Sydney's message to Clover - we're over your bike paths

[Scarfy96]

Heard this being discussed on the radio this morning and went looking for it out of interest.

OFFICIAL figures reveal that bicycle trips have fallen in the past decade - contradicting claims on which the city's new bike lane policies are based.

The NSW Bureau of Transport Statistic's 2013 household travel report found bike trips dropped 5.9 per cent since 2001 across the greater city.

.....

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/n ... 6721346780" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am sure this will go down well here

[silentbutdeadly]

In other news, the Australian Bureau of Cycling Statistics has found that the average IQ of Daily Telegraph editorial staff has declined by 12.3% over the last five years....correspondingly, their cynicism quotient has increased by 32 points while their average Respect for Reader score has declined by almost 55% over the same period.

[jasonc]

84% of statistics are made up

[BastardSheep]

Absolutely brilliant reporting there. The "reporter" starts off comparing apples and oranges (inner city cycling levels and greater Sydney cycling levels that actually extend beyond Sydney's borders into the Blue Mountains and other surrounding regional areas) as though they're both the same thing, trying to claim Clover was lieing. Then acknowledges they're different and that Clover's numbers were correct. Then whinges incessantly about bike lanes outside of the inner city , and hence outside of Clover's area of control all the while blaming Clover Moore - lanes that were badly designed to start with while Clover Moore specifically states in a quote that WELL designed lanes are required. This "reporter" just can't form an argument against her target, she keeps on proving her own arguments wrong.

[Scarfy96]

Nice analysis, didn't want to put words in anyones mouth which is why I said very little but yes it is the usual pathetic editorial standard we have grown to expect from the Tele. Unfortunately the average IQ of the tele readers maps perfectly with ACA or TT viewers and so they will quote as fact and use it to up the pressure. Dumb irresponsible editorial but fact is majority of population will lap it up.

[g-boaf]

I'm a cyclist too, but I'm concious that I shouldn't be causing inconvenience to car drivers at peak hour by being on a bike. So I use a car a bit in peak hour - just to be certain I don't cause any inconvenience. If only all cyclists would do the same, the traffic would be so much better.

As for the lanes in question, it's not my problem, I don't use them. If they were well connected to the Western Suburbs (eg, Granville), then I might care.

Nice analysis, didn't want to put words in anyones mouth which is why I said very little but yes it is the usual pathetic editorial standard we have grown to expect from the Tele. Unfortunately the average IQ of the tele readers maps perfectly with ACA or TT viewers and so they will quote as fact and use it to up the pressure. Dumb irresponsible editorial but fact is majority of population will lap it up.

They are actually doing a great job of being a champion of values and issues their readers find important. Unfortunately the cycling minority is not just a minority, it is a very fractured and divided one where all the little groups fight with each other. The touring cyclists and recreational riders despise the lycra wearing road-cyclists, etc. Even the advocacy groups spend plenty of time trying to cut each other down (mainly one in particular).

[Baldy]

And cue the Human/Padrone bleating in 3...2...1...

[human909]

Bleat

[g-boaf]

And cue the Human/Padrone bleating in 3...2...1...

Bwahahaha! By the way, I did put a rocket of a reply in to that article. What's the bet it won't get published.

Edit: Well blow me down, I'm shocked. They did publish my comment.

[FuzzyDropbear]

I'm always a bit skeptical of bicycle usage statistics. I mean if it had been raining for the last week then this statement "It surveyed 11,660 people, finding 425 had ridden a bicycle the day before in a public place on a trip of more than 100m" would be skewed because it wouldn't pickup those who commute or ride on days of fair weather. These conditions for riding stats aren't picked up a lot of the time because the questions are based around forms of transport which people undertake in any weather (driving a car, public transport etc.). So to me, they have to be careful about how they ask the question and when they ask the question, in order to get a representative sample.

On a side note, I do like their photo of cyclists running red lights... I doesn't actually show the red light in the photo, it only shows half the set of lights, who knows, the light may have been out that day?

[zero]

I had the great misfortune to find myself in a mobile cage this morning. I got stuck for 10 minutes behind the surface traffic (ie the traffic that bicycles fix), and then when I got into the harbor tunnel (ie the kind of distance traffic that bicycles don't fix) - which was 400mil per km, it was EMPTY. I mean empty as in that there was neither a vehicle in the rearview, or visible through the windscreen.

Honestly the terrorgraph is fast closing on lawsuit territory for the scope and scale of its absurd unbalanced cycling coverage.

How you can honestly avoid the spectacle of the expense of that motoring failure, and harp on and on about 4 minor streets that are overfilled with oversized vehicles and absolutely require vehicle size reduction offered by bicycles is beyond me.

[SentryBox]

"...2,626 million have a private vehicle." 2.6 billion! No wonder the defunct Labor governement wasn't worried about sinking the car industry with those proposed FBT changes, Australians own about 120 cars each.

[il padrone]

The touring cyclists and recreational riders despise the lycra wearing road-cyclists, etc. Even the advocacy groups spend plenty of time trying to cut each other down (mainly one in particular).

Wha??

I am a touring cyclist. I quite often wear lycra.... most of the time really. Most of my touring friends wear lycra. I ride on the roads and enjoy watching racing (TdF on SBS).

So I'm not sure exactly where this stereoype harks from, but stereotype it certainly is. Best relegated to the trash-bin of history.

[g-boaf]

It's no stereo type, witness the complaints always suggesting "Lycra wearing louts or TDF wannabes". Perhaps I'll go grab a list of people who've been called that. It's usually when you pass someone at a speed greater than they are going. I've been called that once. Don't know why, I wasn't going fast and gave plenty of warning.

Anyhow -Sydney has told Daily Telegraph that we are over its reporting of cyclists:

http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclists-spring ... 2tyvi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By the way - in going for a ride down to Prestons tonight. Take that Daily Telegraph. On awesome cycleways in Fairfield.

[find_bruce]

And cue the Human/Padrone bleating in 3...2...1...

Gee Il padrone you are a bit slow off the mark, human responded in 3 minutes. Maybe you are ready to retire to retire to Qld after all

[g-boaf]

After a huge face-palm moment yesterday with that article (and Clover writing in to tell them off), now they bleating about rude cyclists and demanding registration, with the usual assorted concerned members of public offering their views in support of bicycle rego. Because rego makes care drivers follow the law, doesn't it...

Argh, hate that paper. Looks like we are public enemy number one at the moment.

[BastardSheep]

It certainly worked for tradie ute with rego SB.161 who last night shared a lane with another car on the off-ramp of the M4 (pulled up at the lights directly beside and cm's from another car that had already stopped), then did burnouts at EVERY set of lights for the next 10+ lights each time with a different unaware car less than a meter in front of him (until my route separated from his). Oh wait, no, what's that other thing? It certainly DIDN'T work. Yeah, that's it.

Now with photo - https://twitter.com/bastardsheep/status ... 68/photo/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[find_bruce]

Bit early in the day for fish & chips isn't it? I do like the fact that there other transport story is about raising the speed limit to 130 km/h on the hume highway

[g-boaf]

Bit early in the day for fish & chips isn't it? I do like the fact that there other transport story is about raising the speed limit to 130 km/h on the hume highway

I was waiting in Bar Bello for my espresso and croissant to be prepared, and they do have the papers there. I know I shouldn't read it, but... It's depressing reading.

It certainly worked for tradie ute with rego SB.161 who last night shared a lane with another car on the off-ramp of the M4 (pulled up at the lights directly beside and cm's from another car that had already stopped), then did burnouts at EVERY set of lights for the next 10+ lights each time with a different unaware car less than a meter in front of him (until my route separated from his). Oh wait, no, what's that other thing? It certainly DIDN'T work. Yeah, that's it.

Like the blue XR6 Turbo leaving the Liverpool Catholic Club last night. Doing the huge tyre frying fish-tailing burnout as he turned right out of the exit. Dumb.

They aren't the only ones though driving badly, or in a bad fashion. How about the Lambo LP640 driver who clearly has trouble with gearshifts. Lazy driving in first gear only - cue the big 6.5L V12 BOOMING away making the mother and father of all enormous noise. I dread to think the fuel usage. 80km/h equals about 6200rpm by my reckoning, and the thing has a limit of 8200rpm.

[rebilda]

I unwittingly bought the Telegraph this morning, for something to read with my Coffee - I want my $1.20 Back!! (what a load of Tripe)

Yeah! I saw a Black ford Territory (BN 065). Purposefully disregard a red light and turn right, pushing through 3 lanes of traffic on Menai Rd to get to the shops (must have been late or something), all to the amazement of those who had to swerve to avoid this idiot. I pulled up along side him (a bloke in his late 50's) at the next roundabout, but he just kept a forward stare with the window safely wound up tight. Unfortunately, this is the type who relish the tripe that the Daily Telegraph dish up.

[g-boaf]

Now that WestConnex is being built, I put a reply in to SMH suggesting that it shouldn't be built until motorists start obeying the law and stop running red lights.

Why build infrastructure for motorists when they continually run red lights and break the law?

[schroeds]

:lol::lol::lol:

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

[SentryBox]

An pretty poor article, but this 'issue' never gets to go far below the surface.

[SentryBox]

Reality is that Sydney motorists (I am one of those too) are generally a pretty frustrated mob, mainly b/c the road network is 30 years behind the current requirements and it is a horrible place to get around. As a result, they look for anything to vent their frustration on, and we cyclists are an easy target. You could get rid of every cyclist off every road in sydney and close all bike lanes and it will not make any difference.

[gavinr]

Ridiculous article, but what's more ridiculous is that it was the front page lead story.

We must live in Nirvana if this is the most important thing they have to tell their readers about.