A new bike track that has been two years in the making is now officially open in Tauranga.

Maungatapu School celebrated the official opening of their new bike track facility, on April 10.

Principal Tane Bennett says the aim of the new track is to encourage kids to get outside and develop their riding skills while at school.

He says the official opening was fantastic, with more than 100 students bringing their bikes on the day.

“Our Te Pūwhāriki Raukura students did the karakia blessing before we cut the ribbon.

“We were also lucky to have a current student, who featured in the latest movie 'Mountain' bring his bike 'Black Beauty' to lead the opening of the track.

“The bike track has been a project in the pipeline for the last 2 years and the official opening celebration was a reflection of the passion and dedication shown by the Deputy Principal, Mr Owen Allsop, who spearheaded the project.”

Tane says this is a community initiative for all ages, not just cycling but scootering, skateboarding and rolling skating too.

“Last year, the board of trustees consulted with their parent community to formulate and update their school strategic plan.

“As a result of the consultation, the community highlighted 'playground facilities' as an area to enhance and focus on that will benefit the children of the school.

“The track is open to the community and was funded by the Tauranga City Council and Bike On Charitable Trust.

“The Rotary Club also provided funding to help with the final touches to the track design.”

Maungatapu School have ordered 40 new bikes for the school for those students who don’t own a bike to ensure every child feels included in this school project.

“We will provide the bikes, helmets and workshop storage facilities so that children can learn the cycle and care of looking after the bikes.”

Tane hopes the track will provide more challenges and excitement for the children by looking into a pump track design.

“The track provides a safe place for children to improve their bike riding skills.

“We have already seen a 50 per cent increase in children biking to school which is fantastic with a growing school roll.”

Tane says approximately 40 students were bringing their bikes to school before the opening of the new bike track and now there are more than 80.

“It positively promotes more cycling across the school community and adds another dimension to the school curriculum.

“We have road markings on the track which will educate children as the signs and symbols are the same as what you would see on a public road.

Tane says there is also a smaller-scale cycle track for balance bikes that offers five-year-olds (who haven't quite mastered cycling) a safe space they can use too.

Tane says this facility acts as an extra component to our health curriculum, is an additional playground feature open to the community, is a safe space to develop bike riding skills, and lastly helps to positively promote cycling with an effort to decongest our roads due to school traffic.