Opinion: Cycling hub a great idea

Commuter cyclist Devon Palairet on the site of the planned $20m cycle-friendly parking building in Harington St. Photo/George Novak

The new parking building coming to the Tauranga CBD is going to have a hub catering for 250 cyclists.

What a great incentive to get more people biking to work - the hub will even have lockers and shower facilities available for the cycling commuters so they don't need to worry about how hot and sweaty they get during their ride.

I don't know whose idea it was to include plans for a cycling hub in our soon-to-be-built parking building, but I would like to congratulate them - this is exactly the kind of thinking we need for our city.

Getting more cyclists on the road benefits everyone.

Biking isn't everyone's cup of tea - I'm certainly not about to tackle the big hills between my Welcome Bay house and the CBD - but for those who enjoy getting around on two wheels, any obstacle removed will be another reason to give it a go.

Car users should also rejoice - every car left parked in the garage means one less car to battle against in the morning's traffic queues and one more empty parking space to fight for.

Then, of course, there's our country's growing obesity crisis - if more people were encouraged to spend half-an-hour biking to school or work rather than waiting on the bus or in a car for the same length of time in traffic, it would have a huge impact on people's health.

Plus, exercise helps people think better, a bonus for anyone ready to start their work day.

I hope this clever initiative will inspire more people to hang up their keys and don their helmets in years to come.