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Our expensive & ridiculous cycleway

I fully concur with Heather du Plessis-Allan’s views on cycleways (HoS, 16 Dec).  It’s as if councils are competing against each other to win the ‘most expensive, most ridiculously designed cycleway’ award.  

Up with the Oriental Parade and Island Bay cycleways must be Rotorua’s Green Corridor.  Consultants recommended a scenic, lake edge route, but the ‘innovative’ City Revitalisation team canned this and blazed a path through the centre of town, crossing multiple roads two of which are major roads, removing carparks,and painting it green.  It now sits as an expensive, disused legacy, faded paint, unloved and through what has now become the ‘ghost’ part of town.  People don’t go to town by bike to shop.
We travel to and walk round in Sydney often and there is never an issue with cyclists.  They can share the footpath, especially in busy areas eg Bondi Junction.  No problem.  Cyclists to the left, pedestrians to the right.  Not extra wide paths either.  Why do too many N Z councils continue down their expensive path infuriating so many locals, making them ‘bike haters’ when, as Heather suggests, share footpaths.
Off road cycleways are different.  They’re great, get good use and encourage safe adventure cycling.  
 
Paddi Hodgkiss