The 2016 TBUG survey has gone to the TRC election candidates already, some have responded.
The questions are below, along with some basic research material for them to examine.
Responses to each question will be posted by 10 March 2016, along with a list of those who choose not to respond.
It is up to electors to determine who to vote for, not TBUG, but hopefully the responses will assist you in the selection process.
These questions are an amalgam of questions sent in to TBUG from supporters and represent some long running issues in the TRC region.
..........................................................................................................................................
The questions are below, along with some basic research material for them to examine.
Responses to each question will be posted by 10 March 2016, along with a list of those who choose not to respond.
It is up to electors to determine who to vote for, not TBUG, but hopefully the responses will assist you in the selection process.
These questions are an amalgam of questions sent in to TBUG from supporters and represent some long running issues in the TRC region.
..........................................................................................................................................
Dear TRC Candidates
You have been sent this survey from Toowoomba Bicycle Users Group (TBUG) to discover what level of support there is amongst council candidates for some of the most important aspects of cycling in the Toowoomba region. We ask that you take the time to consider and answer all the questions.
Your responses will be forwarded to hundreds of voters who cycle in the region via the TBUG mailing list, including numerous bike clubs and cycle groups TBUG works with via the Regional Cycle Alliance. Should you elect not to answer the survey or any of the questions in it, that information will also be supplied to cyclers.
We urge you to pay close attention to the research links provided, and to think of the numerous concerns about road safety in this region. Speed is a major factor in road deaths and injuries here.
Cyclists are legitimate road users of Queensland roads, according to Qld Transport Act, as well as both state and federal government policies designed to encourage more cycling. Local council cycling policies should be closely aligned with state cycling policies as well as being created in close consultation with local cycler groups. Australian and international research is freely available to be tapped into to produce 'best practice' outcomes but such an approach has yet to be attempted in the Toowoomba Regional Council area, resulting in poorer outcomes for cyclers and other road users so far.
Cycling involves far more styles than just 'road racing'. Cycling embraces many forms of sport, it is transport, convenience, cheap, healthy, fast when motor vehicles are stuck in traffic jams, and it should be safe. Cycling is for every age group. Cycling is above all 'legitimate' and should be treated as such by the Council.
Thank you,
Hugh Wilson for TBUG
Current Qld Cycle Strategy:
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Strategy.aspx
Bicycle Advisory Committee:
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Travelandtransport/Cycling/Bike%20user%20guide/Technical%20information/pdf_a5_staffing_bacs_and_bugs.pdf
TRC Sustainable Transport Strategy:
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjD76fj95vLAhXLJ5QKHceIBc0QFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fyoursay.tr.qld.gov.au%2Fcbd-parking%2Fdocuments%2F19784%2Fdownload&usg=AFQjCNFO_OsAF9kC3zh_MHub_tbLGmDkrw&sig2=BbC4gLigtVikr2Gyu6MeDg&bvm=bv.115339255,d.dGo
Article on reduced urban speeds in Victoria:
https://rideonmagazine.com.au/liveable-speeds/
You have been sent this survey from Toowoomba Bicycle Users Group (TBUG) to discover what level of support there is amongst council candidates for some of the most important aspects of cycling in the Toowoomba region. We ask that you take the time to consider and answer all the questions.
Your responses will be forwarded to hundreds of voters who cycle in the region via the TBUG mailing list, including numerous bike clubs and cycle groups TBUG works with via the Regional Cycle Alliance. Should you elect not to answer the survey or any of the questions in it, that information will also be supplied to cyclers.
We urge you to pay close attention to the research links provided, and to think of the numerous concerns about road safety in this region. Speed is a major factor in road deaths and injuries here.
Cyclists are legitimate road users of Queensland roads, according to Qld Transport Act, as well as both state and federal government policies designed to encourage more cycling. Local council cycling policies should be closely aligned with state cycling policies as well as being created in close consultation with local cycler groups. Australian and international research is freely available to be tapped into to produce 'best practice' outcomes but such an approach has yet to be attempted in the Toowoomba Regional Council area, resulting in poorer outcomes for cyclers and other road users so far.
Cycling involves far more styles than just 'road racing'. Cycling embraces many forms of sport, it is transport, convenience, cheap, healthy, fast when motor vehicles are stuck in traffic jams, and it should be safe. Cycling is for every age group. Cycling is above all 'legitimate' and should be treated as such by the Council.
Thank you,
Hugh Wilson for TBUG
Current Qld Cycle Strategy:
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Strategy.aspx
Bicycle Advisory Committee:
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Travelandtransport/Cycling/Bike%20user%20guide/Technical%20information/pdf_a5_staffing_bacs_and_bugs.pdf
TRC Sustainable Transport Strategy:
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjD76fj95vLAhXLJ5QKHceIBc0QFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fyoursay.tr.qld.gov.au%2Fcbd-parking%2Fdocuments%2F19784%2Fdownload&usg=AFQjCNFO_OsAF9kC3zh_MHub_tbLGmDkrw&sig2=BbC4gLigtVikr2Gyu6MeDg&bvm=bv.115339255,d.dGo
Article on reduced urban speeds in Victoria:
https://rideonmagazine.com.au/liveable-speeds/
"The impact of lowered speed limits in urban/metropolitan areas"
1.
In 2015, TRC ran a Cycling Forum. A number of
significant issues were raised in the session, particularly the need for TRC to
consult more, and better, with local cyclers through the established
cycle-advocacy groups.
Q: If elected to Council, will you support and
promote the Bicycle Advisory Committee model (see your cover letter and the url
links) to ensure a properly consultative approach is taken by Council towards
the cycling needs of the region?
2.
The 2015 TRC Cycle Forum responses showed that high
urban road speed was an issue of concern to participants. It is a well
researched fact that reducing urban road speeds is the simplest act that can be
taken to reduce crashes and reduce the severity of crashes.
When hit by a vehicle at:
60 kph, 9 in10 cyclers/pedestrians will die
50 kph 5 in 10 cyclers/pedestrians will die
30 kph 1 in 10 cyclers/pedestrians will die
Q: If elected to Council will you support and promote an 'urban speed review' across all towns in the TRC area, with a view to establishing 'safer community speeds' (see article url in your covering letter) and eliminating the 60 kph speed zones within city/town limits on Council controlled roads, as has happened successfully in NSW?
30 kph 1 in 10 cyclers/pedestrians will die
Q: If elected to Council will you support and promote an 'urban speed review' across all towns in the TRC area, with a view to establishing 'safer community speeds' (see article url in your covering letter) and eliminating the 60 kph speed zones within city/town limits on Council controlled roads, as has happened successfully in NSW?
3.
The TRC 'Sustainable Transport Strategy', endorsed
in 2015 (see the url link in your covering letter), shows walking has 7% of the
modal share of transport (Household Travel Suvey 2011), Cycling has 1%, Public
Transport has 2% and Car has 90%.
TRC has set targets for 2031 to lift Cycling to 3%,
and for 2100 (85 years ahead of the year the councillors endorsed it), at 6%,
while Cars still retain 70% of the modal share after 85 years of a 'sustainable
transport' policy in action.
Councillors endorsed a five year review cycle for
this Strategy.
The endorsed targets are not linked to the Qld
Cycle Strategy.
The endorsed targets are conservative when compared
to the UK experience, where, between 2005 and 2009, under the Cycling
Demonstration Town program involving six moderate sized towns, the overall
increase in the rate of cycling was 27%.
Q: If elected to Council will you support and
promote a review of the Sustainable Transport Strategy commencing in 2016 with
the aim of lifting modal share targets for pedestrians and cyclists to a more
realistic level than is currently set, and reducing the review period from
every 5 years to annually?
4.
In other parts of the Western world riding a
bicycle is a major form of transport and is regarded as being as unremarkable
as vacuuming the floor, or washing the car is here.
Children happily cycle to their schools, male and
female employees ride to work, older men and women are adopting electric
bicycles to get around on, cycling tourists happily visit and spend their money
supporting the local and national economies.
This approach must be part of the future of
Toowoomba city and the broader region but this will require imagination,
planning, budgets and commitment from our Council and individual Councillors.
Q: Will you commit to being a 'cycle planning and infrastructure' advocate for the region?
Q: Will you commit to being a 'cycle planning and infrastructure' advocate for the region?
5.
In Victoria and NSW (and in NZ) the advent of the
Rail Trail form of tourism has brought fresh life to many small country towns
and villages.
The old railways in this region that are not owned
by landholders where they cross their land, are not owned by TRC but by the
state government.
To promote Cycle Tourism in this region it would be
good to have a range of experiences for visitors (and locals) here and the Rail
Trail concept is one attractive element TRC could consider working wth the
state government and landholders to develop (https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/policy-and-campaigns/2805/).
Q: Are you prepared to commit to ensuring TRC creates a Regional Cycle Tourism Strategy within the 2016- 2020 period that includes the Rail Trail concept, and other on and off road cycle experiences?
Q: Are you prepared to commit to ensuring TRC creates a Regional Cycle Tourism Strategy within the 2016- 2020 period that includes the Rail Trail concept, and other on and off road cycle experiences?
6. How do you propose to promote the 'Active
Transport' concept in this region if you are elected?
7.
The current daily modal share of transport that
Public Transport has is 2%, while Cars enjoy a 90% share.
The Council is not responsible for the bus services
here but it could be responsible for providing strong leadership to improve our
bus services, freeing up the roads and encouraging a greater use of cycling and
walking.
Q: Will you commit to being a public transport
advocate for the region and what might your actions involve?
8.
As Council (and Transport and Main Roads) provides
more bike lanes there is a responsibility to also provide education to all road
users on how to continue to cohabit on our roads.
This is not being done, by either TMR or TRC,
causing confusion as cyclers expect motorists to understand the road rules,
even as they change.
Good design is vital, as are clear road markings.
Unfortunately, within Toowoomba there are old road
markings that need to be scrubbed off the road surface and new, properly
positioned, markings put down.
There are places where 'transition paint' (see
those green painted lanes at Settlers Inn, Ruthven-Alderley Sts, Margaret and
Hume St) needs to be placed to provide a better chance of alerting motorists to
the presence of cyclers.
Council has so far been reluctant to follow the
practice of the more 'cycle aware' councils and accept that 'transition paint'
is a legitimate contribution to road safety, when applied correctly, and has
declined consistent requests for a modest application of this treatment where
cyclers have experienced repeated problems.
Q: Do you support a review of road markings and
signage in the region with the aim of increasing road safety by acknowledging
the legitimate presence of cyclers on the road through better markings and
signage?
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