Many locals will recall the efforts roughly a year ago to install a bright “pop-up” separated cycleway along Ferry Rd, connecting the Heathcote Express at Fitzgerald Ave with the St Asaph St cycleway. In a matter of weeks, a relatively low-cost trial layout was installed featuring a combination of flexi-posts, paint, planter boxes, “wave” barriers, kerb islands, etc to separate riders from the adjacent traffic (which was also slowed down to 30km/h).
The project was one of a number of “Innovating Streets for People” pilot projects funded around the country to test out developing quick and inexpensive ways to make areas safer for walking and cycling. Ferry Rd was one of four funded in Christchurch.
Unlike most conventional consultations, where the public get to “Have their Say” and then it is built, this one flipped that around. The cycleway got built first, and then people could try it out and give feedback on what they liked or didn’t like. Initially trial feedback was due by the end of January, but that has now been extended to Fri April 1st. As well as standard feedback via the online form or email, there is even an online map where you can tag your thoughts along the street.
The community feedback will be used to inform next steps; for example perhaps making all/some of it ongoing using permanent materials. I’m certainly enjoying having that connection there for many of my rides in the area (although I could certainly do without the speed bumps near the driveway…). If you have some thoughts, good or bad, about the Ferry Rd connection, then Have your Say now!
Do you like the trial cycleway along Ferry Rd?
The main result should be from the bike counters installed in the area – did total cyclists go up or down ?
Personally I found it was lumpy and littered – street cleaners can’t get in there but the wind can blow rubbish and leaves in to get trapped. Lumpy because its just plain old Chch asphalt.
And looking different, I had to concentrate on it and figure out where I was supposed to go, for the first time at least it took away brainpower that should be looking for traffic.
Ultimately, “Is it having a positive effect on riding?” is the most important metric.
I guess the most relevant metric might be the nearby cycle counter around the corner on St Asaph St, since many trips will continue to/from there. At the end of Jan 2021 the 12-month daily average there was 413, at the end of Jan 2022 the average was 458 – a 10% increase despite the ravages of Covid on travel patterns (in fact, at one point just before the August lockdown, the 12-month average was 480…)
I love the idea of safe spaces for bikes, but as someone who drives and cycles on this road, I find the visual barriers a huge risk for all users of the bike lanes and footpaths. Seeing cyclists and pedestrians from cars is difficult, especially if you need to cross the bike lanes and footpaths to enter driveways and car parks in this area. This is exacerbated by the fact there is so little onstreet parking outside the schools. Drop offs can’t be done from street due to lack of places to pull over so parents are pulling into carparks and driving blind into the bike lanes. I think there also needs to be a pedestrian crossing closer to the school entrance on Ferry Road. I know students should walk to the corner, but they don’t and mobbing across a crowded busy road with visual barriers is dangerous.