Positive response to cycling survey
25 November 2013
Banishing all cars from urban areas was one of the more radical responses to a recent cycling survey that attracted more than 80 responses.
The online survey conducted over three weeks by Waipa District Council will help to develop a cycling implementation plan for the district. Council also held two workshops attended by nearly 40 people.
The respondent who suggested banishing cars said vehicles should be put underground, or in tiny, narrow lanes away from human habitation. There were also requests for smoother seal, shoulder widening and better signage.
Manager Road Corridor Dawn Inglis said cycling played a strong part in Waipa communities and council was keen to understand where users thought money should be spent to make it safer and more attractive for cyclists.
Our aim was to get the views of cyclists in the district to inform an implementation plan that will guide where we spend our cycling dollars over the coming five to 10 years. In the current plan we only have $50,000 per year to spend across the district and we need to make sure we are clever about how that is allocated, she said.
The types of cyclists varied from commuters, to school students, to recreational users and mountain bikers and solutions for each of them could be vastly different.
Other suggestions that came up during consultation included:
- A Te Awamutu to Kihikihi link
- Linking the Avantidrome to Cambridge and onto Karapiro
- Linking cycle routes to key cultural and recreation sites
- Mountain biking facilities
- Developing touring routes
- More education and awareness
Most people said Waipa was a great place to cycle and we should be both adding to and linking together what we already have, Ms Inglis said.
The feedback is currently being considered, prioritised and where appropriate, costed.
Ends
For more information please contact:
Dawn Inglis
(07) 8720083
027 554 2221
