Comments on: Guest Post: The joys of biking Memorial Ave

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:39:08 +0000

I was intending to ride my ebike to the Airport from Mairehau. I often cycle out to Hornby via University and around Riccarton Racecourse. However, reading the comments here has put me off cycling out to the airport. Think I’ll bus.

By: Isaac Freeman

Isaac Freeman — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 20:34:59 +0000

I used to do a monthly ride to the airport to spend a workday in Wellington. Early mornings on Memorial Ave were manageable, but coming home late on Friday evening was often hairy. On one occasion a driver tailed me all the way down Memorial Ave, before pulling up at every intersection to berate me for occupying one of the three available lanes on an otherwise empty road.

It’s never been clear to me why Memorial Ave needs that many lanes, nor why it couldn’t be upgraded with a separated cycleway.

By: Michael T

Michael T — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 02:52:02 +0000

I support the feelings of nervousness biking to the airport along Memorial Avenue. I have tended to use the South Express cycleway through to SH1 then along to the airport, even though it is 80km/h at least there is a wide shoulder… Or ride on the Memorial Avenue footpath. Given the acres of green paint around the SH1 Russley Road interchange, the lack of anything on Memorial Avenue is very noticeable! Seems like an obvious connection missing, any ‘avenues’ we can explore to push for some improvements?

By: Hester Warren

Hester Warren — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 19:24:31 +0000

In reply to Robert Fleming. Totally agree about the lack of cycle way ( or even a pedestrian walkway) from Sunningvale through to Ilam Road caused by the rebuilding of Cobham Intermeduate . I’m still mad about it. It’s such a hindrance for so many students going to Burnside HS too, many of them now have to cycle on the treacherous Memorial Ave. can anything be done? If their new fence was placed 4 metres away from the riverbank, there may have been room for a path out to the road.

By: Cyclomaniac

Cyclomaniac — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:54:09 +0000

In reply to Robert Fleming. Thanks for posting. Memorial Ave provides ample free parking, but does not offer safe passage for cyclists. It would be good to see some parking removed to make the road more accessible for cyclists.

By: Robert Fleming

Robert Fleming — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:53:08 +0000

A little bit of vision applied at the time of the Cobham Intermediate School would have kept the through access between Ilam Road and Sunnyvale lane. Ilam Road west to Roydvale Ave is a good route parallel to Memorial Ave, and from there a north side shared path to Russley Road could easily be built.

To me, both the Community Board, Council and Ministry of Education really dropped the ball here. It has been one of the saddest mistakes made in the project to make Christchurch a better city for cycling which, although still a work in progress been very successful.

By: Criggie

Criggie — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:41:12 +0000

Its certainly motivational ! The other option is to ride to Harewood Road and take the Undertaker then Orchard Road, OR Avonhead Road, left onto Russley and take the Syd Bradley underpass.

Downside, both are quite indirect. Memorial Ave dates from the days when the Car was King in road design, and frankly the whole thing looks 60’s and quite dated. But lets imagine the wailing if the CCC suggested taking another couple metres from each property for a real cycle lane.

Honestly? If you’re not happy on this road – feel free to take the footpath. Yes I am aware its not technically legal, but in this case is a lot safer than the road.

By: Keith Turner

Keith Turner — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:00:13 +0000

For some years I used to ride from Kendal Ave towards town on Memorial Ave and Fendalton Rd. Although four lanes and mostly lacking bike infrastructure i never found it too bad. At that time we lived in St Albans and Harewood Rd was my preferred route to the airport.

By: Conor Leahy

Conor Leahy — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 04:36:40 +0000

When I saw the title of this Post I assummed it was ironic as I used to do the Memorial Ave run to work on the Airport Campus for many years. The mornings weren’t too bad (early starts), but going home with traffic anxious to get home too, and cars parked alongside the road to avoid parking charges made it feel like a game of Russian Roulette nearly every day always at the mercy of a car door opening or a momentarily inattentive driver. Oh and the common Easterly headwinds didn’t help either! When I moved from town to Strowan I was able to turn off from Kendall Ave but even those few kms from Airport to the safety of residential streets were hairy!