Christmas Walk Trails

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Make the most of early summer evenings and enjoy our city’s most loved Christmas attractions on foot!  These Christmas trails take in old favourites including the Smith and Caughey’s Christmas window, Queen Street Santa and the Franklin Road lights, as well as new favourites like Silo Park and Sky City with some sweet surprises in between.  Discover how easy and enjoyable it is to walk into and around the city centre at https://at.govt.nz/cycling-walking/auckland-cycle-run-walkway-maps/city-centre-christmas-walking-trails/ or pick up a hard copy from the Central Library, Council service centre, or i-site.

 

Reflective braces for sale

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These are $10 each, plus postage and have a waist band up to 110cm. Order below please.

And the stretch style in Orange or Green.

 

The Access Alliance

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On Monday I attended the launch of the Access Alliance. It is made up from 9 organisations in the disability area. They are looking to get better legislation so accessibility is not a question but taken for granted. Moving from complaints to policy.

They are planning more meetings with business, politicians, political parties  toward the general elections.

The Access Alliance wants NZ to be 100% accessible.

The NZ Institute of Economic Research presented a report on what would the affect of this 100% be.

There is a large tourist market for People with Disabilities (PWD). Tourists over 65 year old make up 65% of the group.

Access for All could put 14,000 PWD into work, worth $1.4 billion, saving $270 million in benefits and creating tax revenue of $387 million.

Access for All has a positive economic value.

Dr Marie Bountrogianni, Dean from Ryerson University Canada was also a politician that put in place legislation that would suit NZ.  The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act aims to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.  She explained the work involved in the act and that was passed unanimously by the Parliament in Ontario.  You can even do a certificate on how to implement the acts requirements.

Its Time for the Accessibility for New Zealanders Act

Access to work NZIER paper

Summary Papers Access Alliance

Level Crossing Focus group needs you

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Pedestrian level crossing workshop

We need you to help us make the users of pedestrian level crossing safer.

Do you live in  Auckland? Do you use pedestrian level crossings regularly? If so, you are invited to join this workshop to share your views and perceptions of sign options at level crossings.

Please pass this on to potentially interested family and friends. We are looking for everyday users, rather than professionals in the transport sector.

A diverse range of people will participate in the workshops, so places may be allocated according to need.

In Auckland, the workshop will be held on Tuesday 7th March from 6-8pm.

All attendees will receive a $100 MTA voucher and a pizza dinner will be provided.

If you would like to attend please contact Lily Hirsch (e: [email protected], mob: 027 204 2211)

Ideally we would like a range of pedestrian level crossing users attending, with an equal gender balance. It would be great if we could have representation from ‘general pedestrians’ as well as the following pedestrian level crossing users:

  • Cyclist
  • Youth
  • University-aged
  • Pram user
  • Wheelchair user
  • Vision impaired
  • Elderly

New Pedestrian Space – where is it?

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When I opened the 2WALKandCYCLE conference in July last year I challenged the then Mayor and CEO of Auckland Transport to create new pedestrian only spaces in Auckland and I said that means closing roads. We need to drive the car out from our streets and make them living streets. It’s people who spend money in our shops, not cars. We should have flânuers and sojourners in the streets, not startled people running across intersections as drivers wait till they have the road again. High Street should have no vehicles and deliveries made in the early morning. Parts of Queen Street should be pedestrianised boulevards. Block Queen St at The Civic up to Mayoral Drive and Victoria Street to Shortland Street. This is not a new idea and there are other streets, in other town centres that need the same treatment. It takes political will to do this − Kia kaha, kia toa Aucklanders. Let’s make a city for people.

The need for safer speeds in NZ

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Did you see this article “NZ roads are too dangerous” by a Norwegian journalist recently in the NZ Herald?  It’s well worth a read:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11774671

This kind of article provides valuable perspective beyond the complexity of NZTA’s new Speed Management Guide, please see our concerns attached at bottom.

Hence, we ask that AT helps ensure that the new Setting of Speed Limits Rule (to be implemented in 2017) is drafted to allow for the easier adoption of safer speed limits in order to achieve safe, efficient travel on our roads.

Bevan Woodward

safer-speeds-and-network-efficiency

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