[sustran] fwd: NZ Sustainable Transport Network Newsletter

SUSTRAN Network Secretariat sustran at po.jaring.my
Mon Mar 6 11:19:58 JST 2000


Just this once I am forwarding the whole of this interesting newsletter
from New Zealand to the list.  But if you want to get future ones please
contact Elizabeth Yeaman <Elizabeth.Yeaman at moc.govt.nz>. 

Paul
------------------------------------

Sustainable Transport Network Newsletter
Issue 9, February/March 20000

CONTENTS:

·	Energy-Wise Transport Award 
·	New Zealand Transport Energy Facts
·	Tauranga's $11.7 Million Cycle and Pedestrian Plan
·	NZ Cycling Symposium - Call for Papers
·	Bike Week 2000
·	Christchurch Cycle Strategy Updated
·	Wellington Regional Land Transport Strategy Launched
·	Update on Palmerston North's Green Bikes Scheme
·	Sydney's Solar Powered Commuter Ferry
·	UK Maximum Parking Standards
·	E-Commerce Saves Transport Energy
·	Oxford's 25 Years of Transport Demand Management
·	Book Review: Street Reclaiming
·	About this Newsletter

Back copies of this newsletter are on the EECA website at
http://www.eeca.govt.nz - just follow the Transport signpost. 

***

ENERGY-WISE TRANSPORT AWARD

This year EECA will present its inaugural Energy-Wise Transport Award for
projects which foster a more energy efficient, sustainable transport future
for New Zealand.  Entries for the award closed on 18 February.  Nine entries
for the Transport Award were received, with projects covering transport
demand management, public transport, walking and cycling. The winner and
highly commended projects will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony
on 23 March in Auckland.  For those that miss the media announcements of the
winner and highly commended projects, these will also be in the next issue
of this newsletter.

For more information on the Energy-Wise Awards ceremony contact Kathy Ogden
at EECA.  Ph: 0800 356 676.  E-mail: Kathy.Ogden at eeca.govt.nz

***

NEW ZEALAND TRANSPORT ENERGY FACTS

New Zealand's transport sector is the largest and fastest growing
energy-using sector in the economy.   The following excerpts are taken from
the transport energy facts  document which is now available on EECA's
website http://www.eeca.govt.nz (along with sources).

·	Transport (excluding international transport) accounted for 40% of
all consumer energy use in 1999 and totalled 172 petajoules (PJ). This
amount of energy is equivalent to 4,900 million litres of petrol.
·	The proportion of energy derived carbon dioxide emissions that come
from transport was 45.5% in 1998.  New Zealand has the highest proportion of
carbon dioxide emissions from transport in the OECD (OECD average proportion
of carbon dioxide emissions from transport is around 30%).
·	Fossil fuels make up 99.9% of the energy used in transport.
·	Transport energy demand has been growing at an average of 3.8% per
year over the period 1991-1998.  Non-transport energy use witnessed a
decline of nearly 1% during the same period.
·	Passenger transport accounts for 65% of transport energy use - the
remainder is for freight.  This is typical of OECD countries, where the
proportion of transport energy use for passenger transport is in the range
of 60-70%.
·	Cars (including taxis, vans and other light vehicles) use 89.3% of
passenger transport energy, the remainder being used for domestic air travel
(7.4%), buses (3.0%), passenger trains and ferries (0.3%).
·	Road freight accounts for 91% of freight transport energy, the
remainder being used for coastal shipping (5%) and rail freight (4%).
(Domestic air freight energy is included in the figure for passenger
transport domestic air travel above).
·	Cars (including taxis, vans and other light vehicles) account for
58% of all energy used in transport (road, sea, domestic air, rail \\
including freight) and 23% of all consumer energy used in New Zealand.
·	Growth in transport has not been matched by growth in wealth.  From
1980 to 1998 per capita income (adjusted for inflation) increased by 20%;
over the same time period freight transport (tonne km) increased 36% and
passenger transport (passenger km) increased 69%. 
·	The proportion of household expenditure on transport (excluding
vehicle purchase and maintenance) has increased from 16% in 1994 to 18% in
1998.

***

TAURANGA'S WALKING AND CYCLING STRATEGY

Tauranga District Council has produced a draft Walking and Cycling Strategy,
which aims to make the city more convenient, pleasant and safe for
pedestrians and cyclists.  The plan covers both transport and recreational
facilities, with the transport-related initiatives including:
·	ensuring all new council roading projects and road upgrades provide
for cyclists and pedestrians
·	ensuring all new subdivisions provide for pedestrian and cycle
access
·	new on-road cycle lanes
·	new off-road walking and cycling tracks
·	cycle parking facilities in the CBD and suburban centres
·	improving cyclist and pedestrian safety in "black spot" areas
·	enforcing regulations relating to vehicles parking on footpaths and
cycle ways
·	encouraging safe and responsible driver, cyclist and pedestrian
behaviour.

"The Plan had significant coverage in the local media" says Matthew
Grainger, the Council's Facilities and Reserves Planner.  "One of the main
achievements of the process has been an increased awareness of pedestrian
and cycling issues, and of the need to plan and provide for pedestrians and
cyclists in the city."

The councils draft plan was well received by the community, with almost all
submissions being favourable.  The Walking and Cycling Strategy will be
finalised by June 2000.   

For more information contact: Matthew Grainger, Facilities and Reserves
Planner, Tauranga District Council.  Ph: 07 577 7257.  E-mail:
matthewg at tauranga-dc.govt.nz

***

NZ CYCLING SYMPOSIUM - CALL FOR PAPERS

"Making Cycling Viable" is the theme of the New Zealand Cycling Symposium
2000, to be held on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 July 2000 at Massey
University, Palmerston North.  The Symposium follows from the successful
cycling conference in Hamilton, October 1997 "Planning for and Promoting
Cycling in Urban Areas". 

Guest speakers confirmed include:
·	Mayer Hillman - Emeritus Research Fellow, Policy Studies Institute,
UK
·	John Grimshaw - Sustrans/National Cycling Network, UK
·	Terry Ryan - Australian Bicycle Council

Papers are called for under the following topics:
·	policy and funding  examining the broader picture
·	implementation  - encouragement, education, engineering and
enforcement
·	benefits of cycling - health, environmental, social and economic

To register your interest in attending, sponsorship opportunities or
presenting a paper, please contact Sheralee MacDonald at EECA.  E-mail:
sheralee.macdonald at eeca.govt.nz  Ph: 04 470 2226.  If you are interested in
presenting a paper, a 200 word abstract must be submitted by 14 April 2000.

The NZ Cycling Symposium 2000 is a joint initiative from:
·	Bicycle Industry Association of New Zealand
·	Christchurch City Council
·	Cycle Aware Palmerston North
·	Cycling Advocates' Network
·	Cycling Support NZ Inc
·	Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority 
·	Hamilton City Council
·	New Zealand Cycle Strategy Foundation Project
·	Opus International Consultants
·	Palmerston North City Council

***

BIKE WEEK 2000

This year's Bike Week was held from the 12-20 February.  The event is
co-ordinated nationally by Street Skills (the cycle safety brand owned by
the Cycle Steering Committee).   This year's theme was "Always Look on the
Bike Side of Life", with the aim of encouraging people to get out of their
cars and onto their bikes.  

Event days included:
·	Bike to School Day - Tuesday 15 February
·	Bike to Work Day - Wednesday 16 February

Despite the rain, about 150 Auckland cyclists turned up to partake of a free
breakfast and entertainment for Bike to Work Day in Queen Elizabeth Square.
Due to the inclement weather, the numbers were down on the 400 or so who
came to the first Bikers Breakfast event in 1999. Still, those who came
enjoyed themselves, and had a good chance of winning some of the spot prizes
that were given away, including a mountain bike (which was a nice birthday
present for the woman that won it!)

The rain hit Christchurch too, starting the minute the Bike to Work Day
event started in Cathedral Square.  The were free breakfast for the 280
cycle commuters who braved the elements, with cafe stalls offering more
elaborate breakfast fare at a reasonable rate.  The Christchurch Wizard
blessed the event, a celebrity bike race was held, and the band played on.

Wellington was not spared the rain either, but the Bike to Work Day pretty
well, getting good
media coverage. Two Cabinet ministers (Trevor Mallard & Steve Maharey) rode
to Parliament from home (and got a mention on midday National Radio news),
and Green MP Rod Donald rode to the Civic Square breakfast.

Bike to Work Day events were also held in other cities around the country.

For more information on Bike Week contact: Michaela Graham or Felicity Close
at the Health Sponsorship Council.  Ph:  04 472 5777  E-mail:
felicity at healthsponsorship.co.nz

***

CHRISTCHURCH CYCLE STRATEGY UPDATED

Christchurch City Council has set a target to increase commuter cyclists
from 8% of the population to 13 per cent next year and up to 20 per cent by
2006.  The target features in the Council's newly published "Cycle Strategy
for Christchurch City".

The strategy says Christchurch could be more cycle friendly. "While our
roads are not busy by international standards, they are busy enough to be
off-putting to some cyclists and potential cyclists, and the city's smog is
discouraging" says Alix Newman, the Council's Cycle Planning Officer.  The
Council's efforts to make the city a more cycle friendly city will be guided
by the strategy.

The first Christchurch cycle strategy was published in 1996 and it provided
the "driving force behind the City Council's efforts to improve cycling in
the city since then."  The new strategy builds on the lessons learnt from
the first.  "With this new strategy it is intended that the Council's
efforts to improve cycling in the city will advance with new vigour," Alix
says.

Contact: Alix Newman, Christchurch City Council.  Ph: 03 371 1472.  E-mail:
Alix.Newman at ccc.govt.nz

***

WELLINGTON REGIONAL LAND TRANSPORT STRATEGY LAUNCHED

The Wellington Regional Council launched its new Regional Land Transport
Strategy on 14 December 1999.  Its vision is to deliver a balanced and
sustainable land transport system that meets the needs of the regional
community.  The concept of balance refers to the need to balance capacity
within and between each mode along an entire route in each transport
corridor, otherwise capacity increases designed to address a particular
bottleneck will both attract more traffic onto the route and transfer the
bottleneck further along the route.  Sustainability refers to both
environmental and economic sustainability.  

Overall fuel consumption and carbon monoxide emission levels at select sites
are two performance indicators used in the strategy to measure environmental
sustainability.  The baselines used for these two indicators are for carbon
monoxide at the Vivian/Victoria Street junction in Wellington - 33%
excedence of the 8 hour maximum level; and for fuel consumption (which is a
surrogate measure for carbon dioxide) - morning peak fuel consumption of
152,500 litres.  These indicators and all others will be reported on yearly.
The other objectives used in the development of the Strategy were
accessibility and economic development, economic efficiency, affordability
and safety.  Using a package evaluation approach, perfected in New Zealand
by the Wellington and Auckland Regional Councils, the most cost-effective
set of proposals for the region were selected that best met the needs of the
community and the identified objectives.  
A paper copy of the Regional Land Transport Strategy can be obtained by
contacting Caroline Waiwiri at Wellington Regional Council.  Ph: 04 385 6960
E-mail: caroline.waiwiri at wrc.govt.nz

A PDF file of the Strategy can be downloaded from:
http://www.wrc.govt.nz/rt/planning.htm

***

UPDATE ON PALMERSTON NORTH'S GREEN BIKE SCHEME

Palmerston North's Green Bikes scheme  - free, bright green bikes around the
city for everyone's use - was first reported in the first issue of this
newsletter (see archived copies on EECA's website at
http://www.eeca.govt.nz/ and follow the transport signpost).

The Green Bike scheme now has around 1000 bikes, with more being donated
weekly. The bikes are being used by a wide range of individuals and
community groups. 

"We now release them on long term loan to children in foster care, people on
probation, recently arrived refugees, those saving for a "real" bike and
people on a low income whose car has broken down. A few have even become
status symbols by High School Students. Tourists often borrow them" says
John Hornblow, the Chair of the Palmerston North Green Bike Trust.

Bike recycling had saved the landfill a considerable amount of space. The
local Transfer Station is donating all bike parts dumped there to the Trust.
Of the long term unemployed working on the restoration of the bikes, six
have found permanent employment using the skills they have gained. Youth at
risk and young people from the local IHC regularly come to paint the bikes.

Over the two years the Trust have been operating they have averaged only 20
bikes a year actually written off - much lower that expected. Helmets,
however, disappear at a faster rate. Still, the Trust argues that they are
out there being used! The Trust needs to find a New Zealand manufacturer who
will supply us with low cost helmets that meet the safety standards. 

As an advocate for safer cycling, the Trust is also active in supporting the
city Cycling Officer. We lobby Council for the rapid implementation of the
City Cycle Plan and are concerned about the trends towards less use of
cycles - in the city and nationally.  They are also working on a number of
innovative ideas, including creating a fleet of tandems!

"The  scheme has won the respect and support of the community. It makes a
valuable contribution to recycling and employment initiatives. And it is a
model for other cities, as we often get requests for information from around
the country" John says.

For more information contact John Hornblow, Chair, Palmerston North Green
Bike Trust.  Ph: 06 357 9431 E-mail: hornblow at manawatu.gen.nz

***

SYDNEY'S SOLAR POWERED COMMUTER FERRY

A photovoltaic powered ferry is undergoing sea trials in Sydney, before its
first commercial sailing in May 2000.  A prototype of the "Solar Sailor II"
has already been fully operational.  The "Solar Sailor II" will be built to
deluxe standard and will be able to carry 100 passengers on its route
between Manly and Parramatta.  

The vessel features unique "SolarWings".  The heart of the concept is that
the one structure is a hybrid renewable energy collecting system.
Photovoltaic panels form a solar collector on a "sail" in the shape of a
wing.  The vessel has a series of these wings, which can move in any
direction to adapt to prevailing wind and sun conditions.  This enables the
vessel to sail faster and more efficiently than it could by wind
(sails/wings) or solar (PV) power alone.

More information is at: http://www.solarsailor.com.au/ssframes.html

***

UK MAXIMUM PARKING STANDARDS

Maximum numbers of parking spaces for different types of building uses have
been drafted as part of UK planning policy guides , published in October 99.
The parking maximums are designed to help reduce the car dependency of
development and promote sustainable transport choices, whilst at the same
time presenting a realistic proposition. The majority of New Zealand local
authorities use minimum parking standards, not maximums, in their planning
policies.

For example, the proposed maximum parking standard for office buildings is 1
parking space per 35 square metres of gross floor space, for buildings above
2,500 square metres gross floor space.  The proposed standards are already
in use by some local authorities around the UK. 

The draft standards have been derived from analysis of existing levels of
parking, consideration of the potential for changing travel patterns and
consideration of potential effects on investment.

The draft maximum parking standards are available on the UK Department of
the Environment, Transport and the Regions at:
http://www.planning.detr.gov.uk/consult/ppg13/07.htm

***

E-COMMERCE SAVES TRANSPORT ENERGY

A recent US study has shown that shopping using the internet does save
transport energy, despite the long distances goods may be shipped to the
consumer.  When clothing retailer Patagonia did an energy "lifecycle"
analysis of its clothing, managers discovered that with traditional
shipping, transportation accounted for six percent of the total energy
needed to create and deliver its product. Using overnight mail (by air)
raised that figure 28 percent. But even that is better for the atmosphere
than driving to get it yourself. 

In both consumer and business e-commerce, the mode by which goods are
shipped makes a huge difference. Water or rail use around 0.28 - 0.35 MJ per
tonne-km.  Shifting to a truck boosts that figure four- to five-fold, to
more than 1.4 MJ per tonne-km. Putting that same freight on a plane
increases energy use dramatically, to 10 MJ per tonne-km. 

More information on the report is at:
http://www.cool-companies.org/ecom/pr5.cfm

***

OXFORD'S 25 YEARS OF TRANSPORT DEMAND MANAGEMENT

Oxford was one of the first cities in the UK to adopt traffic restraint
policies, and to abandon road building as a solution to its transport
problems.  This has proved very successful with traffic levels having
remained stable for over 25 years.  Bus patronage has experienced an 80%
growth in passengers in the last 10 years and economic vitality has been
preserved.

Oxford has a population of 130,000 (of which 20,000 are students) and serves
as a regional centre for a scattered, largely rural population of about half
a million people. The city has the largest Park and Ride system in the UK
and extensive bus priority lanes and traffic signal systems.  Deregulation
of buses in 1986 resulted in real competition with two large bus companies
operating extensive bus services.   It is the only city in the UK with a
battery electric scheduled bus service operating.

Strategic land use policies, for the sub-region within which Oxford lies,
take account of the critical landscape and environmental constraints and are
complimentary to transport policies aimed at reducing car dependence and
encouraging the use of alternative modes of travel. 

This information is from a paper presented at the 53rd Union Internationale
des Transports Publics (UITP) Congress in Toronto, 1999.  More information
is at: http://www.uitp.com/torocd.htm

***

BOOK REVIEW: STREET RECLAIMING 

Sustainable transport advocate, Caroline Winstone, has contributed the
following review of David Engwicht's latest book, "Street Reclaiming -
Creating Livable Streets and Viable Communities",  Pluto Press 1999, NZ$
35.95

If you have concerns about transport and the number of cars on your road,
feel that streets are not safe enough, that children need more play areas,
or you think we need stronger local communities, this is a book for you.

David Engwicht, an Australian who lives in Brisbane, has put together an
truly inspiring book full of practical ideas to get things changed, and very
useful background information to help you on the way. The layout and
illustrations make it very easy to look at, so that you can glean inspiring
snippets just by letting the pages fall open. This is a book (and
philosophy) which puts humanity, community, kids, and creativity firmly at
the centre of city living, as opposed to machines, unlivable space, and
top-down bureaucratic planning.  It really is worth reading the lot.

Tried and tested suggestions for reducing car use, which can be undertaken
initially by very small groups, are backed up by reasons why we should do
so.   These include many benefits from keeping fitter by walking, to
creating extra space for play, leisure and community activities.  There is
praise for colour in our streets, for multiple functions, humour,
sensuality, change, and movable seating.  The book focuses on celebration as
a means to achieve change, and creating what people desire rather than
opposing what they think is wrong (which, as all social activists know, can
be a bit depressing).

Illustrations of street living space from different countries and cultures
enrich the material. The authors insights into dealing with local councils
and changing perceptions are useful; the advantages of a less car-dependant
society and benefits to local economies make compelling reading.  Beg,
steal, or borrow a copy, and share widely.

***

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

This newsletter has been compiled by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Authority (EECA). All issues of the newsletter are archived at EECA's
website:  http://www.eeca.govt.nz/

The newsletter aims to provide a link tying together an informal network of
groups with a common interest in creating a more sustainable transport
future for New Zealand, thereby realising the full range of benefits
associated with improving transport energy use in New Zealand.  In
particular, we want to include the activities and views of sustainable
transport end-user groups alongside those of central and local government
and other transport providers.  Under the umbrella of "sustainable transport
end-users" are public transport users, pedestrians, cyclists, car-poolers
and telecommuters.  Ideas for items are also welcomed.  

To be added or removed from the e-mailing list for this newsletter, please
contact Liz Yeaman, Transport and Local Government Executive at EECA, PO Box
388, Wellington.  Ph: 04 470 2228.  
E-mail: Elizabeth.Yeaman at eeca.govt.nz  



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