Halfway through the government’s $333 million urban cycleways programme (UCP), transport minister Simon Bridges is urging Auckland and Christchurch to investigate a cycle sharing scheme
The opening of the Barrington to Moorhouse section of the Little River Link cycleway in Christchurch marks the halfway completion point for the UCP.
“The link will provide safer options for central city commuters living in the Addington and Selwyn districts, as well as new developments in the South West of the City,” says Bridges.
“The completion of this $6.7 million section will help cater for and improve on the 21% annual increase in the number of people cycling into the Christchurch city centre,” he says.
“Through the UCP our goal is to encourage more people to cycle for everyday trips. Latest statistics show that we are doing exactly this,” he says.
Bridges says investigations into cycle-share schemes in both Auckland and Christchurch shows the increasingly significant contribution of cycling to our transport system.
The NZ Transport Agency and Christchurch City Council are investigating whether to introduce a cycle share scheme in Christchurch, and Auckland Transport is beginning a study into the introduction of such a scheme for Auckland city centre.
“We now live in a world where technology is creating new ways to connect customers and service providers. These technologies have also opened the door to new ways of solving some of our long-standing transport challenges, with e-bikes already becoming part of the solution for cities around New Zealand,” says Bridges.
“Cycle share schemes are an essential element of the transport system in more than 700 cities internationally, and they hold real promise here,” he says.
“By researching the feasibility of a cycle share scheme for Auckland and in Christchurch, together with our partners we’re creating an opportunity to develop more integrated transport systems that give both residents and visitors, more options about how they get around our towns and cities,” says Bridges.
“Cycle share schemes also have the potential to add value and optimise investment in cycleways and shared paths as these increase across the country,” he says.
“In the past two years, we’ve completed projects such as Auckland’s Te Ara Whiti Lightpath and Quay Street cycleway, and Christchurch’s Unicycle route. As a result, we see a high uptake in the number of people choosing to get around these cities by bike. I look forward to seeing what the investigation work recommends,” says Bridges.
