Missing a golden opportunity

EARLIER this week, my interest was piqued, briefly, by a report quoting research that suggested that cycle lanes and walkways change travel habits. That they might do so in some situations should hardly come as a surprise, but my interest diminished when it transpired that the study was based on comparing New Plymouth and Hastings following bike and pedestrianfriendly interventions with no changes in Whanganui and Masterton.

Extrapolating the experiences in these towns to what might happen in Dunedin is surely drawing a long bow.

New Plymouth and Hastings differ from us markedly in size, climate and — perhaps most importantly of all — topography. Almost as long a bow as referencing experiences in European cities — invariably flatter, more compact and featuring massively subsided public transport networks — as a basis for what might, should, or could occur here.

Perhaps more importantly, any investment in better cycle and pedestrian options should, wherever it is made, be designed to complement the existing road transport network, not compromise it.

Unfortunately, compromise is what has occurred in Dunedin, in part as an entirely predictable consequence of the decision to roll out chunks of our cycleway network on our main arterial/highway routes.

The impact of that decision has been compounded by it occurring at a time when the city, as well as the county, is experiencing strong economic growth (and so traffic volumes are increasing), and by the constriction of other routes within the city. As others have pointed out, the hospital rebuild is going to place further pressure on Dunedin’s main throughcity routes.

One downstream consequence of that compromise is increasing motorist frustration, and that has been well covered of late. Another consequence is that extended travel times — 20 minutes to get across town rather than 10 — actually results in increased vehicle emissions. Ironically, that’s the opposite of what we should be aiming to achieve.

As regular ODT letterwriter Ian Smith pointed out last week, our network of streetside cycleways provides a golden, or should I say green, opportunity that could benefit pedestrians and motorists alike — when those dreaded Lime scooters finally make it to Dunedin, let’s require them to use our cycleways. At the same time, since we have invested in the cycleway network, shouldn’t we require cyclists to use a cycleway when travelling along a route where one is provided?

End result? Dunedin’s largely deserted cycleways a little less deserted; road users less tetchy and improved pedestrian safety.

Chance of that occurring? About on par with experiencing a white

Christmas in Fiji.