Pay the $500k, cyclists urge council

Tauranga cyclist Phil Simpson is petitioning for the council to contribute its $500,000 share of a $4.5 million cycleway project to keep cyclists safe and draw visitors to the region.Photo/John Borren

A petition calling for Tauranga City Council to put forward its $500,000 share of cycleway project worth up to $4.8 million has gained more than 200 signatures in one week.

Local cyclist Phil Simpson launched the petition last weekend and collected the signatures from cyclists, walkers and runners enjoying the Bureta waterfront near his house.

"A lot of people want to see the cycleway go in. I really had no one who declined to sign," he told the Bay of Plenty Times.

"I'm getting a tremendous amount of support. If I wasn't then I wouldn't be doing this."

The proposed cycleway would link into the city's existing cycling network and ultimately form a continuous trail stretching from Omokoroa to Otumoetai, eventually extending out towards Paengaroa and the Tauranga Eastern Link.

The city council opposed funding its share of the $1.5 million needed to build the city leg of the cycleway from the Wairoa River to Otumoetai. The other funding partners were New Zealand Transport Agency and the Government's National Urban Cycleway Fund.

Mr Simpson said the cycleway was a safety issue.

"People do not like to ride on the road because it's dangerous, even when it's a marked cycle lane." The state highway between Omokoroa and Otumoetai was especially dangerous, he said.

"That's like committing all cyclists from Te Puna and Omokoroa to suicide."

A safe cycleway would help kids walk to school and encourage people to bike to work as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle for people in the Bay.

He believed the council had the money and just needed to handle its spending differently.

He wanted to see Tauranga do what Hawke's Bay had done with its cycleways and become a destination for cycle trips.

"Tauranga can be a significantly better place than it is if the council invests in the infrastructure that benefits the community."

Some of the signatories the petition had collected were from out-of-towners, demonstrating that people would want to come to Tauranga if the cycleway went ahead, he said.

It could also be a scenic attraction for runners, walkers and tourists, allowing them to see the local sights.

Mr Simpson submitted his petition to the council yesterday and was waiting to hear back about when he could present it.

In the meantime he was gearing up to organise a cyclist rally on May 3, meeting at Fergusson Park and cycling to The Strand. Details were still being arranged.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said there was a misconception in many circles that the council did not want to support the cycleway.

He said the council did support the new cycleway, but was seeking external funding in the first instance.

"We congratulate the cycling fraternity for putting the petition together as part of the Long Term Plan submissions and hope they will come and speak at the hearings in the next few weeks. We will make the decision about ratepayer funding of the cycleway by June 30."