SPARC CYCLE-FRIENDLY AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

15 October 2007

Finalists in the SPARC Cycle-Friendly Awards 2007 have been announced today, (in no particular order) as follows:

Avanti Award for Best Cycle Facility Project:

• Palmerston North City Council for College Street Cycle Lanes
• Auckland City Council for Waikaraka cycleway (first stage, off road section)
• Transit NZ for Basin Reserve Cycle/Pedestrian Crossings

Land Transport NZ Award for Best Cycling Promotion:

• Sports Bay Plenty for Re-Cycle
• Auckland City Council for “Cyclists, Auckland needs you” awareness campaign
• Massey University PR Team for On Ya Bike

Land Transport NZ Award for Cycle-Friendly Commitment by Business:

• MWH New Zealand Ltd for Green Kilometres on “pool” bikes

ViaStrada Award for Cycle-Friendly Commitment by a Public Organisation:

• North Shore City Council for North Shore City’s Cycle friendly commitment
• Nayland Primary School for Nayland Primary School – on your bike!
• Nelson City Council for Nelson City Council – Pedalling Along

Roger Boulter Consulting Award for Cycling Champion of the Year

• Tama Easton [VORB Owner/Director, Editor of Spoke Magazine]
• Nick Singleton [Port Hills mountain bike tracks]
• Glen Koorey [Member of Spokes Canterbury]

“SPARC supports innovative ideas that provide people with opportunities to get active. We congratulate the finalists, CAN and Bike NZ for working to improve the cycling environment for everyone”, said SPARC Relationship Manager John Page.

CAN chairperson Robert Ibell was pleased with the quality of the nominated projects. "As with last year, we had lots of great projects nominated in the cycling promotions and cycle facilities categories. Also, for the new category of cycling champion we had an encouraging eleven nominations", said Mr Ibell.

“The Cycle-Friendly Awards are helping to showcase some imaginative and effective people and projects that are making a difference for cyclists," said Mr Ibell.”

The prize winners in each category will be announced at a ceremony at the Cycling Conference 2007 dinner in Napier on Thursday 1st November. The Minister of Transport, the Hon Annette King, will present the awards to the finalists. Winners will receive a uniquely designed “bicycle-bell” trophy, a certificate, and a subscription to CAN.

Now in their fifth year, 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. The Awards are devised by the Cycling Advocates’ Network (CAN), the national organisation promoting everyday cycling. The lead sponsors are Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC), and category sponsors are Avanti, Land Transport NZ, ViaStrada and Roger Boulter Consulting. All nominators go into a draw to win a $150 voucher from cycle clothing company Ground Effect.

Ends