Warwick Smith/Stuff
Traffic lights on Pioneer Highway will allow cyclists and pedestrians to cross safely to a new stretch of pathway on the grass berm.
The gap in the Longburn to central Palmerston North cycleway is going to be filled in.
The city council’s economic growth committee has recommended building an off-road pathway from the West St shopping centre to Botanical Rd along the grassed northern side of Pioneer Highway.
The opportunity to put in a new signalised crossing outside the shops to take cyclists and pedestrians to the new off-road path arose from the relative success of a temporary barrier on separated cycle lanes from Pitt St to West St.
A report presented by council transport activities manager Chris Lai explained how the council had ordered the removal of controversial “planter box” barriers, and installation of temporary separators while a permanent solution was designed.
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The concrete nibs and reflectorised posts were installed in mid-2022.
Lai said the temporary solution was working well, and would probably last another five years with just a $5000 a year budget for maintenance.
That created the option of spending $650,000 from cycleways and footpath budgets on completing the cycleway, rather than on paying for improvements to separators on the existing sections.
Cr Lorna Johnson said finishing the job would be the best way to encourage more people to get on their bikes, which was a key council strategy.
Main St/Pioneer Highway was identified as a priority route for cyclists, but the benefits could not be realised until it was completed, she said.
DAVID UNWIN/Stuff
Planter boxes out, flexible poles in – Palmerston North’s Main St cycle way got new separators in June 2022. (File Photo)
Johnson said cycling away from the city between West St and Botanical Highway was dangerous, with too many entrances and exits crossing the cycle lane, which was too narrow, wedged between parked cars and busy traffic lanes.
She said the safest cycleway was one that was off the road, and it made sense to use the wide berm on the other side of the highway.
The remaining issue would be getting cyclists safely across Botanical Rd, an intersection Lai said had some safety issues that would need to be dealt with in future.
The plan did not have universal support.
Warwick Smith/Stuff
Cyclists will be able to get off Pioneer Highway onto a new stretch of pathway on the grass berm.
Cr Karen Naylor said she did not support spending $300,000 on the signalised crossing as it would take money away from other footpath improvements.
Cr Vaughan Dennison said he opposed spending money on a cycleway that was currently only used by 60 cyclists a day, possibly only 30 if they used it for a return trip.
And Cr William Wood, who had stepped up to chair the meeting, said the existing cycle facilities were functioning, and the money would be better spent on streets that did not have cycle lanes at all.
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