Thank you for challenging my letter about cycleways. Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga City Council and the Transport Agency are developing the most iconic cycleway/walkway between Omokoroa and the city, and we are all impatient for it to be completed.

We love it – we walk and cycle it and love each section as it develops and nears completion. In this beautiful sub region it is a tourism magnet, and our other cycleways can't come fast enough.

But my criticism is about Auckland, where they grossly over-estimated the use of several of their cycleways, including the glamourous pink central city one.

When Auckland gets funding that is not justified, it is taking money away from other districts, including ours. That is my issue, and it is the same with roading.

Worse still, Auckland has a fine bus service to the airport, but the government and Auckland Council want to build a tram, which many say is a waste of money that will cause years of congestion and take money from other much-needed roading projects that have been put on hold by this new government.

M Murray-Benge, Bethlehem