DCC to submit tunnel cycleway plan to NZTA

A CYCLE trail linking the Taieri to the rest of Dunedin through a former rail tunnel is a step closer.

The Dunedin City Council will submit its new proposed urban cycleways programme to the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) for approval after councillors voted to approve the plans yesterday.

Although a tunnel track running through the former Chain Hills rail tunnel linking Mosgiel and the rest of Dunedin is the most ambitious addition to the city’s cycle network, the programme includes a connection from the city to St Clair and improved cycle infrastructure in Northeast Valley, Wharf St, Thomas Burns Dr and the Portsmouth Dr area.

In its 10year plan, the council has set aside $20 million for improving and adding to the city’s cycleways.

It is not yet known how much the work would cost, its timing and the level of NZTA funding, although in the past the agency had provided 66%.

Cr Kate Wilson said linking up the harbour, city and Taieri by way of cycleways would be a ‘‘game changer’’ for the city.

Dunedin was already experiencing problems associated with population growth, such as increased traffic congestion, and one way to address that was to give people more options one of which was cycling, Cr Wilson said.

Cr Jim O’Malley supported the programme as long as it did not negate future rail connecting between Mosgiel and the city centre.

Arguing against it Cr Lee Vandervis said the cycleways were a ‘‘nice to have’’, but the city council not afford them. His was the only no vote.

Before the vote, Cr Vandervis moved the council not approve any option and retain the present level of service with no changes, but his motion was not supported so was not voted on.

‘‘Again it’s more of the Cull council voting for cycleways which remain largely unused and are incompetently designed.’’

Mayor Dave Cull said it had been a long wait for the Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust but its hard work was paying off.