. When I hear the word bike, I think motorcycle. Now they sound like a motorcycle club or some tourism operator as opposed to a cycle advocacy group. So now the name doesn’t clearly reflect in my mind what they do. So the only explanation to me is that they did something seriously wrong or something is wrong with the group and they want to distance themselves from the fallout.

    Any who, good luck to them.

    1. I don’t know the drivers or the decision process behind the change – you’d have to ask the team there – but all I can observe is that where “Cycle Action” sounds like a pressure group pushing for something to happen, “Bike Auckland” has the sense of something that is already happening and which the group represents. It sounds like a celebration and a moment of arrival, rather than a plea for attention. That kind of confidence should help them continue to be taken more and more seriously.

      More simply it’s shorter, snappier and more relatable (not many people would declare they are into “cycle action”, but a lot more ride bikes, and that’s the constituency you want to appeal to). Plus the new logo is gorgeous.

    2. No, I think it reflects the change from riding being a minority pressure group sort of thing to a normal part of life for many people. Just like the AA doesn’t stand for Automobile Action. Maybe not a good example, don’t get me started on them.

      Sorry to say I really don’t like the logo, but that’s just personal preference. I think it would have been good to have a logo that doesn’t have a bike on it, because you know it’s about normal people getting about, not bikes. But I’m sure Bike Auckland will continue to do an awesome job.

  3. I notice that CAN website has become less active in recent times and so has Frocks on Bikes. There are lots of ways to start but then they seem to lose their public appeal.
    I first became involved in reading the AT Transportblog after becoming interested in a Cacadia posting called “Sightline” because of interest in what we can do to reduce Greenhouse Emissions.. On that blog I became aware of:
    http://bikeportland.org/2012/06/28/with-six-kids-and-no-car-this-mom-does-it-all-by-bike-73731
    Then I came across “Frocks on Bikes” because I’m interested in bicycling for everday transport and from the “CAN” and finally to “AT Transportblog”. It’s all rather convoluted but we old folks eventually get there.

  4. I know this is not relevant (well sort of relevant) to the post on hand but can anyone explain to me who has right of way on a bike lane?

    I was riding a bike on a bike lane very similar to this one https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUs2TCsUYAAenMV.jpg and a car parked began to park into parking bay much like the one on the photo. The driver crossed the bike lane as I happen to pass. He forced me to stop saying that I must give way to him so he can get onto the footpath.

    Is he correct?

    1. Johan,
      I’m no lawyer. Although Bike Auckland has some members who are.

      Separated cycleways like this are legally designated as special purpose lanes (like bus lanes are), and unless you are one of the special purpose vehicles allowed to use it (e.g. you’re a bus or other vehicle allowed in a bus lane, or a cycle in a cycle lane) you may not drive in them, stop in them or park in them. Except you may cross such lanes in the process of exiting or entering a driveway or entering/exiting a side street.

      So he would be allowed to *cross* the cycle lanes to access a legal driveway or designated parking area – but not to “just park on the footpath” or to drive down/along the footpath or cycle lane to access a parking area or driveway further along – as thats illegal to do so.

      But as a general rule any vehicle crossing the footpath (e.g. for the purpose of entering/existing a driveway) is required to give way to all other traffic including cars, cyclists and pedestrians on the road and the footpath that may cross their path.
      So the give way rules mean he would have to give way to both footpath and cycle lane users.

      If this means he has to wait in traffic or remain in the parking space or driveway until its safe to enter/exit the driveway or parking space then he has to do so.

      So in essence if you were walking on the footpath as a pedestrian would the car give way to you or expect you to get out of his way? Legally he should give way to you.
      In practice?, he would probably expect you to do as you describe, because many drivers think “might is right” and that they have special rights when accessing parking, because you know, all parking is there by right for them only.
      Try parking your bike in a car park and see how the average motorist likes it.

      But legally if he hit you or a pedestrian he would be in the wrong.

    2. Greg gave a pretty good discussion of the legal background. There’s one other key piece of the puzzle – traffic (whether bicycle or car) that’s changing lane must always give way to traffic already in that lane. A car crossing a bike lane to get to a carpark or driveway must give way to a bicycle already in the bike lane.

      If there’s no bike lane, the situation is kind-of reversed: you’re in the same lane, and (assuming the car is already ahead of you) you may not pass a moving vehicle on the left within the same lane. You’re (legally) expected to ride around the car on the right.

      As always, don’t get killed trying to exercise your rights unless you really, really want to be a martyr. (Who’ll be blamed by all and sundry anyway).

  5. Could we try and instill in our rules an”Hierarchy” of road users:
    I would like to see Pedestrian’s at the top of that tree so everyone gives way to them.
    Then comes mobility scooters, Skate boards, cyclists and other personally powered devices.
    Then the buses,
    Goods delivery vehicles and taxi’s
    Cars and motorcycles.

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