MCR Wheels to Wings Spokes 20210314

Here is Spokes’ actual submission, text copied below and (hopefully) as a PDF above.

Many thanks to the many people who added content, reviewed and gave feedback on this submission.

NB In the transposition to this website, footnotes appear at the end of the document.  In the actual submission they appear on the bottom of each page.

Kind regards,
Chris Abbott
Secretary and Submissions Convenor.

Source: https://www.ccc.govt.nz/the-council/consultations-and-submissions/haveyoursay/show/375 

Ref:         Wheels to Wings – Papanui ki Waiwhetū Major Cycleway

https://www.ccc.govt.nz/the-council/consultations-and-submissions/haveyoursay/show/375

Open for feedback: 25th January 2021 – 8th March 2021 (end date amended to 15^th March 2021 during the consultation period)

 

Spokes Canterbury is a local cycling advocacy group with approximately 1,200 members and is affiliated with the national Cycling Action Network (CAN).  Spokes is dedicated to including cycling as an everyday form of transport in the greater Christchurch area. 

We would like the opportunity to appear at any public hearing that is held to consider submissions on these projects. Should there be an officer’s report or similar document(s) we would appreciate a copy(s).

If you require further information or there are matters requiring clarification, please contact our Submissions Convenor (and Secretary), Chris Abbott in the first instance.  His contact details are:

Address:     101B Nayland Street, Christchurch 8081

Phone:        021 654 344

Email:         secretary@spokes.org.nz

 

 SUBMISSION

Spokes strongly supports the route of The Wheels to Wings Major Cycleway.  Its support is based on the following principles and observations:

• After the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquakes CCC ran several consultations under the “Share an Idea” moniker whereby Christchurch citizens expressed strong support for more active transport options throughout Christchurch. Spokes is delighted to see the CCC continue support for active transport by implementing a network of 13[1] major cycle routes.as outlined on https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/cycling/cycle-routes.
• Initiatives that lead to more active transport help address the obesity epidemic, New Zealand’s silent (and very expensive) killer. On 16 November 2019, Stuff reported “Health minister David Clark said on Saturday obesity costs the taxpayer at least $624 million a year (“probably much more”), which would equate to a little under $500 per obese adult[2]”.
• On 23 May 2019, Christchurch City Council declared a climate emergency. Provision of MCRs and encouragement of active transport is required to comply with this declaration.
• On 31 Jan 2021, He Pou a Rangi / Climate Change Commission released its Draft Advice for Consultation, available at https://haveyoursay.climatecommission.govt.nz/comms-and-engagement/future-climate-action-for-aotearoa/. On page 14, there is a summary relating to transport.  It includes:

“ … In Aotearoa we need to change the way we build and plan our towns and cities and the way people and products move around. This includes making walking and cycling easier with good cycleways and footpaths …”.

The provision of the Wheels to Wings MCR is consistent with the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations.

• Christchurch Airport already encourages cycling with free cycle parking (also available for motorcycles) and cycle assembly areas with tools. There are also two ebike charging points[3]. 
• Spokes’ motto, “More people cycling everyday” is inspired by a mix of:
  1. The direct health benefits of cycling to cyclists;
  2. The direct economic benefits to society as cycling is non-polluting and requires much less infrastructure than the twentieth century norm (and twenty-first century norm to date) of individuals relying on the Internal Combustion Engine usually for single-occupancy polluting vehicles; and
  3. The observation that in many cases the presence of a cyclist means the absence of a motorist (most adult bike riders are also car drivers).

The provision of the Wheels to Wings MCR is consistent with Spokes’ motto and beliefs.

 

• CCC’s 2020 General Service Satisfaction Survey[4] asked survey participants how often they have cycled on a public road in Christchurch in the last 12 months. 24% cycle on public roads at least once a week. 55.6% of survey participants had cycled on a public road in the last 12 months. People on bicycles are not a minority group! They are the majority!
• Christchurch now has a wonderful opportunity to feature as one of the Best Airports for Cyclists (just Google it[5]!! and to improve the quality and reach of safe cycleways within our city.

 

The Wheels to Wings cycleway provides a necessary link in the Christchurch network of safe cycling infrastructure. It will enable safe access by cyclists to (amongst many other destinations):

• Shopping centres, including Northlands Mall in Papanui, Northlink in Papanui, Bishopdale Village Mall, and Spitfire Square at the Airport;
• Businesses in Papanui, Bishopdale, and Harewood, including Mitre 10 MEGA, Bunnings, Raeward Fresh, Copenhagen Bakery, Trafford Street shops, and many more;
• At least fourteen (!!) schools, including Harewood, Roydvale, Cotswold, Bishopdale, Wairakei, Isleworth, Emmanuel Christian, St Joseph’s, Allenvale, Waimairi, Casebrook Intermediate, Breens Intermediate, Papanui High, Burnside High, and preschools/playcentres; and
• Parks and recreational areas, including Graham Condon Recreation and Sport Centre, Papanui Library, Papanui Domain, St James Park, Bishopdale Park, Bishopdale Library, Nunweek Park, and more.

In summary, Spokes supports the overall intention of this new MCR.  It offers the following improvements to make the Wheels to Wings – Papanui ki Waiwhetū Major Cycleway a success.
 

The following numbers refer to the detailed plans, numbered 1-17, as shown on https://www.ccc.govt.nz/the-council/consultations-and-submissions/haveyoursay/show/375 :

1. Whitchurch Place and Waimakariri Road

Spokes supports the improved access to the Johns Road underpass, the additional shared path along Waimakariri Rd, and the extension of the school speed zone and 50 km/h zone.

• Would it be more consistent to have the speed limit on all of Waimakariri Road made 50 km/h?
• What is the purpose of the proposed post and cable fence along Whitchurch Place? It is a danger to cyclists.
• Please include handrails at each stopping point for the Waimakariri Road crossing.
• The 2m-wide shared path on Whitchurch Place specifically is too narrow for bi-directional use. Please consider widening this bi-directional path to 3m, and/or install a barrier that is less likely to cause injury, e.g. white boulders that cyclists can navigate around. CCC’s 2013 Cycle Design Guidelines[6] (CDG) 4.2, page 68, recommends 1.5m each way so 3m total width.
• Please include an access ramp onto the cycleway on the east side of Waimakariri Road for southbound cyclists (i.e. approaching Harewood Road from Sawyers Arms Road), so they don’t have to turn onto the cycleway where the road narrows. Perhaps an angled sealed access opposite Whitchurch Place?
• Please include adequate lighting around and through the underpass, and good signage for destinations and distances.

2. Harewood Road – 750 to 714

Spokes supports the installation of a raised safety platform and signalised crossing outside Harewood School.

• The approach to this crossing needs to inform motorists of the signalised crossing and raised platform, with appropriate signage and other traffic calming measures, without cluttering the space and obscuring the sightlines between pedestrians, bicycle riders, and drivers.
• Please include handrails on both sides of the signalised crossing.

Spokes supports the widened footpaths to make them shared paths.

• Please include signage and paint marks to inform users it is a shared bi-directional path, requiring courtesy by all users.

3. Harewood Road – 690 to Watsons Road

Spokes supports the existing path being widened to 3 metres.

• Please include signage and paint marks to inform users that it is a shared bi-directional path, and that courtesy is required by all users. Please include handrails on both sides of the Stanleys Road crossing and clear signage that pedestrians and cyclists are to give way to on-road traffic.

4. Harewood Road – 658 to 586

Spokes supports the existing path being widened to 3 metres.

• Please include signage and paint marks to inform users that it is a shared bi-directional path, and that courtesy is required by all users.
• Please ensure the parking restrictions are enforced.

Spokes supports installing lights at the Wooldridge Rd intersection.

• Please include handrails at all stopping points at this crossing.

Spokes supports the increased width of the path along Nunweek Park.

• Please include adequate surface signage, such as those used in Hagley Park.

5. Harewood Road – Nunweek Park to 547

• Where the shared path splits into a separated footpath and cycle path, the cycle path needs to be as wide as possible as it is bi-directional.
• Please include adequate signage so that users know which path to use.
• Please consider including some cycle stands near the Nunweek Park Playground.

6. 547 to 519 Harewood Road

• The crossing just west of Nunweek Boulevard could be confusing to drivers, who assume the entry/exit from Nunweek Blvd is part of the signals (e.g. Straven Road/Matai Street West versus Grassmere Rd/Main North Road).
• Could the entire intersection be controlled with traffic signals, with induction loops to trigger the cycle crossing phase?
• What is the cost/benefit analysis? This could prevent some of the rat-running along Le Roi Way and Trafford Street.
• Please include handrails at both the Harewood Road and Nunweek Boulevard crossings.
• Please consider including a raised safety platform at the juncture of Nunweek Boulevard and Harewood Road to make this safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

Spokes supports the one-way separated cycleways on both sides of the road.

• Would it be possible for these to be made any wider to allow safe overtaking of slower riders, mobility scooters, and trikes? Spokes would like to see 2.4m-wide lanes as per Cycle Design Guidelines 2.4.1. We note that if the path is too narrow, faster cyclists will cycle on the road or will choose to leave and rejoin the path to overtake slower cyclists.

7. Crofton Road to Copenhagen Bakery

• Please consider building a refuge island for pedestrians and to prevent drivers from cutting corners at both Crofton/Harewood and Trafford/Harewood intersections. Alternatively, perhaps instead of the road humps, a raised safety platform for pedestrians crossing the street would be more helpful.

Spokes supports the one-way separated cycleways on both sides of the road.

• Would it be possible for these to be made any wider to allow safe overtaking of slower riders, mobility scooters, and trikes?
• Please ensure there is adequate signage to warn drivers to give way to cyclists.

Spokes supports the markings to allow more space for U-turns.

Spokes supports the removal of one traffic lane in each direction to allow for the cycleways and some on-street parking.  We support the installation of cycle parking outside Copenhagen Bakery.

• Removing some further car parking outside Copenhagen Bakery would improve safety and reduce sight-line issues entering and exiting the premises.
• Yellow and black speed humps at entry and exit crossings would improve safety by slowing vehicle speeds.
• Signals to warn vehicles turning into Copenhagen Bakery of approaching cyclists would be desirable, as visibility of cyclists seems poor especially for right turning traffic (entering carpark from north side of Harewood Road).

8. Harewood Road – Gardiners Road, Breens Road intersection

Spokes supports the installation of traffic signals and separated cycleways on both sides of Harewood Road.

• Please ensure the phasing is safe for cyclists and pedestrians, i.e. ensure left- and right-turning arrows and ensure that the length of phase allows for multiple riders of varying speeds.
• Please keep the cycleways as wide as possible and as consistent as possible. The reduction to 1.8 metres is noted as being 0.6m less than CDG standard. There is no mention of what the light phasing at Breens/Gardiners Road intersection will be.  If it is normal phasing, there may be issues for the youngest and oldest cyclists in the desired age range of 8 to 80 years old.

9. Harewood Road – 404 to 364

Spokes supports the one-way cycleways on both sides of Harewood Road, which necessitate the removal of one traffic lane in each direction.

Spokes supports the markings to allow more space for U-turns.

• Please consider including a raised safety platform crossing for Leacroft Street, in place of the road hump, to make it safer for pedestrians.
• Please install black and yellow speed humps at the entry/exit to the Charity Hospital on the roadside (already installed on the property side).
• Please install cycle stands/parking at the “Elephant playground” in Bishopdale Park.

10. Harewood Road – 364 to 322

• Please consider including a raised safety platform crossing for Cotswold Ave and Bishopdale Court, in place of the road hump, to make it safer for pedestrians.
• Spokes asks whether the installation of traffic signals at Bishopdale Court and merging the cycleways on both sides of Harewood Road at that point (on the east side of the intersection) is feasible. Rather than closer to the roundabout, it would be safer and avoid more conflict if the bus stop were located on the south side of Harewood Road (opposite Caltex). The bus stop outside Caltex could then remain in that location, as the cycleway would move to the central island west of both bus stops, meaning that the number of general traffic lanes can be maintained.
• Installing traffic signals with turning arrows at Bishopdale Court would make entry and exit from Bishopdale Village Mall safer for all users – pedestrians, bicycle riders, and motorists. Putting space between the other proposed traffic signals at the roundabout would aid in minimising confusion.
• What would be the cost/benefit analysis of doing this, and have other options been considered?

11. Bishopdale Roundabout

Spokes supports the additional right turn lanes around the roundabout, which will hopefully make it clearer where people are going. Spokes supports introducing a 4-metre-wide shared path through the roundabout, but would prefer the path is clearly delineated between pedestrians and bicycle riders. If not, clear signage and paint markings need to make it clear that it is a shared path and that all users need to be courteous to each other.

Spokes supports Highsted Rd and Farrington Ave remaining controlled by Give Way signs rather than introducing traffic signals.  We also support the additional crossing points and shared paths to make transitioning on/off the cycleway at Farrington Ave and Highsted Road safer.

• Will the shared paths be wide enoughand well sign-posted/painted?
• Can all of the abutting footpaths become shared paths, i.e. the south-eastern corner too?

Spokes accepts that this is the best solution given the current physical environment, and notes that the less-than-optimal solution in terms of safety highlights the problem of retrofitting cycle paths to existing road layouts.

12. 250A to 214 Harewood Road

Spokes supports the installation of a bi-directional cycleway only on the north side of Harewood Road.

13. Harewood Road and Greers Road intersection

Please ensure that the turning arrows are always operational, as this intersection can be frustrating – and dangerous with red-light runners.

Spokes supports the installation of hook turn boxes (clearly marked).

• Please confirm that there will be an in-ground trigger for the cycle crossing light?

14. 188A to 154 Harewood Road

Spokes supports the installation of a bi-directional cycleway on the north side of Harewood Road.

15. 152 to 108 Harewood Road

Spokes supports the installation of a refuge island at Harris Crescent to assist pedestrians to cross this intersection.

Spokes supports the cul-de-sac treatment at Wilmot Street.

16. Harewood Road (Sails Street to Mitre 10 MEGA)

• Please consider including the intersection with Matsons Ave in the signalised crossing. Spokes is aware of some drivers not being aware of the signals at Matai Street West/Straven Road intersection then turning right into Straven Road, alongside the Uni-cycle MCR. Turning right onto Harewood Road from Matsons Ave is difficult, so introducing traffic signals will assist in all road users’ safety here.
• Spokes supports the raised patterned surface at Matsons/Harewood to assist pedestrian safety.
• Spokes supports restricting access to Sails Street to south-bound traffic only.
• Spokes supports restricting access to Chapel Street to north-bound traffic only.
• For the intersections of Sails and Chapel Streets (and at other intersections along the Wheels to Wings MCR) with Harewood Road, a MAJOR cycle route is meeting a minor road. We ask that the intersections be designed so that it is absolutely clear to all users that the cyclists on the MCR have right of way.
• Spokes notes the different treatment for the intersections of Sails and Chapel Streets with Harewood Road in respect of direction of the cycle path. The cycle path past Sails Street is indented, whereas the cycle path at Chapel St is not indented at all. Spokes prefers indentation. Spokes prefers indentation on the grounds of safety but understands that there is insufficient room to allow this at Chapel St.  If there is room Spokes asks that indentation be designed and implemented.

17. Mitre 10 MEGA to Papanui Road

Crossing the Mitre 10 MEGA entrance could be perceived as unsafe by some pedestrians and cyclists, although this does conform to CDG (apart from path width) and there is good visibility.

• Could there be in-ground triggers for give-way signs for cars leaving/entering Mitre 10 MEGA, or the installation of yellow and black speed humps? Alternatively, Spokes requests consideration for a bi-directional cycle-path on the south side of Harewood Road from Matsons Avenue to the Railway Line.
• What is the cost-benefit analysis please?

Spokes supports the installation of a signalised crossing at the junction with the Northern Line MCR.

• Please include handrails at stopping points.

Spokes also supports the raised patterned pedestrian crossing at the intersection with St James Ave.

• Please consider extending the on-road cycle lanes east of the railway line all the way to Papanui Road.
• Spokes requests that if on-road cycle lanes are needed, could they be protected with flexible marker posts?

Finally, Spokes requests that:

• All cycle path surfaces to be machine laid (not rolled by hand) for a smooth finish.
• There be adequate crossfall and drainage to prevent puddling during rain.
• The cycle paths be easily cleanable and kept clean.
• Transitions to be smooth, with no raised steps to ride over.
• Good signage is installed.
• A Wheels to Wings artwork with a seat/bikestand nearby be considered.
• Any drainage cut-throughs in the curbing separating the cycleway from general traffic should be covered with a removable plate, to minimize the risk of trips and falls from an inconsistent surface for pedestrians (including those of less-than-perfect sight).

 

^[1] To this must be added the Christchurch Coastal Pathway, which is not counted as a MCR but is a safe, separate, significant and already well-used pathway of some 6.5km in length that links Ferrymead to Sumner without any road crossings.

[2] This is consistent with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_New_Zealand which states that in 2016/17 some 1.2m New Zealanders are obese.

[3] See https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/travellers/parking-and-transport/motorbikes-and-bicycles/

[4] https://ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/The-Council/How-the-Council-works/Residents-Survey/2020-CCC-GSSS-Full-Report-FINAL.pdf

[5] See e.g. https://www.outsideonline.com/2420935/new-rules-adventure-mid-atlantic and https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-best-airport-bike-paths/index.html)

[6] https://www.ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/The-Council/Plans-Strategies-Policies-Bylaws/Strategies/ChristchurchCycleDesignGuidelinesWEB.pdf