Almost open
REGION: The traffic lights are in and working at Palmerston North’s Junior Road Safety Park ahead of its November opening at The Esplanade.
The traffic lights are in and working at Palmerston North’s Junior Road Safety Park ahead of its November opening.
Completion of the $348,500 bike park on the former caretaker’s property at Victoria Esplanade will mark the end of three-anda-half years of advocacy and fundraising.
With the city council contributing $100,000 to the project, the rest has been raised by the Pascal Street Community Trust, with a raft of extra sponsorship and deals thrown in.
‘‘It’s been a real community effort on this one,’’ said council leisure assets planner Jason Pilkington.
The concept of the bike park is to encourage young children to practise their cycling and road skills in a safe, fun space before they go out in the traffic.
The little roading network has a roundabout, other intersections and a pedestrian crossing.
There is also a pump track around the outside.
Nearly everything on site was locally made, sourced and discounted, including moulded, plastic seats that can be lit up to glow in colour, from Gary King at Ashhurst’s Mouldings Unlimited.
The bulk of the project has been carried out by Higgins Contractors, with Swiftmantis bringing an old shed to life with a mural, and Total Sheetmetals making ‘‘talking tubes’’.
The park’s open day is on Saturday, November 25, starting at 10am.