A happy explorer

The 2nd Annual Family Cycling Treasure Hunt survived some initial summer showers to come out a clear winner with the kids yet again in 2010. An afternoon of cycling fun, training, exploration and adventure was had by over thirty families.

Starting from the Arts Millennium building in NUI, Galway and taking in some of Galway city’s most scenic routes, the treasure hunt used the university campus for traffic-free fun.

Bikes had their NCT with Mike the bike doctor before setting off on the “Explorer” course, designed for smaller children and their adult supervisors. The “explorers” travelled through the university ground, along the River Corrib, and back to the main campus via Corrib Village. Educational questions, relating to cycling benefits and safety, were mixed with fun challenges, such as a slow bike race and cycle slalom. There was also cycling skills education with a qualified UK National Standard Cycling instructor.

Enjoying the slow bike race at the Galway Cycling Treasure Hunt 2010

Older children finished with the longer “Adventurer” course; it incorporated the Explorer course and extended along Galway’s canal system, involving some on-road sections of Mill Street and New Street. Volunteers were present along the routes to offer help, stickers, friendly smiles and chats. After completing the courses, cyclists were treated to refreshments — fruit, chocolate, drinks, and a variety of delicious homemade muffins — until the prize draw took place at 4 pm. There were three prizes of vouchers for Nigel’s Cycles on the Tuam Road, and all the children got bells for their bicycles, courtesy of Richard Walsh Cycles on the Headford Road.

The winners of the vouchers were

Albert Hardiman
Cloe Benson
Conor Moran

The Galway Cycling Campaign would like to thank NUI, Galway for hosting the event, the Department of Transport for funding, Galway City Council for their assistance, and the many volunteers who helped make the 2010 Family Cycling Treasure Hunt such a success. The Campaign is very grateful to the Red Cross, who were on hand throughout the day, and to Critical Mass Galway, who provided enthusiastic volunteers. Most of all, we want to thank the cyclists of all ages who took part. We hope they enjoyed the event as much as we did, and we hope to see them again next year!

Galway Cycling Treasure Hunt 2010 Crew

The event is one of the highlights of Ireland’s National Bike
Week/Seachtain na Rothaíochta (13–20 June 2010). The bicycle treasure hunt
is an ideal fun activity to bring your kids to, this Sunday 13 June.
Not only will it give children and teenagers the opportunity to enjoy
some of Galway’s most scenic cycleways, it will also give them a fun
challenge in the process. All participants are in with a chance of
winning cycle-related prizes.

Families can choose from two different scenic routes: the Explorer
course is aimed primarily at younger riders and their adult
supervisors and will be completely traffic free, while the Adventurer
course will feature some short on-road sections around Galway’s canal
system. Participants will collect cycle-related trivia en route, which
will outline the benefits of cycling for the individual, the community
and the planet.

Last year’s event was hugely successful, with around 100 people
participating. Stewards will be on hand to man all the on-road
junctions, but it is recommended that participants under 18 be
accompanied by an adult. Registration is between 12 noon and 1 pm at
the Arts Millennium Building, NUIG. Light refreshments will also be
provided.

What better way to spend a lovely June day than on your bike cycling
along the beautiful River Corrib? If that doesn’t tempt you, then the
opportunity to win a prize should twist your arm. Bike Week is a
series of nationwide events organised by cycling groups, communities
and local authorities, supported by the Department of Transport.

Volunteers are always needed for events like this, so if you or anyone
you know are interested in lending a hand, you can contact the Galway
Cycling Campaign on 086 1611587 or e-mail info@galwaycycling.org. A
brochure listing the full schedule of Galway events is available to
download from www.bikeweek.ie.

By temporarily constructing Galway’s newest park, our aim is to creatively explore how urban public space is allocated and used. Inexpensive kerb-side parking results in more motor traffic and less space in our city centre. This in turn hinders the movement of pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles; it adds to the level of CO2 emissions; and it obstructs the creation of a healthy, vibrant human habitat for Galway. We are re-imagining the possibilities of the city landscape.

Our re-interpretation of road space demonstrates that even temporary spatial redesign can improve the character of Galway City. We were also lucky to have a beautiful sunny afternoon. Many curious passers-by stopped to chat, to sample our delicious bicycle biscuits, to sign up to our mailing lists, to read our educational signs and our new Cycling Skills leaflets, and simply to watch the world go by from an unexpected green patch on the road.

We would like to thank Galway City Council for closing Cross St. and Middle St. to traffic for the afternoon, and we’re especially grateful to everyone who stopped and said hello. We’re already looking forward to the next outing of our mini public park!

]]> http://www.galwaycycling.org/a-touch-of-green-amid-the-asphalt/feed/ 1 http://www.galwaycycling.org/231/ http://www.galwaycycling.org/231/#comments Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:29:47 +0000 Shane http://www.galwaycycling.org/?p=231 The Galway Cycling Campaign have written to City Council Director of Services, Ciaran Hayes, seeking clarification on the qualifications of the consultants assigned to Galway City and Environs Walking and Cycling Strategy (AECOM). The Campaigners say that they have been unable to establish that the consultants have taken an approved cycling skills course or have formal training that would allow them to assess roads used by cyclists.

The Irish Government’s National Cycle Policy Framework states: “We will also stipulate that that all local authority roads engineers and any engineer wishing to tender for government road contracts should be required to have taken an approved cycling skills course”. The stated policy of the National Cycling Lobby Group, Cyclist.ie also specifies that the completion of an approved cycling skills course is a standard requirement for all consultants undertaking such work.

The Cycling Campaign have requested documentary evidence showing that the consultants (AECOM) have taken such a course.

Shane Foran speaking for the campaign added “In the UK and Ireland , the only accredited cycling skills course dealing with the full range of on-road traffic skills is the UK National Standard for Cycle Training. The Green Schools Travel staff currently working with 400 schools, including schools in Galway, have been trained as UK National Standard instructors” The Cycle Campaign states that current best practice for drafting viable cycling strategies requires consultants who are able to audit the existing roads, and any proposed new designs, with reference to “design cyclists” who come under the different ability levels defined under the National Standard curriculum. The cyclists say that it is totally unacceptable that the City Council should apparently be seeking to develop a cycling strategy in isolation from the advice that child and adult cyclists are being given with regard to using the roads.

The cyclists say the issue of consultants being able to show that they have necessary training is non-negotiable issue, because having untrained and unassessed consultants advising on cycling measures is viewed as equivalent to employing general traffic engineers who don’t possess driving licences or any independent verification of driving competence.

Vulnerable road users at the Headford Rd. (Tesco) roundabout

The Galway City Community Forum has compiled an excellent survey on cycling and walking in Galway. Pleas fill in the survey here.

Members of the Galway City Community orum‘s transport group who met last week feel that this survey is much more relevant to the needs and concerns of pedestrians and cyclists than the survey recently promoted by the council’s consultants, and that it is more in line with the Forum’s transport policies.

However, we need to ensure that the survey is completed by a substantial number of local residents to ensure its authenticity before we submit and publicise the results. The results could put considerable pressure on the council to put proper cyclist/pedestrian infrastructure in place, especially if government funds are secured under the Smarter Travel initiative.

Because of the survey’s level of detail, a street-based campaign alone may not succeed: it is not something (as with a petition) that can be completed in 30 seconds from a stall on Shop Street on a Saturday afternoon. So we would be very grateful if you could set aside a few minutes to complete it and pass it on to friends and colleagues.

Roundabouts have become particularly hazardous for Galway cyclists. “To negotiate a roundabout, a cyclist has to be in the same traffic flow for entering or exiting, yet motorists are trying to overtake them by racing past. They are only delayed by a few seconds if they allow the cyclist to go in front. We’d appeal to motorists to give cyclists the space to get on and off the roundabout safely,” Mr Foran said. [That's Shane Foran, of the Galway Cycling Campaign and Cyclist.ie.]

Item no.2: Galway City and County Councils are planning a cycling and walking strategy, and have provided an online survey requesting feedback.

Finally, for your amusement, here’s a Flickr pool of bad cycle lanes.

For more like this, bookmark or subscribe to our Twitter feed, which is updated frequently with short snippets of links, news, tips and ideas. (You don’t have to join Twitter.)

GCC Bike Stand Sep 09

On the 24th of September the GCC marked mobility week ’09 with an “edutainment” event in NUI, Galway.  There was a competition using the information signs from the summer bicycle treasure hunt which were arrayed along the main concourse.  (Reputedly the longest enclosed space in the country). University vice president Keith Warnock, sponsored two bicycles worth EU250 each and mountain trail sponsored some bike accessories.   To enter the draw participants had to answer questions on measures to promote cycling and improve safety. The information signs covered the usual suspects: Roundabouts, one-way streets, permeability, cycle-parking, 30kph zones and so on.

Indie and Catherine fight off last minute entrants as they try to take the stand down

Mobility week bike winners

A summary of the findings is online here, and the study “Cycling Motorists” is available here (PDF, 2.35 MB; to download: right-click, “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…”).

There is great potential in these initiatives, but unless we get in there with good information and a bit of groundwork, this potential could be wasted. Many a development is well-intentioned but ultimately unhelpful and even dangerous. Familiar faces and newcomers are equally welcome to come along and offer help and suggestions.