Hi-vis handout for cycle route

Cyclists in high-vis gear will travel on a prominently-marked safe cycling route in Palmerston North as part of a trial to see if this changes motorists’ behaviour.

A cycle safety packs giveaway has been held to promote the trial safe cycle route running along College St. Horizons road safety co-ordinator Desley Monks and her team were handing out the safety packs at the intersection of Cook and College streets on Friday morning. She said the promotion went well, with a lot of people stopping by to see what was going on. They gave out 30 adult hi-vis vests, and 15 children’s vests in an hour, with backpack covers and road codes included with each vest.

‘‘We don’t think that’s the whole solution; people in high-vis and lights have still been knocked off their bikes. The key is to change motorists’ thinking, and train us all to be more aware. Often the first words out of a motorist’s mouth are ‘oh my God, I didn’t see you’. We’re trained to watch out for cars, not cyclists.’’

Monks said one of the goals for the trial was to find out if a prominently marked safe cycle route would make motorists more mindful of cyclists, and if a known safe route would get more people cycling. The trial started two weeks ago, and covers a 5-kilometre section of College St, from Maxwells Line to Albert St. Monks said the route was chosen for the number of people who could use it to cycle to school, university or work.

Horizons and the Palmerston North City Council will work closely with the NZ Transport Agency to monitor the route over the next three years, tracking the number of cyclists, and seeking community feedback on if the signs have made a difference to people’s choice of transport.

New parallel primary cycling routes will also be added to the network, and if the trial is successful, it could be used as a guideline for other urban cycle routes throughout the country.