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On this page: Chris Virtue's questionaire; Edward Okulicz' response; Peter Shmigel's response; Verity Firth's response; Rochelle Porteous' response ...

Subject: Election Questionaire

Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:59:12 +1100

From: Chris Virtue <cvirtue@inhouse.com.au>

To:

Hi,

I am a cyclist and non-car owner living in Leichhardt. My bicycle is my primary form of transport and I choose not to have a car.

It would appear to me that very little is done to encourage cycling in Sydney. Let's face it, traffic congestion is getting worse and the Inner West cops more than its fair share with many streets in Leichhardt at stand-still twice a day.

However, that is only part of it. I find myself riding through glass because motorists no longer remove it from the road after they crash their cars, whether the police attend or not. I constantly cop abuse and road rage just because I choose a less than popular form of transport. On an almost daily basis I have motorists cut me off at squeeze points and roundabouts. I have had to take evasive action several times this year to avoid being hit by a motorist talking on a mobile phone.

On top of all that, I have to deal with a right-wing media with its anti-cycling columnists and reporters egging these motorists on. Anita Quigley (Telegraph) likes to swerve towards cyclists because they annoy her so much. Miranda Devine (SMH) wants them banned from the roads altogether; and recently Kyle and Jackie O (breakfast radio, 2DAY FM) gave a prize to a motorist for intimidating cyclists. While it is illegal to vilify and to discriminate against anyone on the grounds race, gender, religious or sexual preference, it is very much de rigeur to vilify, discriminate against and harass cyclists for their transport preference.

Thirdly, some of the infrastructure that has been put in place seems to be designed to make cycling more difficult than it needs to be. Let's look at three examples in the electorate.

1. The path along the Harbour from Lilyfield Road to Timbrill Drive. The path is an increasing popular commuter route for many cyclists, including myself. It is also very popular with walkers and joggers. However, I regularly have to contend with people walking three and four across, refusing to move out of the way for cyclists. I also have to deal with unleashed dogs. There needs to be segregation of cyclists and pedestrians in much the same way that cars and pedestrians are segregated. We need to end the farce of shared paths on high bicycle traffic routes.

2. The footbridge over Victoria Road near Lilyfield Road. This is also part of a commuter route for cyclists working in the city. It provides the only safe access from the Anzac Bridge to Lilyfield Road. It is very narrow and has almost impossibly tight turns. Add to that pedestrians, dogs and traffic counters to make a less than satisfactory experience. It needs to be rebuilt.

3. Three problems on the Anzac Bridge itself: (a) The bus shelter near the monument causes the path to be so narrow that it is unsafe. (b) At the eastern end, in Quay St, the path ends at the front door of a large block of flats with taxis regularly parked across the ramp in the morning. (c) At the western end, the northern approach to the new overpass is at such an angle to the path that it is difficult to turn on to it safely when coming from the city. It provides access to routes south of the City West Link.

I have six simple questions for you because I don't have neither desire nor the time to wade through your policies. I do not want to hear about targets, nor do I want I hear attacks on your opponents. I want to know what YOU are going to do the improve the lot of cyclists in the Balmain electorate in the event of you being elected. Regardless of anything, everything to do cycling and traffic is simply nowhere near an acceptable standard in the Inner West.

1. What are YOU going to do to make cycling safer in the Inner West?

2. Are YOU prepared to support, in principle, a private member's bill to divert funds from roads to cycling infrastructure?

3. What are YOU going to do to reduce the amount of traffic moving through the Inner West?

4. What are YOU going to do to reduce road rage by motorists towards cyclists?

5. What are YOU going to do deal with the infrastructure problems outlined above?

6. What are YOU going to do to stop the attacks by the media on cyclists?

Chris Virtue

Leichhardt

Phone 0413 189 976.

--

Chris Virtue

Director

In House Technologies P/L

Sydney, Australia

http://www.inhouse.com.au

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Subject: Re: Election Questionaire

Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:32:35 +1100

From: Edward Okulicz <ed@furanes.net>

To: Chris Virtue <cvirtue@inhouse.com.au>

References: <45F71EB0.70708@inhouse.com.au>

Dear Chris,

I see your non-car owning status and raise you further - I don't even have a driver's licence. I have a bike locked up out the back which I use in less built-up areas than where I live (for leisure and fitness), but I wouldn't feel safe using it as my primary means of transport to work from Lilyfield. I used to live in Canberra, which was a cyclist's paradise by comparison.

I will concede that I have no chance of being elected. As such, #2 is the only question I can legitimately answer without offering you platitudes that would just be insulting your intelligence. The Democrats, and I am no exception, do support more cycling infrastructure. Actually, I support more of any kind of infrastructure as long as it's not excess road infrastructure. With all the hoo-hah about budget surpluses, I even think it's worth going into a manageable amount of debt to invest in transport infrastructure other than roads, or roads with dedicated cycling lanes as some bridges have even if it's not particularly good. Ideally, some day the recommendations of the Christie Report (have you seen this?) will happen and there will be a rail link into the Balmain area via Wynyard. In the here and now, a light rail link through Victoria Road strikes me as being more feasible as a way of reducing the number of cars in the area.

As far as the media attacks go, those are completely irresponsible. Perhaps I should stop skipping Miranda Devine's column. May I ask if there have been any specific instances where you've been on the receiving end of dangerous behaviour? Motorcyclists have quite the effective lobbying experience, yet I'm not aware of other cyclists' groups campaigning for people to treat them with respect on the roads.

I have forwarded your email to our sitting MLC, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans and ask him to give a more detailed response as to what he, as an elected Parliamentarian, will do to further your cause if he is re-elected on March 24 - our policies state, generally, that we will press the government to "push for more cycleways in the CBD and elsewhere". Of the specific concerns you raise, I'm only personally familiar with the bus shelter on the Anzac Bridge but there should be some guidelines for erecting structures for buses to stop that doesn't make the navigable path for pedestrians or cyclists narrower than a certain distance.

Thanks for your email, and I am sorry I can't give you anything more concrete than this.

Regards,

Edward Okulicz

Australian Democrats Candidate for Balmain

19 Gladstone St, Lilyfield

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Subject: RE: Election Questionaire

Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:40:06 +1100

From: Peter Shmigel <peter.shmigel@nsw.liberal.org.au>

To: 'Chris Virtue' <cvirtue@inhouse.com.au>

Chris,

In addition to my local role, I am actually the Coalition's cycling spokesperson and have been using my bike as my primary vehicle during the election campaign (which is zero carbon by the way). I know you said you don't want them, but I'd be irresponsible in not forwarding you a copy of our full policy as well as dealing with your questions below. Let me know if you need anymore info or would like to speak in person.

Peter Shmigel, Liberal for Balmain "100% For Our Community" (The Balmain electorate includes the suburbs of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Camperdown, Dobroyd Point, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, and Rozelle.)

mob: 0419 163 668

email: peter.shmigel@nsw.liberal.org.au

website: www.petershmigel.com.au

postal address: PO Box 212, Haberfield NSW 2045

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Subject: RE: Election Questionaire

Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:48:45 +1100

From: Verity Firth <Verity.Firth@alp.com.au>

To: Chris Virtue <cvirtue@inhouse.com.au>

References: <45F71EB0.70708@inhouse.com.au>

Dear Chris

Thanks for contacting me about cycling in the inner west.

I am absolutely committed to promoting cycling and other sustainable transport options.

I believe that it should be safe and unproblematic for residents of the Balmain electorate to ride to and from work and also recreationally. In particular, residents of Balmain should be able to safely and comfortably cycle to the city centre. We live so close to the CBD that this should be encouraged and enjoyed.

I think it's important that more effort is made to promote the benefits of cycling. As well as being a sustainable form of transport cycling has obvious health benefits. I know that when I was at school most students rode or walked to school but that seems to be increasingly uncommon today. I think that's a shame, cycling is a healthy and fun way to get to school. I am committed to working with local schools to improve bike storage facilities and bike education so as to encourage more of our children to take up cycling.

Of course to encourage cycling we need to ensure that we have a comprehensive and safe network of cycleways. I am committed to extending and improving cycleways in our area including prioritising new cycleway facilities across the Iron Cove Bridge.

I have also called on the Minister for Roads to upgrade the Bay Run Cycleway and widen the RTA Regional Bicycle Route along Victoria Road. I have also called for the introduction of traffic calming measures on major roads, such as Darling St, in order to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

If elected I look forward to working with community groups such as the Leichhardt Bicycle Users Group to improve cycling facilities in our area and to identify cycling black spots which require urgent action.

I am disappointed with funding cuts to the cycling budget, and if elected, will do everything in my power to see these cuts redressed. Having said that, Labor does has a proud record of improving facilities for cyclists. An average of 236 km of cycling facilities has been provided by the NSW Government each year since 1999. There are more now than 3,600km of cycleways across NSW.

The Government is committed to building off-road shared paths wherever practicable when new roads are built and to link these with existing cycleways wherever possible.

The Iemma Government is investing $71 million in cycling projects this year with a number of major cycleway projects under construction to expand and improve the cycling network.

$64 million has been allocated for cycling facilities as part of major road construction projects, providing sealed shoulders and paths. More than $7 million is being provided though the RTA to directly fund bicycle specific programs delivering infrastructure education and promotion.

There are many keen cyclists in the inner-west and the NSW Government is continuing to support local cycling initiatives. The Government provides dollar for dollar funding to local councils to develop and build cycle ways. A number of councils in the local area have received government funding to improve cycle ways including Leichhardt and Canada Bay Councils.

91 local projects are being funded through the RTA at a combined cost of over $6 million this financial year.

I am a keen supporter of the City of Sydney's Cycling Strategy and want its initiatives to be expanded across the inner-west. The City's strategy would see all residents in the CBD and inner suburbs with a cycling path no more than five minutes from their home. It also aims to raise the proportion of CBD trips made by bicycle from 2% to 10% by 2016. Routes will include Leichhardt to the City, Glebe Point to the City and Rozelle to the City.

The full plan can be accessed at

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/OnExhibition/DraftCycleStrategy.asp

< http://exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/OnExhibition/DraftCycleStrategy.asp >

Or, please contact my office for a hard copy to be sent to you.

I hope that I have answered all of your questions.

Yours sincerely,

Verity Firth

Cr Verity Firth

Labor Candidate for Balmain

Ph. 9881 5959

Fx. 9264 4905

Email. verity.firth@alp.com.au

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Subject: Re: Election Questionaire

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:49:05 +1100

From: Rochelle Porteous <rochelle.porteous@balmain.nsw.greens.org.au>

To: Chris Virtue <cvirtue@inhouse.com.au>

References: <45F721DD.2090706@inhouse.com.au>

Hi Chris

Thanks for your questions. Sorry not to get back to you sooner.

I am a cyclist and a strong supporter of improving the lot of bicycle riders in the inner west and the Greens' MPs have been the strongest supporters in parliament for improving access for cyclists to safe and efficient network of cycle ways for both commuting and recreational purposes. As a Councillor on Leichhardt Council I have been on the committee to develop Leichhardt's bike plan and I have been active in getting Council to lobby the RTA for more matching funding and in getting the cycleway works prioritiised in Council.

I have attached a couple of media releases so you can see the sort of improvements we have been campaigning for but here's a brief summary:

Greens Bicycle Policy commitments:

Locally in the Balmain electorate I have challenged the Labor and Liberal candidates to commit to delivering three vital missing links to our local Inner West cycleways network:

If elected I will pursue our policy goals through the introduction of a private members bill to meet the objectives set out above. I will not vote for any measure which reduces funding to cycleways or which does not enhance cycling in the inner west.

As far as the tabloid media's attacks on cyclists go I'm sure you understand that the Greens are used to such attacks and we do not bow to them. I'm sure you will have seen how much Anita Quigley, Miranda Devine and their ilk dislike the Greens which I guess just shows we must be on the right track. We will not allow them to dictate our cycling or any other policy. I will not be intimidated by the roads lobby and their friends and barrackers in the tabloid media into backing away from our commitment to public policy that is in the interest of us all.

Thanks for your interest.

Rochelle.

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-- GilbertGrace - 18 Mar 2007



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