Current Issues

ACT Election 2008
Posted: Thursday, 24 July 2008

The ACT Election is on 18 October 2008. We have focussed on:

building our cycle paths. Continuing to fill in the missing links in our cycling network with projects such as Barry Drive cycle lanes, Ginninderra Drive cycle lanes and a Mouat Street cycle path;
signing our cycle paths. Canberra has great cycle paths if you don't mind getting lost; and
maintaining our cycle paths. Our 360km of cycle paths are in some instances literally crumbling away. We need to maintain them to maintain our position as the cycling capital.

Our election documents are:

Pedal Power 2008 Election submission

Maintaining our cycle paths and footpaths

Talk to a politician

If you haven't seen them already, you soon will. ACT politicians are out and about in the lead up to the 18 October election. Feedback from politicians themselves is that people simply coming up to them and talking about an issue (eg. cycling) has a big impact and with 2,000 members we could have quite an impact. If you see a politician, politely and positively ask what they plan to do about cycling - in particular, building, signing and maintaining our cycle network. Politicians need interaction with voters like a Hummer needs petrol, so they will welcome you!

Email a politician

Your email is critical. Pedal Power members and others sent in over 200 email messages supporting our 2008-09 ACT Budget campaign. As a result, the ACT Budget contained over $3 million for cycling. Your email doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece, but you have to do it. Send it to Ministers John Hargreaves, Andrew Barr, Shadow Ministers Steve Pratt and Brendan Smyth and party leaders Zed Seselja and Jon Stanhope. Their email addresses are hargreaves@act.gov.au, barr@act.gov.au, pratt@act.gov.au, smyth@act.gov.au, seselja@act.gov.au, stanhope@act.gov.au, respectively. Please remember to cc: Advocacy at contact. Here is an example of how simple your message can be:

Dear Member of the Legislative Assembly

I am writing in support of building, signing and maintaining our cycle path network. Our cycle paths make Canberra attractive, but they lack signage and in some cases are literally crumbling away.

Kind regards

Your name

Your address (to give your message credibility)

Documents:
Document (2008 election submission)
Document (Maintaining our Paths Discussion Paper)

Making collector streets safer
Posted: Saturday, 19 July 2008

We submitted this paper to the ACT Government in March 2008. It recommends that marked shoulders be placed on collector streets to make cycling safer and quicker.

Documents:
Document (Making collector streets safer)