Controversial ‘overdeveloped and overpriced’ $22 million bike path to continue

A controversial $22.6 million bike path in Christchurch continues to face opposition from sections of the community.

At a meeting on Thursday, councilors again exchanged views on the value of bike lanes in reducing carbon emissions before voting 11 to 5 to continue the 4.5km Wheels to Wings cycle route on Harewood Rd.

of the municipality $301 million major bike path program is one of the organization’s key policies to reduce carbon emissions, but CR Aaron Keown wondered if hard-designed bike paths would “save the planet.”

He suggested that the council spend the money on buying 20,000 e-bikes for the public or two million trees.

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“Would that offset the climate emergency more than building a bike path on Harewood Rd?” he asked.

Keown voted against the design of the Wheels to Wings bike trail, along with councilors James Gough, Sam MacDonald, hopeful Mayor Phil Mauger, Catherine Chu and Yani Johanson.

The decision to proceed was greeted with applause from the public gallery where bike lane supporters had gathered with signs encouraging councilors to support the project.

The decision comes 19 months after the bike path design was first proposed and follows two consultation rounds, more than 1400 submissions and 70 design changes.

More than 565 petitioners were against the cycle path, 411 were in favor and the remaining amount was not specified.

A hearing panel chaired by Mayor Lianne Dalziel heard from contributors and analyzed designs, including a alternative community-led design conceived by former traffic engineers and local residents Bill Greenwood and Brian Neill.

The community design was seriously considered but not supported by the council because of safety issues that could not be resolved, said Lynette Ellis, the council’s chief of transportation.

Harewood Rd will be reduced from four vehicular lanes to two lanes to make way for one-way bike paths on both sides of the road between Nunweek Boulevard and Greers Rd.

At Nunweek Park, the bike path becomes a two-way street on the south side of Harewood Rd towards Russley Rd.

From Greers Rd to the railway in Papanui, the cycle path on the north side will be two-way apart from a small section outside Miter 10 where it becomes one-way on both sides of the road.

Seven new traffic lights will be installed, including at the intersection of Breens and Gardiners roads, at a cost of $1.2 million.

The community plan included a two-way bike path on the south side of the median strip of Harewood Rd.

About 40% of the parking garages (about 300) are lost to the cycle path and the resulting improvements at the intersection.

Ellis said the council had been advised that there would be an overall reduction in carbon emissions from the bike path.

Cr James Gough said he was in favor of “safe, practical, cost-effective bike paths”, but he felt that Wheels to Wings was “overdeveloped and too expensive”.

“Don’t worry about half the city smelling like feces and the other half being pretty much underwater, because that’s all cool. A $22 million gold-plated bike path continues.”

Cr Mike Davidson said $22 million for the bike path would go much further to save the planet than a $683 million stadium would.

Davidson accused his colleagues of posting disinformation in the public domain to incite communities.

“I’m amazed that I have to constantly listen to councilors who think parking is more important than cyclist safety and follow the standard rule: ‘I’m not against cycle paths, but…’.”

Cr Sara Templeton said she was tired of making rational, fact-based arguments every time the council made a bike decision.

She said it was crystal clear that the council could not delay action on climate change, but she often heard councilors try to delay action.

“People say they don’t deny climate change, but delaying action on climate change has the same impact as denying it exists at all.”

The council also agreed on Thursday to add an additional $1.5 million to the $15.8 million being spent on the final section of the Coastal Pathway along Moncks Bay in Redcliffs.

The government funded the $15.8 million project as part of its Covid-19 program ready to respond to the shovel, but the municipality had to cover any overruns.