Cyclists written off transport spending priority list
While mayors around the Manawatū-Whanganui region were still waiting late yesterday for details about which of their roading projects would get how much Government money, one thing was clear from about the Governments’ National Land Transport Programme.
There was no money available for new cycling projects.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown on Monday announced the Government’s National Land Transport Programme would see $1.6 billion spent on roads in the Horizons region over the next three years.
Most of the major projects were those that had already been announced or were under way, which Palmerston North MP Tangi Utikere described as “extremely underwhelming”.
He said support for the Lower North Island’s passenger rail system was another “reannouncement” of Labour’s 2023 decision, and there were few signals of a firm commitment to improving logistics and freight movements in Manawatū.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s leading advocate for getting more people on bikes, Cycling Action Network, plans a board meeting in Palmerston North this weekend to see how the city is developing its plans for active transport infrastructure.
In particular, Greasy Chain trust member Bob Selden said group members wanted to see what all the fuss was about on Featherston St.
The city council recently completed a heavily-subsidised and highly-controversial makeover of the street from Aroha St to North St crossing Rangitīkei St.
The criticism the council took from other road users about the separated cycle lanes and in-lane bus stops has prompted many councillors to shy away from further community consultation about cycling.
That was apparent at a recent briefing for councillors about the status of the 2019 cycle master plan, that was never actually endorsed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
Usually supportive of cycling projects, Councillor Lorna Johnson said after the hammering the council took over Featherston St, it would be “tone deaf” to try to talk to the community about more cycleway plans now.
Rachel Bowen said the council would be out of step with the latest funding environment and she had no wish to provoke “pitch forks at dawn”.
But councillor Pat Handcock said sometimes councillors needed to be able to take some heat in the process of creating safe networks for vulnerable road users.
Mayor Grant Smith acknowledged the Featherston St project had damaged the council’s “social licence” to continue with major cycling projects.
The only cycle project the council was likely to undertake in the next three years was its part of the shared off-road pathway from the city to Feilding.
Smith told Horizons Regional Transport committee meeting yesterday there was $6 million in the council’s budget for that project, which it would just have to do what it could if there was no subsidy coming.
Cycling Action Network chairman Alex Dyer said network members would do all they could to encourage councils to do more for walking, cycling and public transport, and lead by example by getting involved and riding their bikes.
“I’m dismayed at the appalling direction the National-led coalition is taking for road safety and transport in general,” Dyer said. “It is especially painful to see investment in safe cycling infrastructure being driven off a cliff, as well as the completely irrational, carcissistic approach to speed setting.
“More New Zealanders will be killed and seriously injured due to the actions of this coalition, and I fear we will see growth in cycling uptake slow – just as we desperately need more people to get around in climate-friendly, healthier ways.”
The network’s board members will be doing a guided cycle ride from Hancock Community House around the city and along part of the Manawatū riverside shared pathway from 2.30pm on Saturday, followed by a workshop back at community house, which was open to interested members of the public.