Cycling advocates not impressed with scheme
Auckland cycling advocates are disappointed at the Government’s commitment to improving cycling safety in its first Emission Reduction Plan.
The Government is committing $1.2 billion over the next four years to transport from the Climate Emergency Response Fund, unveiled yesterday ahead of Thursday’s Budget.
Of that, $350 million is aimed at getting New Zealanders into what the Government calls ‘‘cleaner transport choices’’ and includes the provision of 100km of safer urban cycleways.
Greater Auckland’s Matt Lowrie said the commitment towards mode shift was ‘‘welcome’’, but the Government needed to be more committed when it came to cycling.
‘‘A lot of what is coming across feels like they’re being very unambitious when trying to make changes,’’ he said.
Auckland Council alone was looking for an extra more than $1.5 billion in funding to deliver its planned network of cycleways over the next decade, he said.
‘‘Even that’s not enough to cover everywhere with everything that’s needed. So, $350 million for the whole country – and only a portion of that is actually for cycleways – is pretty small.’’
Bike Auckland chairperson Tony Mitchell said people wouldn’t get on their bikes within cities if it was not safe to do so.
‘‘It’s moving in the right direction. But, we still don’t have safer infrastructure soon enough, infrastructure that we should have built 10 years ago.’’
A 2019 Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency report found fear of riding on the roads was one of the biggest barriers to getting more people on their bikes. Safe infrastructure meant building cycleways with barriers between cyclists and vehicles, Mitchell said.
‘‘So if they’re serious about reducing traffic and getting people converted to cycling, then we’re going to need key cycleways that people can get from A to B for the majority of journeys.
‘‘We’re a long way off that in Auckland as yet.’’