Critical Mass in Auckland
Around 25 cyclists gathered on 28th January for the first Critical Mass of the year.
Accompanied by a sound system in a bike trailer and glorious sunshine, the cyclists cycled up Symonds Street, along K Road and then down Pitt Street and Queen Street culminating with a picnic in Albert Park.
As well as being a fun social event, the Critical Mass was organised to highlight the need for provisions for cyclists in the Auckland City Council's new plans for Symonds Street. The council is currently in the process of redesigning the street as a component of the Central Transit Corridor.
Symonds Street has an atrocious accident rate. The Council has some good proposals to improve safety on the street, but they could go further. According to LTSA statistics, the main cause of cyclist crashes on Symonds St is cars turning right without giving way to oncoming cyclists at intersections. This has caused 10 crashes over the past 5 years, including 3 involving serious injury. The intersections on Symonds Street clearly need to be redesigned with cyclists in mind.
Removal of much of the on-road parking along Symonds Street would also make the street a lot safer for cyclists, who are endangered by opening car doors and other parking manouevres.
The Critical Mass was a huge success, and people are keen to have them on the last Friday of every month. So the next event will be on 25th February, 5.30pm, by the fountain in Albert Park - see you there!
Related
http://www.greens.org.nz/campaigns/transport/aucktrans.htm
Comments
Re: Critical Mass in Auckland
I thought Critical Mass was anti-cars! calling for a co-existance between bikes and cars sounds like the antithesis of CM to me. This green party critical mass needs to be boycotted by those committed to the ideas behind CM. stop the greens! don't allow them to take credit in co-opting a worldwide strategy to keep CM resistance non-hierarchical and leaderless. they do not stand for these principles so why let them co-opt CM?
ANARCHISM FOREVER
Re: Critical Mass in Auckland
Wellington had about 25 people too and lots of new faces. The drivers didnt get too agro either. We met at 5:30, Civic square and cruised around the city for an hour or so.
CM is also an easy way for people to protest the 'bypass'.
Re: Critical Mass in Auckland
"Symonds Street has an atrocious accident rate."
your whole shitty shitty cunt tree is an accident, I have made freinds with the rummy and am talking him into using Lesboland as a nuke test target. happy ashes scumbags.