Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Cycleway on track for coveted award
It may be one of the smallest cycleways in the country but it is making a big impression nationally.
The long-awaited Spring Creek cycleway is a contender for a coveted national cycling award.
The 2.8-kilometre cycleway extended an existing path between Blenheim and Spring Creek, about 6 kilometres north, just in time for Christmas.
It has been named as one of 29 innovative cycling projects across New Zealand to make the finals of the 2017 Bike to the Future Awards.
The awards, organised by the NZ Transport Agency and Cycling Action Network (CAN), celebrate the people and projects making cycling a better way to get around.
All finalists have been chosen from a record-breaking 80 nominations. Finalists range from large scale infrastructure projects to smaller scale community initiatives.
Cycling Action Network spokesman Patrick Morgan says the sheer number of nominations received compared to previous years shows cycling is catching on.
‘‘With the Government and councils building new cycleways, investing in skills training for our young people and encouraging more and more Kiwis to give cyc- ling a go, it’s getting even easier to get about by bike,’’ he says.
The cycleway extended an existing cycleway between Blenheim and Grovetown while also providing off-road access to both Spring Creek and Grovetown schools, both within 500 metres of the route.
The Spring Creek cycleway is up against competition from four others across the country to take out the Big Bike Bling Award.
Speaking on behalf of the judg- ing panel, Pippa Coom says the rise in entry numbers has been ‘‘inspiring’’. ‘‘Along with the dedicated individuals providing New Zealanders with the confidence and skills to get about by bike, and significant growth in quality cycling infrastructure, we can tell the future is bright for a bike-friendly New Zealand.’’
Winners will be announced at the Asia-Pacific Cycle Congress awards dinner in Christchurch on October 19.