$17M cycleway cash injection

Another link in the Western Bay of Plenty's cycling network is now complete with further projects about to get underway.

Transportation Minister Simon Bridges today opened the final $600,000 section of the Papamoa to Paengaroa Trail, a 10km cycleway that runs from Te Tumu Road and follows the Te Puke Highway into Paengaroa Village.


Transport Minister Simon Bridges delegates ribbon cutting to Sian Nathan from Paengaroa Primary School. Photo: Andrew Campbell.

Work will also soon begin on a $1.8 million bridge that will take pedestrians and cyclists over State Highway 29A Poike Road.

'The new walking and cycling overbridge will connect Ohauiti with Windemere Polytech campus, creating a safe way for people to cross this busy intersection,” says Simon.

'There are plans to extend this project towards Welcome Bay Road to connect with walking and cycling upgrades that will be built as part of the Maungatapu Underpass project.”

Simon says the two projects are part of a central and local government plan to create a cycle network that will better connect the Western Bay.

'About $17 million is set to be injected into cycling and walking projects in the region over the next three years.

'Other projects in the pipeline include the $8.7 million Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway and a $6.9 million spend to connect cycle links around Tauranga.”

He says making urban cycling a safer and more attractive transport choice was a top priority.

'Through the Urban Cycleways Programme central and local government are working together to deliver $333 million of new cycleway projects throughout the country over the next three years - the single biggest investment in cycling in New Zealand's history.

'We're investing to give more New Zealanders more opportunities to choose cycling – whether to commute to and from work and school, to run errands, or get some exercise.”

Over the next three years 54 projects are scheduled to be completed through the Urban Cycleways Programme.

Four cycleways are already complete in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch.

More information about the Urban Cycleways Programme can be found here.

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7 comments

What about cars

Posted on 11-03-2016 15:00 | By Merlin

When is there going to be on the ground action on the congestion from between Omokoroa and town which backs up past Te Puna from Bethlehem that is more important in my book.


here we go again

Posted on 11-03-2016 15:52 | By The author of this comment has been removed.

My Gosh$17million for bikes,something comes to mind,what did he PROMISE,thats right $100million for 15ave turret road 17mill would have built a 2nd lane over Maungatapu and 4 laned it from Maungatapu round about,(THATS RIGHT) ITS NOT HIS MONEY,Notice how he comes out of hiding for photos,HE could(IF HE HAD A BRAIN) to put 2x 50 kmph signs up each side of TEPUNA and save 5million$ does not like people making suggestions,Fender bender he is only interested in17mill for cycles, stuff the tail back throgh tepuna,one word DONT CARE,my threepence worth,Thankyou SunLive


SH 2

Posted on 11-03-2016 16:42 | By rosbo

Why all this money spent on cycle ways, when SH2 from Bethlehem to Athenree needs so much work and improvement for obvious safety and economic reasons? Where are you Mr. Bridges?


Ain't that..

Posted on 11-03-2016 17:54 | By Me again

just great. Morning and afternoon traffic all around Tauranga. crawling all over the place and here's our mp cutting ribbons for bike track.New highways and bypass would have been more urgent I would have thought. Oh well I just hope those people out thataway use 17 million worth of track till they get bored and say, "that was a waste of money".!!!!


S1.8 million??..REALLY?

Posted on 11-03-2016 22:32 | By groutby

(plus the cost "over-runs")for a bridge to take pedestrians over SH29 at Poike?..No problem with the bridge idea, but someone surely is severely taking the p**s with the cost of?...it'a a walking bridge so cyclists will have to push their bikes anyway, or alternatively ride their bikes on the public road (shock horror!) if they wish to. We are surely being taken for a ride at this cost, but then Mr Bridges, it is not you that is stumping up with the cash is it?...you could surely do an underpass with a shopping centre along the way for that price!


Road

Posted on 12-03-2016 07:12 | By Bay Citizen

It's good to see investment in cycleways, though I have to agree with Fenderbender and old trucker about road congestion west of Tauranga. In fact there is lots of money clearly being spent on SH2 west of Tauranga currently, but only for safety improvements of dubious merit. Indeed, they are pointedly avoiding the best safety improvement they could do, which would be to widen the narrow bridges, and have, in recent years removed passing lanes instead of creating new ones.


On Your Bike

Posted on 12-03-2016 12:17 | By Merlin

On your bike Mr Bridges.The priorities of this government are all over the place with money being spent on ares of less importance than the road congestion.Flags,Beaches,Yacht racing,TPP road shows.Cycleways Etc to name a few.Meanwhile the congestion on the western bay roads is it seems not a priority against these.


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