The study has important implications for transportation planning.  It suggests that, at least where traffic is heavy, cycle routes should not be included as part of a roading system designed for cars.  Rather, if we are to encourage cycling as an alternative to cars, we need to think about cycle hierarchies that are complementary to car traffic.  Ideally, the planning for cycle routes should be as carefull and well-designed as the planning for cars.  Cycle paths that lead to major employment areas (such as the hospital, the university, downtown, schools) should be safe and healthy for cyclists and others (i.e. they should not require cyclists to breathe car exhaust or compete with cars for the road, nor cause risk to pedestrians on sidewalks), convenient (so often cars are given a shorter route than cycles), attractive (e.g. they should hold elements of interest or beauty for cyclists).  Just as we have major and minor arterials for cars that are specifically designed for fast, safe and efficient movement of cars, we should have major and minor cycles routes that are designed for the needs of cyclists.     

Hamilton City pays lip service to the importance of cycling and cyclists, but its transportation planning remains overwhelmingly oriented to cars.  The City Council has a cycling objective as follows:

Objective

To increase the popularity and safety of cycling in Hamilton, through improvements of facilities, education and motivation.

Policy

Council supports the continuous improvement of facilities for cycling, both on and off-street, to ensure that there is a balance between cycling and other modes of transport, as set out in Hamilton's Integrated Transport Strategy.  Council will achieve this balance by:

·         Developing a network of cycle routes where the safety of cyclists is given special attention.

·         Promoting cycling as a safe, environmentally friendly and healthy alternative mode of transport.

·         Including projects for improving cycling facilities as part of the overall transport programme.

·         Providing for appropriate maintenance of cycling facilities.

However, a map of the City’s cycle network shows that little has been for cyclists that is independent of roads for cars (see http://hamilton.co.nz/file/fileid/3933) .  Roads such as Grey Street, Clyde Street, Peachgrove Road, Ruakura Road, Killarney Road are all shown as existing cycle routes even though they are heavily used by cars and are dangerous and unpleasant  for cyclists.  Greenwood Street, Kahikatea Drive and Ohaupo Road are shown as ‘Cycle routes for completion’ by June 2008’.

The City continues to overwhelmingly support cars to the neglect of more sustainable forms of transport .  The 2010/2011 annual plan projects a total of $22,530 million to be spent on transportation, of which $1,825 million (8%) is allocated for ‘Footpaths, cyclesways and verges’.  However, none of this 8% is tagged for cycling.

In March 2010 Hamilton released Transport choices for everyone, a vision statement for its Access Hamilton Strategy.   The document clearly identifies the importance of planning for alternative modes of transport to the car.  The section Alternatives and Options suggests that, “a balanced approach that includes alternatives such as bus priority and improved access and amenity for pedestrians and cyclists, along with information systems and travel demand management programmes will reduce travel demand and help delay congestion increases”.   Alternatives include land use planning to reduce the need to travel; behaviour change to manage the demand for dravel; alternative transport modes to reduce the need for additional road capacity, managing and optimising existing networks and providing additional infrastructure and services to meet travel demand. 

These are all important strategies.  But perhaps the most important and effective strategy of all is to leave the roads for cars to become more and more congested, while providing better provision for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

Reference

European Commission, 2010. Cyclists inhale high levels of traffic pollution  Science for Environmental Policy, 15th July issue. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/204na6.pdf (Accessed 16th July, 2010)

Hamilton city Council, 2010. Transport Choices for Everyone.  Access Hamilton Strategy.  Hamilton City Council, March, 2010.

Int Panis, L., de Geus, B., Vandenbulcke, G. et al. (2010). Exposure to particulate matter in traffic: A comparison of cyclists and car passengers. Atmospheric Environment. 44:2263-2270.