[Pil-pc-oceania] Bike Moves

Sat Mar 29 00:18:24 EST 2008

Russ, Dan and All,

I think we in Australia really need to re-visit the helmet law thing - 
they may be safer (I don't know this for sure), but if they discourage 
people from cycling then there are fewer bicycles on the road, which 
itself makes cycling more dangerous... I wonder whether a more sensible 
policy approach would be what I have heard they have in some places in 
Europe - laws that put the onus on car drivers to drive safely - i think 
they are legally liable if they hit a bike no matter whose fault it 
actually was, or something like that. This may seem unfair, but if we 
think about it, it's the cars that are the weapons on wheels, not the 
push -bikes. Anyone handling any other dangerous piece of equipment is 
expected to take responsibility, and given the massive damage-doing 
difference between cars and bikes, I don't see why cars should be 
different.

if we made car drivers more accountable, so that cyclists felt safer, we 
might get more of them on the roads making the roads safer still, and 
then helmets would not seem such a necessity.

Would probably help too, if we had more bikes and other human-powered 
vehicles out here, designed for ordinary commuting and day-to-day living 
activities such as doing the shopping or taking the kids to school. It 
would help to normalise cycling and have it seen less as a 
sporting/recreational activity and more as an integrated part of every 
day life.

I think the things that hamper our wide embracing of human-powered 
transport for those kinds of trips where it is practical and do-able, 
like helmet laws, road design, and insurance and other problems that 
prevent us from taking up the bike share idea and other such good 
things, really have to be rethought - we in Australia need a new 'world 
view' when it comes to personal transportation...

cheers,

Kerry

RussGrayson wrote:
> Hi Dan...
> I understand that municipal shared bicycle schemes have been considered in
> Australia but that issues regarding helmet laws and insurance made it too
> hard.
>
> ...Russ
>
>
> On 17/3/08 4:11 PM, "Dan Rossi" <electroteque at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> This is good its moving closer locally. Where is Apollo Bay btw Fern ?
>>
>> The first thing I saw about progressive bicycle networks was in
>> Toronto canada, which does bike share programs during the summer, it
>> also does courier modifications like the Oregon place below aswell as
>> bike mechanic workshops and local bike film documentary nights. I
>> would like to know if such things are moving up to Sydney, I heard
>> about a small bike share program in Fairfield , and cheeky monkey do
>> lots of bike mods for transportation in sydney but not sure if its on
>> the same scale or has a similar project like the Apollo Bay one.
>>
>>
>> On 17/03/2008, at 3:05 PM, Kerry Dawborn wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Good on you for that Fern - I look forward to hearing how it develops!
>>>
>>> A site that you and other interested bike people (and others?) might
>>> find as inspiring as I do if you haven't already seen it, is the
>>> Center
>>> for Appropriate Transport, in Eugene, Oregon - http://www.catoregon.org/
>>> . They run a cycle-based delivery business, run workshops and teach
>>> kids
>>> and others about bike design and building etc, and other great stuff.
>>> The guy who started it is Jan Vander Tuin - if you can find things
>>> he's
>>> written (I think it was him) on bike bike-building in Italy (done in
>>> little workshops everywhere by bike artisans rather than big
>>> companies)
>>> and other great stuff, you'll maybe like me, start to see the cycle
>>> industry and transportation opportunities quite differently and with a
>>> lot of optimism and inspiration....
>>>
>>> cheers!
>>>
>>> Kerry
>>>
>>> permaculture at apollobay.org.au wrote:
>>>       
>>>> This is what I'm putting in my local newssheet... hope my local
>>>> community
>>>> takes it up... hope every community takes it up... feel free to
>>>> spread the
>>>> idea
>>>> love
>>>> Fern
>>>>
>>>> THE CYCLING REMOVALISTS
>>>> RAISING FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS
>>>>
>>>> Are you into lowering your and your community¹s carbon footprint,
>>>> helping
>>>> others out, being helped out, raising funds for community projects,
>>>> and
>>>> having fun?
>>>> Then be a part of the Apollo Bay Bike Moves!
>>>>
>>>> What¹s needed for the first community fundraising bike move:
>>>> - Someone who is needing to move house in Apollo Bay (preferably
>>>> someone on
>>>> low income and with not many possessions)
>>>> - Those with bicycles, panniers and bike trailers who are into
>>>> helping
>>>> someone move house.
>>>> - A nominated community project to raise funds for (this would
>>>> change with
>>>> each bike move)
>>>> What would also be good:
>>>> - A workshop and space for cyclists to make trailers etc.
>>>> - Those who would like to sponsor or contribute funds to the
>>>> nominated
>>>> community project that the Bike Move is raising funds for.
>>>> This idea has sprouted from permaculture networked cyclists in
>>>> Melbourne
>>>> moving house by bike.  If you¹re interested in making this happen
>>>> down
>>>> here, give Fern a call on: 5237 6131 (after Easter)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> mail2web LIVE  Free email based on Microsoft® Exchange technology -
>>>> http://link.mail2web.com/LIVE
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Pil-pc-oceania mailing list
>>>> Pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org
>>>> http://jasper.cmsarchitects.com/mailman/listinfo/pil-pc-oceania
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Pil-pc-oceania mailing list
>>> Pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org
>>> http://jasper.cmsarchitects.com/mailman/listinfo/pil-pc-oceania
>>>       
>> _______________________________________________
>> Pil-pc-oceania mailing list
>> Pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org
>> http://jasper.cmsarchitects.com/mailman/listinfo/pil-pc-oceania
>>     
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pil-pc-oceania mailing list
> Pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org
> http://jasper.cmsarchitects.com/mailman/listinfo/pil-pc-oceania
>
>   