A cyclist chooses to ride along busy SH2 rather than use the adjacent "clip-on" cycle track over Karamu Stream, north-east of Hastings. Photo / Duncan Brown
A cyclist chooses to ride along busy SH2 rather than use the adjacent "clip-on" cycle track over Karamu Stream, north-east of Hastings. Photo / Duncan Brown
The shoddy state of some bike trails is putting cyclists in danger as they choose to ignore the poor-quality paths, a local cycle tourism business owner says.
However, the NZ Transport Agency says it is working on plans to make sections of Hawke's Bay's highways more bike-friendly.
Good Fun Bike Rides founder Malcolm Eves said more should be done to improve the quality of the region's riding network, because cyclists were forgoing paths in favour of staying on adjacent roads and highways, putting themselves in danger.
"Road cyclists out training on road racing or hybrid bikes are not going to do much of their riding on the superb cycle trails we have, they are going to be on the public roads to get the level of desired fitness," Mr Eves said.
"Hastings District Council has attempted to improve the road structures in the region and should be thanked, but far more needs to be done to make road cycling safer for all road users, most of all for cyclists.
"Very often, where the cycleways have been added to the roading infrastructure they use course chip metal on the cycleways, which makes it really hard and rough for cyclists to use them."
Mr Eves said an example of the problem was the cycleway at the Te Aute Rd/St Georges Rd intersection, south of Hastings, while another Hawke's Bay Today reader raised concerns about the SH2 bridge over the Karamu Stream between Napier and Hastings.
The reader said the poor state of a "clip-on" cycleway attached to the bridge encouraged cyclists to stay on the busy road as they crossed the narrow bridge, rather than taking the safer off-road path.
Mr Eves said the Te Aute Rd/St Georges Rd path was "so extremely rough with coarse chips used and then uneven sealing that it is simply dangerous to ride on".
"Cycle lanes need asphalt surfaces or at a minimum fine chip surfaces to be safe and attractive to ride on.
"All riders look for smooth surfaces to ride on but road repairs or maintenance jobs appear to only be completed using coarse chips and this makes cycling very difficult, even painful for riders."
Malcolm Eves of Havelock North is worried about the rough road surface in a cycle lane on Te Aute Rd, near St Georges Rd intersection. Photo / Duncan Brown
NZTA's Napier office highway manager, Chuck Dowdell, said the agency was aware of the Karamu Stream bridge issue and had design funding for a stand-alone walking/cycling bridge to be built on either side of the highway.
"We've identified that there is a problem; we'll come up with a design that best addresses that problem and the intention is to have that construction done by the end of the year," Mr Dowdell said.
The work was being funded by the agency's Model Communities programme aimed at encouraging the use of sustainable transport options.
As part of the same programme, the agency was planning to improve three other "pinch points" for cyclists on Hawke's Bay highways: Waitangi Bridge on SH2 south of Awatoto, the Clive River Bridge, and York Rd, off SH50A near Flaxmere.
On the issue of similar upgrades being required for paths beside council-managed roads, such as Te Aute and St Georges roads, Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule said he was not aware of any concerns about the quality of paving, but the council would look at finding a solution if there was a problem.
