Editorial: Corridor must get good use

I FOR one have been a bit confused about the Rotorua Lakes Council's Green Corridor project and it seems many people around town feel the same way.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea, but I hope the council is prepared to change its mind if it doesn't do what it is supposed to do.

I'm also prepared to give it a chance and as our mayor says, it's not yet finished and it's still winter, so I didn't expect to see hundreds of cyclists using it at this early stage.

But, I originally thought it would run along the outside of Rotorua's enormous footpaths, which in some places are up to 5m wide - plenty of room to fit a 1.5m to 2m wide cycle lane and pedestrians.

However, when the New Zealand Transport Agency stumped up the majority of the costs I believe the council were committed to removing car parks and putting it on the road, which seems to be a total waste of space.

I feel for landlords and business owners who say they have taken a financial hit due to a loss of car parks and with many empty shops along the route it's going to be very difficult for them to rent their buildings if there are no car parks out front.

On the other hand, if Rotorua is to cement its place as the country's cycling capital we need to make sure there is plenty of quality infrastructure available to those cyclists. So I expect to see hundreds of cyclists and skaters using the route every day come summer and the next round of Crankworx in March.

If not, then it's time for a rethink. As I said earlier, if the council is not big enough to swallow its pride and make changes, then we can make our own changes at the ballot box in October 2016.