BIKE DANGER

Wellington one of the worst cities to ride in

WELLINGTON is one of the most dangerous cities in the country for riding a bike in traffic, and suffers from ‘‘inadequate’’ cycle infrastructure, according to government documents.

Ministerial briefing papers show Wellington cyclists were over-represented in crashes with motor vehicles when compared with other main centres between 2008 and 2012.

More recent figures from the Ministry of Transport show that is not improving.

Between 2009 and 2013, 54 cyclists were either killed or seriously injured in crashes with motor vehicles across Wellington City. They represented 17 per cent of all the deaths and serious injuries involving motor vehicles during that time.

By comparison, cyclists represented only 7 per cent of all the deaths and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes in Auckland.

In Dunedin, that figure was 9 per cent and in Hamilton it was 13 per cent. Only Christchurch was worse than Wellington, on 19 per cent.

The documents were prepared for former transport minister Gerry Brownlee ahead of National’s decision to announce a pre-election funding package for urban cycleways of $100 million over the next four years.

In them, Ministry of Transport staff say Wellington is a city with high growth in cycling but little in the way of dedicated cycling infrastructure.

The few cycle lanes the city has were described as ‘‘often inadequate’’.

The release of the documents comes as Wellington City Council sits down today to debate a 10-year plan to improve cycling infrastructure across the city.

The ‘‘master plan’’ proposes building 150 kilometres of highquality cycle lanes across some 30 routes, at an estimated cost of $93m.

Council staff believe about half of the cycleways could be built within the next three years, if the council can tap into the Government’s $100m cycleways fund.

Greens transport spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter said the ministerial documents provided a compelling case for doing as much as possible to build new cycle lanes in Wellington.

‘‘It’s not possible for the council to act too fast on this. All of this should have been done yesterday.’’

Prime Minister John Key said this week that the Government had the capacity and resources to complete some of Wellington’s proposed cycleways in a reasonable time frame.

‘‘If you look at the Petone foreshore into the CBD in Wellington, for instance, what a magnificent cycleway that could be and how safe that could be.’’

Cycling Advocates’ Network spokesman Patrick Morgan said that, with the Government’s cycleways fund in play, it was effectively offering $2 for every ratepayer dollar put towards cycleways, which was the best deal the city council was going to get.

‘‘If the Wellington City Council doesn’t get its act together, then Auckland will eat our lunch.

‘‘But I’m confident they will deliver.’’