CYCLISTS URGE ACTION ON HAGLEY AVE UPGRADE

Spokes Canterbury, the local cycling advocacy group, is urging Christchurch City Council to start making real progress on the proposed cycle and pedestrian facilities along Hagley Avenue.

The Council has voted to send the matter back to the Sustainable Transport & Utilities committee, eleven months after it initially debated the issue, and despite unease by some community board members about the proposal.
Spokes chairman Richard Hayman is concerned that some councillors and community board members are using the uncertain state of the Lichfield-Tuam one-way swap as an excuse to delay the project.
"We're talking about some relatively minor pavement markings and traffic islands", said Mr Hayman. More than two thirds of the project is outside the scope of any changes to the one-way streets, and any outcomes of that process will still be years away. In the meantime, cyclists and pedestrians are inadequately catered for in a popular area, with 17 reported cyclist and pedestrian accidents in the last five years. What's the hold up?"
Spokes also called for some reality in suggestions to use the adjacent Hagley Park pathway for cyclists instead of on-road cycle lanes.
"We'd love to see the park route upgraded as well", said Mr Hayman. "At present it serves northbound cyclists poorly and southbound cyclists even worse. To be a viable option, the existing path would have to be considerably wider, include links to the road at various points, and provide special cycle crossing facilities at the intersections at each end. Anything less and people will use the road, with or without a cycle lane."
Another concern cited was the loss in parking along Hagley Ave. "There is a net loss of just five spaces out of about 160 along the street," said Mr Hayman. "And the coming Blenheim Road deviation will provide plenty of new spaces along Deans Ave for Hagley Park users."
Spokes noted that the delay was also holding up key improvements to the Moorhouse/Lincoln intersection. "Those changes will benefit all road users at what is a busy intersection. We encourage action on this project now."
ENDS
SPOKES Canterbury Inc.
c/o PO Box 4536, Christchurch
Email: spokes_chch [at] hotmail [dot] com