Cyclists push for bike lane

Cyclists have launched a community campaign to demand a separated walking and cycling path alongside the new Manawatu¯ -Hawke’s Bay highway.

Build the Path has set up a Facebook page as the anchor for a survey of potential users, is running a petition and is encouraging people to make submissions to the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Fronted by cyclists Miriam Sharland and Ross Castle and Palmerston North city councillor Brent Barrett, the advocates want the agency to make a commitment to providing safe walking and cycling facilities for the new Manawatu¯ Gorge replacement route.

Indicative plans released by the agency this month do not feature a separate path, but project manager Lonnie Dalzell said that did not preclude adding one in the final design. Barrett said that was not good enough.

‘‘We want them to commit.’’ Barrett said his support for the campaign was consistent with the city council’s view that the new route should provide for all road users, with its advocacy for active transport being an integral part of the plan. It was also in line with the Government’s policy statement on transport regarding access and safety for all modes of transport and care for the environment.

Expecting cyclists to use a 1.5 to 2-metre-wide shoulder alongside diesel trucks on the highway would put lives at risk, Barrett said.

The group said although the new highway was about freight and moving vehicles, the path would help unlock the recreation and tourism potential of the Te A¯ piti wind farm and the Manawatu¯ Gorge.

Castle said Saddle Rd was virtually impossible for touring cyclists to navigate, but the new route, with more gentle inclines, would create a critical link in the network.

Sharland said those who thought the route should cater principally for freight and vehicle traffic overlooked the fact cyclists and pedestrians were also motorists and taxpayers who were contributing to the project, and should share the benefits.

She said every time a cycle trip was substituted for a vehicle journey, the savings for health, protecting the environment and reducing road maintenance costs added up for the whole community.