Community Board makes walking and cycling harder

Some may recall that a Council ‘professional traffic planner’ decided the best way to deal with congestion at the corner of Memorial and Greers was to get rid of the cycle lane and narrow the footpath to make more room for cars and buses.

That much of the traffic is related to getting students to Burnside High and a large private year 1-8 school seems not to have occurred to our professional traffic engineers. Jellie Park is also apparently not a place people on bikes and foot might want to go. That narrowing the footpath and eliminating the cycle lane might discourage active transport seems not to have carried much weight.

While no public consultation was deemed necessary the Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board did get the chance to weigh in with their view.

Spokes Canterbury alerted the community and encouraged people to write, call and to attend the meeting where this was to be decided.

Somehow that Community Board meeting people were alerted to attend got canceled.

The next meeting on April first found the board foolish enough to approve the proposal.

Local body elections are this October. Clearly we need more qualified and enlightened Councillors and Community
Board members. Please consider running and/or supporting good candidates.

Members of the Fendalton Waimairi Harewood Community Board are:
(All can be contacted via this email format. Example: Sam.MacDonald@ccc.govt.nz )

Sam MacDonald Chair
David Cartwright Deputy
Linda Chen
Jamie Gough
Aaron Keown
Raf Manji
Shirish Paranjape
Bridget Williams

Actions speak louder than words.