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Construction of Dunedin’s cycle network is set to ramp up in the next 18 months after coming to a halt last year.
The Dunedin City Council will spend $2.6million of government money on links between the Portsmouth Dr shared cycleway and the city, and State Highway 88 and the Dunedin Railway Station.Those improvements will help link cycleways on West Harbour and the Otago Peninsula.
Council spending has been delayed on the peninsula, with $3million spent this financial year instead of an expected $10.3million.
The last work done there was in February last year near Harwood, but council acting group transport manager Richard Saunders said it was expected it would resume in July or August, the start of the next financial year.
There were no plans for more cycleways in South Dunedin, other than remedial work on five intersections there, following botched work in 2015.
The cycleway budget will be discussed at a meeting on Monday to consider the annual plan for the next financial year.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said one factor behind recent delays was the council "definitely screwed up" with the South Dunedin cycleway.
"We needed to be confident when we did it again that it was done properly and thoroughly.
"I’m quite comfortable putting the planning in at the front end, before any major expenditure, so we get it right first time."
Mr Saunders said there was public engagement on the peninsula route in mid-December to get feedback on the next stages.
"We’re doing the detailed design work at the moment, which includes the community engagement that’s been happening, and will continue to happen."
After that the council would tender for physical work.
At that time, it would discuss with the contractor where the next phase of work would happen.
Mr Saunders said the council was anticipating work would start in July or August.
"Exactly where it will start from is still to be determined."
While spending was budgeted to finish in the 2018-19 year, the actual completion date would be clearer once the issue had been discussed with contractors. Once complete, the route will link the city with Taiaroa Head.
Mr Saunders said the $2.6million of government funding for urban cycleways had come from the NZ Transport Agency, and construction needed to be completed in the 2017-18 year.
The council had been working with the NZTA to put together a package of work. That included extension of the State Highway 88 cycleway which runs from St Leonards to the city, connecting the cycleway from near the boat harbour to the Dunedin Railway Station.
The money would also be spent on improvements between the Portsmouth Dr shared cycleway and the city, providing better accessibility to the city centre, and connecting State Highway 88 to the peninsula.
Design work was under way and the project would be completed in the 2017-18 financial year.
Mr Saunders said staff were also looking at connecting the planned NZTA one-way separated cycle network to the north and south of the city, though that was work for the future, and the council would try to gain more government funding for it.
The strategic cycle network budget would return to the long-term plan next year for community consultation.
"That will be the chance for the council to consider at that stage the next steps in the cycleways."
In South Dunedin, there was still some minor remedial work to be done at five intersections, following the South Dunedin cycleway problems.
Mr Saunders said the final safety reviews on those intersections were being done, and feedback had been sought from stakeholders.
The intersections involved include two labelled unsafe by residents.
They included Market St and Tedder Sts, where a crash was recently blamed on a change to give way rules.
The intersections between Prince Albert Rd and both New and Bellona Sts have also been criticised by residents as being dangerous.
"We will be going in there to make changes to those intersections," Mr Saunders said.
"That’s the only planned work in South Dunedin at this stage."
Mr Cull said he understood the NZ Transport Agency was about to start work at the north end of the one-way system.
He was looking forward to the NZTA building its planned separated cycle network on the city’s one-way streets.
"I’ll be very pleased when they actually get something going, because it has taken too long."