Cycling issues causing confusion

Your front page story on cycleways (February 2) was misleading and factually incorrect.

Councillors are not trying to ‘‘place all cycleways in the ‘slow lane’’’. Your paper appears to be mixing two separate issues together which is causing some confusion.

The first issue is Wellington’s city-wide cycleway plan and accessing recently announced government funding.

Wellington needs a plan to meet funding criteria. However little progress appears to have been made, let alone likely costs or whether proposed cycleways will meet Government criteria to tap into the recently announced $100 million.

The Island Bay cycleway is not part of an end-to-end strategic cycle route or plan.

It is unlikely to reduce congestion and does not deliver significant safety benefits – therefore is unlikely to be eligible for Government funding. It is unpopular because it will have adverse affects and cost ratepayers at least $2 million. It is an ad hoc project. However it is controversial and this is why we, the majority of councillors, have called for the full council to be involved in decisions on this particular project, rather than a small subcommittee of councillors.

Councillors JO COUGHLAN, RAY AHIPENE-MERCER, SIMON WOOLF, SIMON MARSH, HELENE RITCHIE, MARK PECK, PAUL EAGLE and

NICOLA YOUNG [abridged]