Not convinced of merit of carfree Wanaka plan

READING Sean Nugent’s story (ODT, 18.3.19), one would think the carfree trial in Helwick St was an overwhelming success.

I’d like to point out that, had the weather not been sunny and calm, the streets and surrounds would have been deserted and not humming with activity as described.

Who is really going to benefit if this scheme is adopted?

Not locals who need the 20 or so parks in Helwick and nearby, and need also the access from Brownston to the lake.

I, for one, would have preferred the money spent on this exercise to have been used elsewhere in the town — for instance, clearing road verges and clogged drains before autumn rain arrives.

I read a request from one resident recently who asked if the lakeside could be left as natural as it is now, without creating walkways, gardens and other planting so that he could continue to take his family down there, park under a tree, spread a rug and enjoy the lake.

I really hope QLDC listens to the locals before changes are made to our town and foreshore. Annette Wale

Wanaka

Cycleways

AN efficient transport system is a boon to any economy. Conversely, an inefficient system is a serious handicap.

The immediately noticeable effect of the new SH1 cycle lanes in Dunedin, which neither cyclists nor motorists wanted and are now hated by both cyclists and motorists, is to make the traffic that used to flow now crawl.

Given 31,000 users a day, valuing the average user’s time at 50c a minute, and allowing for an average delay of five minutes, over a 10year period the new cycle lanes represent a loss to the local economy of $283 million.

Robert Wansink

St Clair .....................................

BIBLE READING: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. — Psalm 119:105.