Earlier this week, the Christchurch City Council celebrated the opening of the 4th walk/cycle bridge over the Ōtākaro Avon River corridor near Dallington – another piece in the puzzle creating a lovely recreational riding route from the central city to New Brighton. I’ll have to get out some time and try the route so far… Developing a cycling route from the city to the sea has been a work in progress for quite some time now. In fact, we can go back about 12 years ago when the original genesis of this plan first came into fruition, as reported in this blog post from Oct 2013…
We previously told you about the vision of the Avon-Otakaro Network (AvON) to have a corridor running along the Avon River through parts of the red-zoned Christchurch East for recreational activities, nature reserves and wetlands, and walking/cycling routes. Now that vision has received a bit of a boost with the announcement last week of $15 million of funding from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust, towards projects that will connect the Avon River precinct in town through eastern Christchurch to the sea.
The Avon River is one of the thirteen Major Cycleway Routes planned by the City Council for development over the next five years. It was always a bit unclear however how that would fit in with the community-driven vision of AvON, which had received lots of public support, but little specific public funding (although the City Council had committed $6 million towards the central city Avon corridor to go with CERA’s contribution). So this $15 million clearly provides an opportunity to get the ball rolling, and the AvON group are keen for the community to help determine how it is spent.
In the meantime, there have also been lots of good investigations by various people at both Canterbury and Lincoln Universities to determine how the red-zoned land could be re-used. This includes determining its value for flood management, preservation of ecology, developing walking/cycling routes, and valuing the overall benefits to the community. So there is no shortage of recent material from which to develop some implementation plans.
The Avon River cycleway route is tentatively planned for implementation by Council during 2015-17; I don’t know whether this recent funding announcement means that the timing of some parts may change for the better. Either way, hopefully the end product will allow more people to enjoy one of our jewels in the crown by foot and bike as they go about their business in east Christchurch.
What do you think of the cycleway route alongside the Avon so far?
This article provides a great update on the Avon River cycleway project, highlighting the exciting progress and community involvement. Im thrilled to see this development coming to fruition and look forward to enjoying the improved recreational spaces along the river!
Great to see the Avon River project getting a financial boost! Though I suspect the funding might burn through faster than expected, especially if everyone decides to cycle simultaneously. Still, its brilliant news and the right direction for Christchurch. Lets hope the $15 million doesnt just fund initial groundwork; Im eager to see the full cycleway take shape. Lets not forget the valuable university research – theyve clearly figured out the land isnt just useful for walking/cycling, its also great for avoiding getting swept away during floods or confusing surveyors. Bring on the improved recreational spaces; just hope the shared path doesnt turn into the worlds most congested bike lane!
I rode this on Saturday and the only thing lacking is some signage. Lots of posts that look as if they are going to or had signs, which made it a bit confusing as to which path to take after road crossings.
At this time of year with all the spring flowers and fresh green, you could not ask for a more visually pleasing ride!
Just watch out for some aggressive Canada geese with goslings…
Haha, absolutely thrilled about this funding boost! Finally, the Avon River network has more than just dreams funding! Cant wait to navigate the newly enhanced pathways, though Im already dreading the epic quest to find my way past those mysterious post-sign posts. Bring on the confusion! And those Canada geese, absolutely *peak* summer entertainment – a real showstopper! Definitely looking forward to getting lost (in a fun way) along the river. Whats your best Avon navigation trick? #AvonAdventures #ConfusedCyclist #GeeseGleam