Walking and cycling strategy fast-tracked

Dunedin city councillors have voted to fast-track progress towards the completion of walking and cycling strategies for the city.

The decision came early in yesterday's annual plan deliberations, after several councillors spoke about the need for a more "radical" approach to promoting cycling initiatives.

Councillors had earlier heard that work by council staff on cycling, transportation and pedestrian strategies was continuing, and expected to be completed by June next year.

Some $3 million was available in the next financial year for initiatives, and a further $2 million-$3 million in the next four years, councillors heard.

However, Cr John Bezett was among those to argue for more "radical" initiatives and the fast-tracking of work, pointing to the number of submissions during last week's hearing calling for more cycling initiatives.

He believed a new umbrella group was needed to co-ordinate cycling groups' input into the council's existing strategy work.

He supported efforts to make cycling safer, but said he was not satisfied existing work on the council's strategies would result in an adequate response without their input.

Initiatives, including converting roads in South Dunedin to safe cycle lanes or the separation of cycleways from traffic flows, should be investigated, he said.

"There's no point in just painting lines on the road.

"People don't want that.

"I think the city has got to have an entirely different view of how we treat cycleways, and I don't see any evidence of that today."

Cr Kate Wilson said "significant" funding earmarked for the Harbourside development should be diverted into new cycleways, and jetties in the area would improve waterside access and meet residents' needs.

Cr Dave Cull said a vision of what the city's cycleways should look like in 15 years was needed, while Cr Andrew Noone supported holding a workshop to gather input from stakeholders before a draft cycleway strategy was released for public consultation.

Cr Michael Guest said there came a time when politicians - rather than staff - needed to "get their hands dirty", and urged councillors to have their say on what they wanted for a cycling strategy.

Staff could then be asked to investigate the feasibility of what was requested, which would also draw on public submissions, he said.

At his suggestion, councillors voted in favour of the council moving "forthwith" to finalise its cycling and walkway strategies, and the New Zealand Transport Agency's State Highway 88 cycleway, with regular reports to the council's infrastructure services committee.

A series of submissions calling for more work on cycling initiatives were covered by the resolution.