FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 

Local cycle advocacy group, Bike Taupo is delighted to be announced as a finalist in the third annual CAN Cycle-Friendly Awards.  Their 2004-05 Road Safety Campaign falls under  ‘Best Cycling Promotion’ and they are one of four finalists in this category.  The twenty-eight nominations from around New Zealand include a cycle crash reporting hotline, a community bike scheme, a training course for transport professionals in cycle planning and design, and cycle paths in Nelson, Hamilton and Napier.

Devised by the Cycling Advocates' Network, the national organisation promoting everyday cycling, and supported by sport and recreation agency Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC), the Cycle Friendly Awards are designed to acknowledge and celebrate some of the most notable achievements in the country that are helping to promote cycling and to create a cycle-friendly environment.

Nominations were called for in four categories: best cycle facility project, best cycling promotion, cycle-friendly commitment by a business and cycle-friendly commitment by a public organisation.

The prize winners in each category will be announced at a ceremony at the fifth NZ Cycling Conference on Friday 14 October. Dr Jan Wright, chairperson of the board of Land Transport New Zealand, will present the awards to the finalists. Winners will receive a uniquely designed "bicycle-bell" trophy, a certificate, and a subscription to CAN.

The finalists for the CAN Cycle-Friendly Awards are (in no particular order) as follows:

Best cycle facility project:

• Atawhai cycleway (Nelson City Council)
•  Creyke Road Living Streets Project (Christchurch City Council)
• Waikato Riverside cycle/walkway (Hamilton City Council)
•  Napier Pathways project (Rotary Pathways Trust)

Best cycling promotion:

• Promotion of cycling as alternative transport (Auckland City Council)
• Road safety campaign (Bike Taupo Inc)
• Cycle safety promotion (Bike Lanes in Paradise, Golden Bay)
• 'Planning & Design for Cycling' training course (Axel Wilke)

Cycle-friendly commitment by business:

• Secure cycle lockup (EDS New Zealand Ltd)
• Pulp & Paper Challenge (Pulp & Paper Kinleith)

Cycle-friendly commitment by public organisation:

• Launch of 4,000 community bikes for the Manawatu (Palmerston North Green Bike Trust)
• 0800CycleCrash reporting hotline (Nelson City Council)
• 'Being Cycle Aware' Police training workshops (Wellington City Council)

For more information, seewww.can.org.nz/awards or contact Robert Ibell, CAN Chairperson, on 04-972 2552; or Liz Mikkelsen, CAN Cycle-Friendly Awards Organiser, on 06-364 8187.