By Celsias
Posted on Jan. 17, 2012. Listed in:
The early results from Hastings District Council's annual cycle count have shown
a significant increase in the number of riders since the Council's iWay initiative was
launched.
iWay began in 2010 after council received $4.1m in funding from the New Zealand Transport
Agency's model communities project. The aim being to increase the number of people who
walk or cycle by making it easier and safer to ride or walk throughout Hastings. The initiative
included the construction of on and off road cycleways and a promotion programme which
encourages people to enjoy the great outdoors.
So far Council’s annual cycle count has been completed on 15 of 37 sites which are
Monitored throughout the area and the res
. Of the 15 sites, seven have shown a significant increase in the number of cyclists.
The overall figures from the 15 sites show a 23% increase in the number of cyclists using these
roads.
“A new offroad pathway was built in Wilson Road as part of the iWay project which made
it much safer to cycle and walk in this area. We expect to see further significant rises in
cycling on Havelock Road once the new offroad pathway is completed by June 2012,”
Cynthia Bowers says.
Council is pleased that the early results from the cycle count show such a healthy increase
in the number of people who are cycling. This backs up what we are hearing from cycle shops
around the region,with one reporting a 25% increase in the sale of bikes since the iWay
project began. A council survey shows that the number of people who believe it is safe
to cycle in Hastings has jumped by 24%.
Cynthia Bowers says “This encouraging increase in cyclists, together with the huge expansion
of walking and cycling trails around Hawke’s Bay, shows that our ambition to become the cycling
capital of New Zealand is now becoming a reality”
Cycling advocate Paul McArdle from the Bike On NZ Charitable Trust says
“These numbers are further confirmation that Hastings District Council’s decision to invest in
quality cycling infrastructure is having a positive impact.”
“Smart cities around the world are increasingly prioritising cycling because it
helps reduce congestion,increases transport choices, improves health statistics and overall
quality of life. The most significant and immediate impact of more people biking more often is
that every dollar not spent on petrol is anextra dollar for our local economy.”
“In Hawke's Bay iWay is also providing support for our rapidly growing cycle tourism market
which is great for our economy," Mr McArdle says.
iWay is a Hastings District Council initiative which aims to make walking and cycling easy, safe and fun.
