A group advocating for a more cycle-friendly city is planning a mass rally in Mount Maunganui this weekend after councillors voted against a one-way trial for Pilot Bay.
Bike Mount spokesperson Heidi Hughes says elected members ignored the advice of their staff and the results of the council's community consultation on the issue.
'After a community-led proposal to establish a route around the top end of the Mount township two years ago, $175,000 was set aside in the annual plan to investigate the viability of a one-way system, which would enable cyclists, scooter riders, mobility scooters and skaters of all ages access to an increasingly congested area around the end of Mount Maunganui,” she says.
'After a lengthy process to analyse traffic flows and impacts on stakeholders and amenities, the TCC transport team presented a plan to the council to run a six-month trial to make Pilot Bay and part of Adams Ave a one-way street, and provide a two-way, ‘All-Wheels Cruiseway'.”
She says councillors initially expressed reservations, but agreed to go ahead with the trial if a consultation process showed that the community was in favour.
'A public consultation was launched and showed clearly that 70 per cent of the community wanted the trial to go ahead,” says Heidi.
But at Monday's transport committee meeting, councillors voted 6-2 to scrap the proposal.
Transport committee chair Rick Curach, who voted against the one-way trial, says there are a ‘lot of complexities' that were raised by those who submitted against the proposal, despite these submissions being in the minority.
'The dual-lane cycleway was of a concern to many members of the committee. When you have opposing cyclists on a fairly narrow cycleway that can create some accidents. The cycleway was also planned to run between the parallel carparks and the kerb. So when mums and dads were getting their kids out of their cars, it could create risk when the cycleway is busy.”
He says here were also issues around access for boaties, and waste collection.
'The road would have had to be closed for around half an hour on a Monday morning for the rubbish trucks to go up the opposite way, because their lifting devices are on the other side of the truck.
'Fundamentally the issue was with the two-way cycleway, and I think if the cycleway had been one-way, like the road, it would have gone through.”
He says staff recommended the trial be approved, but after a couple of people spoke to it in the public forum, Rick put it to the committee to get a mover and a seconder to proceed with the trial.
'But no one was willing to either move or second the motion. Councillor Catherine Stewart then moved that it not proceed, and that was seconded and voted on.”
'So none of the committee members were brave enough to move that it proceed.”
The rally will be held this Saturday, June 16, at 1.30pm, with cyclists and people with other wheeled, non-automotive modes of transport gathering at Coronation Park, before departing for a leisurely ride around Pilot Bay.
18 comments
Love it..
Posted on 13-06-2018 09:21 | By Marshal
Oh Diddum's .. And still the minority want to dictate to the majority.. I hear Bangladesh loves bikes.. !
Think Carefully
Posted on 13-06-2018 10:39 | By tabatha
Cyclists have rights yes, motorists have rights, people of Tauranga pay money to council. Motorists pay even more, what do cyclists really pay?
Common Sense
Posted on 13-06-2018 10:55 | By Maryfaith
For once common sense prevailed!
rego
Posted on 13-06-2018 11:20 | By hapukafin
its time for bicycles to be registered and pay road tax and cyclists sit a license test to keep inline with other road users.,for the number of bikes that are on the road they have more than their share of the road and have involved alot of costs.
ROAD COSTS
Posted on 13-06-2018 14:47 | By jeancraven@kinect.co.nz
Good decision - need to address the bigger problem first.
cyclists
Posted on 13-06-2018 15:24 | By john douglas
Cyclists should get a rates rebate for not contributing to the demand for the council to provide carparking and wide roads for motor vehicles they don,t use.Maybe pedestrians should be licensed and pay pavement user charges.
Quite right
Posted on 13-06-2018 15:51 | By maildrop
It's time minorities with vested interests stopped confusing noise with majority. How many people made a submission on this? About 1%? So you got 70% of 1% in favour. Big majority that. Go away.
Makes you wonder if the commentators remember being young
Posted on 13-06-2018 16:42 | By tgacentral
Our kids and adults need safer cycle links. What the old folk don't understand is that by building cycle infrastructure at a relatively low cost you get less cars on the road and taking up parks so everyone including those that only travel by car benefits. Have a think about the best cities around the world and then consider how many make cars and extensive parking a priority in their centres. None. Our city is growing up, you need to as well
gullible TCC
Posted on 13-06-2018 16:44 | By Captain Sensible
The artist impressions always depict a sort of utopia.....and TCC swallow it hook, line and sinker every time!
no rego
Posted on 13-06-2018 18:07 | By mwebber
To those who think that bicycles should be registered, most adult cyclist already pay registration through their motor vehicle ownership. Perhaps more importantly motor vehicle owners should start paying the full cost of the externalities caused by their vehicle use. This would include a tax on pollution, a tax on the noise nuisance caused by vehicles and a carbon tax for vehicle CO2 emissions. At peak times a congestion charge should also be paid. Additionally, it is about time vehicle owners started paying for the space they take up. Therefore, the FULL COST of the land rental taken up by parking spaces and infrastructure dedicated to parking should also start being charged. It’s obvious from the above that it’s car drivers that have been getting a free ride for too long!
Enough with the mount
Posted on 13-06-2018 18:57 | By Tgaboy
I’m a cycle commuter. I’m passionate about cycling. But I’m glad this is not going ahead. Enough with the upgrade of the Mount. I’m tired of the Mount being beautified and upgraded while other parts of Tauranga are forgotten. I cannot think of a more safe cycle community than the Mount, it’s 30km per hour over there. Meanwhile other, busier suburbs with higher speed limits and children biking to schools are not considered. Sorry cyclist wanting this project to go ahead, but I think it’s selfish.
Not OK for Councillors to Ignore Popular Support for Cruiseway
Posted on 13-06-2018 21:17 | By Sollygirl
Eighty percent of Tauranga residents polled say they would cycle if the City provided safe cycling infrastructure. To confirm support for the proposed cruiseway, Councillors sought public feedback and received 70% positive support. This reason for this vote to abandon a TRIAL (for Pete's sake!) is completely summed up by the Transport Committte Charirman, Rick Curach's comment to the media, “So none of the committee members were brave enough to move that it proceed.”
@tgacentral
Posted on 13-06-2018 22:09 | By tabatha
Yes the City is growing up, but what you have forgotten is that the roads are the same as when we rode our bikes and the population gas gone from about 20 000 to well over 100 000. Think about the number of people who have to get to work. Pilot Bay would be a danger to bikes and cars backing out, always was and always will be unless no cars and then people who have difficulty with moving would not enjoy. I mean all ages not enjoying.
@ captain sensible
Posted on 14-06-2018 20:30 | By Calm down
That's literally exactly what it could look like after minor road works.
@ Cal, Down
Posted on 16-06-2018 13:32 | By Crash test dummies
You say "minor road works", nothing Tauranga Council does is "minor"!
@ Sollygirl
Posted on 16-06-2018 13:38 | By Crash test dummies
The real issue here is that TCC will do it if people didnt want it, they wont do it if they do want it. It is like a reverse thinking. The basis of it has been clearly extolled by Larry B-Botched-it, if the public poll is against it then Larry & co just "know" that isnt really what the public want... if the poll is positive for something then Larry & Co "just know" that isnt really what the public want. As you will see the answer is the same no matter the public view. The bit you are missing is that the public view is irrelevant, only the personal held views are despite all else.
Traffic Issues
Posted on 16-06-2018 13:42 | By Crash test dummies
Will not be fixed by making the streets one lane.
@ mwebber........
Posted on 25-06-2018 13:03 | By groutby
.............I often read statements such as yours..."most adult cyclist already pay registration through their motor vehicle ownership"....utter bollucks. Please describe how paying registration ( individualised for each vehicle) for your individual motor vehicle somehow gives you automatic 'rights' when you ride a bike?..bike riders pay nothing, zilch, to ride on the road and yes that even includes when you leave your car at home!..If this were true, then it could be assumed that in registering just one vehicle, then you need not pay for any others you may own. Ridiculous. If however, you can prove that by law this is the case, then I shall be the very first to apologise. However, I do not expect to hear.
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