Cycling in Christchurch

Flashback Friday: A successful “CAN Do” Weekend

For those interested in further developing support for cycling in Ōtautahi Christchurch and beyond, you’re welcome to attend the Cycling Action Network’s “CAN Do 2025” advocacy workshop, being held at Tūranga next weekend (22-23 Mar) – note that an $80 …

Cycling in Chch 2024 in Review: People, Places, and Pushback…

Another calendar year flies by and we’re ready to herald in 2025 – Happy New Year! For many of us, we might be grateful to see the back of 2024, with various worrying signs for cycling foreshadowed back in our …

Book Review (and a Launch): The Cycling Pioneers

The Cycling Pioneers
by Michael Toohey
138pp.
Kennett Brothers: $25
(Book or PDF versions)

While cycling history may often seem like the realm of other parts of the world, New Zealand was a surprisingly early adopter in trying out the …

The Long, Long, Long Journey of the Wheels to Wings Cycleway is ready for another twist…

I’d like to invite you to cast your mind way back to mid-2009… Spurred on by some concerns from nearby school children about cycling to school, consultation was undertaken on a proposal to add cycle lanes to Harewood …

Flashback Friday: A complete cycling network for 34 cents a year

About six weeks ago, the Govt’s National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) came out and currently Councils around the country are grappling with its implications for their funding plans, especially when it comes to road safety and sustainable transport projects – …

Flashback Friday: National’s Transport Dystopia

Any day now, we should be getting news of the finalised National Land Transport Programme, which will then inform Councils about what projects they will get funding subsidy for. Not that we should be getting our hopes up too …

Flashback Friday: Council Long Term Plan brings some good cycleway news

In case you haven’t noticed; the Chch City Council is currently consulting on its 2024-34 Long Term Plan (with feedback due Sun 21st Apr). This important exercise every three years sets out the key priorities for the various Council activities, …

Flashback Friday – The GPS: Govt Pro-roads Statement on transport

So, after much bluster and talk, the new Government has released its draft GPS on Transport and it’s perhaps not surprising that it’s mostly roads, roads, roads. I’ll make some more comments on this in a future blog, but it …

Flashback Friday: Roger wants cycling in the city too…

This week, we’ve just had the 13th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Christchurch back in 2011 – it really does seem a lifetime ago now. In the first few years afterwards, a lot of discussions were had about …

Flashback Friday: Are new cycleways OK for existing cyclists?

I had an interesting conversation earlier this week with a reporter, talking about how people are getting used to using our cycleways as they get ever busy, including lots of passing each other and queuing at intersections. It’s a nice …

Cycling in Chch 2023 in Review: The Good, the Bad, the in-Between

And just like that, another year is over and we ponder what has happened since we last reviewed the state of cycling Chch at the end of 2022 – suffice to say that it seems like a mix of things……

Flashback Friday: Draft Govt Policy Statement is good news for cycling

After a fair bit of horse-trading, we finally look like we have a new Government about to be formed. Then it will be interesting to see how much they change existing transport policies, including how much cycling continues to get …

Flashback Friday: What price for a cycleway?

Most of the Major Cycle Routes that are being developed around Chch follow either existing streets or through parks and other reserve areas. But nearly 7 years ago, one new route was created through the purchase of a couple of …

Flashback Friday: Do cycleways = extravagance?

Christchurch City Council is starting conversations about their updated Long Term Plan, and already there have been some rumblings about possible financial struggles. Predictably, cycleways are one of the possible candidates for the chopping block, although I’d be …

Flashback Friday: Cycle-friendly places vs People-friendly ones

If you’ve been anywhere near Cathedral Square lately, you might have noticed the works that have been going on in the southeast quadrant (near Distinction Hotel) to improve the look of the area. It’s part of a wider project to …

Election 2023! Who to vote for?

It’s that time again when every three years we’re called upon to do our democratic duty and vote in the national elections. Official voting day is not until Sat Oct 14th, but early voting is now open. Labour has …

Flashback Friday: Can e-scooters and bikes co-exist?

Perhaps I should have re-titled this “can e-scooters and pedestrians co-exist?”, as we’ve just heard that Waka Kotahi (NZTA) have decided to renew their Gazette notice declaring that “e-scooters (up to 300W) are not motor vehicles” and are thus able …

Category: Bicycle politics