Email to candidates

The North Shore City Council elections are looming, and I want to know what each candidate thinks about cycling initiatives. Over the next few days I'll collate responses and rank them according to "Cycle friendliness". Watch this space! I'll also take the opportunity to blog about specific issues that concern me as a cyclist on the Shore.

Thanks to the CAN website (http://www.can.org.nz/) for suggestions on questions to put to candidates - I've incorporated many of these in my email.

The email:

Hello

I see from the NSCC website that you have put your name forward for election/re-election.

I and my cycling colleagues living on the Shore would like to make an informed choice this election, and on their behalf I am collating candidates views. We believe that the Shore has the potential to become a much more people-friendly city, where lifestyle, the environment, and community health predominate. We believe that commuter, recreational and competitive cycling have an important role to play in this initiative, but are distressed to find that political will and associated funding to implement cycling initiatives are all too often marginalised. As a result, very few children and adult cyclists are brave enough to tackle our roads as it's perceived as just too risky and dangerous. We believe this can and must change.

Please give me your honest feedback as to how you will treat cycling initiatives if elected:
A. Enthusiastic advocate
B. Generally in favour
C. Ambivalent
D. Generally not in favour
E. Cyclists should get off the road

So a simple one letter response as per the above is all I'm looking for, but if you have the time and would like to elaborate on the points below, please do so.

* Do you cycle?
* Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets?
* Would you support cycle lanes along arterial streets and roads?
* How do you feel about the cycle lane issue along Kitchener Rd in
Milford?
* Would you support cycle lanes across the Harbour Bridge?
* Are you aware of where cycle paths/lanes/routes are?
* Are you aware of parts of the transport system cyclists can’t use
(the barriers)? What would you do about them?
* Do you support the council's cycling strategy and enhancement of
existing cycling routes?
* Are enough children cycling to school?
* Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces?
* What role do you see the council has in promoting public health?
How do you see cycling contributing?
* And if you're an existing representative, how did you vote on
cycling initiatives in the past?

Thanks

Steve