Bay bike skills park taking off
The wheels have been well and truly in motion at Timaru’s newest recreation facility.
The Caroline Bay bike skills park has proved a hit during the summer holidays, with hundreds of children riding scooters and bicycles on the community park’s newly laid tracks.
Use of the park, the first stage of which officially opened on December 12, has ‘‘exceeded all expectations’’, according to fundraising committee member Vicki Gould.
‘‘It’s just been fantastic to see so many young people use it, there would have been hundreds of them [there] over the holidays,’’ Gould said.
She said the committee hoped to have both the park’s shelter and traffic lights installed in coming weeks.
‘‘We’re hoping to work with a local contractor for those.
‘‘Oamaru has a bike skills park, but this one would be better because with traffic lights, you can teach young riders about road safety without having them on the roads.’’
The project has so far cost more than $240,000 with substantial donations coming from organisations such as the
Mid-South Canterbury Community Trust, Trust Aoraki, Alpine Energy and the Timaru District Council’s stimulus fund.
Last year’s TiMOru Soapbox Derby also raised $1300 for the park.
The park, located on the western side of Caroline Bay adjacent to the skate park, will also feature a roundabout, stop and give way signs, one-lanes and dual carriageway.
It has taken more than three years to get to this stage, with the project largely overseen by Timaru Suburban Lions.
It is hoped the park will be completed in stages within the next few months.
Gould said the project would cost about $370,000 once complete.
‘‘There’s going to be a lot of variety to this project.
‘‘But it’s just fantastic seeing the younger children use it as much as the older ones.’’