Fry Fastier/Things
Nelson City Council’s active travel strategy, E Tu Whakatū, aims to double the number of people walking or cycling to school by 2035.
A strategy to provide the Nelsonians with more transport choice is underway and the City Council is asking for input.
E tū Whakatū’s active transport strategy aims to enable commuters who were ‘interested but concerned’ about cycling to make the switch, says Marg Parfitt, municipal manager of transport and solid waste.
Public submissions are now open to the strategy and can be made through the Nelson City Council’s Shape Nelson Page until July 25. The plan is “a very important piece of the puzzle”, in addition to incoming changes to public transport, possible changes to speed limits and the city’s parking strategythat would help to reduce CO2 emissions and enable more freedom of choice for residents.
Parfitt said there was no point in forcing people out of their cars if they didn’t want to or couldn’t, and there were dedicated cyclists who would ride in rain, hail or shine, but steps had to be taken to give people between the extremes. multiple choice.
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“People who are interested but concerned about their safety – it could be people who are cycling again after a long break, maybe the elderly looking for e-bikes, or it could be people who want to commute by bike but not on Rocks Rd next to a lumberjack truck with nothing but a strip of paint in between.”
She said that for those people safety and the perception of safety were important, so the plan included proposals for dedicated bike lanes separated from both traffic and pedestrians on routes with high-speed traffic (50 km/h or more) and reduced speed limits where they weren’t. possible.
MARTIN DE RUYTER/Stuff
The council wants to move away from shared bike and walking paths as some users have concerns about safety, but that could mean sacrificing some on-street parking for safer cycling facilities.
That could mean reducing on-street parking in some areas to free up space for bike lanes – something important not only for the safety of people who chose to cycle, but also those who wanted to walk and feel comfortable. felt unsafe on the shared bike and footpaths.
Parfitt said the council was in some ways “a victim of our own success” with the shared trails, as so many people were now using them that it became a safety hazard for some – “e-bikes and older walkers are not a good mix” – so the council explored ways to provide segregated facilities where the footpaths are for feet and the cycle paths for bicycles and possibly other micro-mobility devices.
Overall, the strategy had three objectives to be achieved by 2035: to reduce vehicle kilometers traveled to 25% below 2019 levels, to double the number of people walking and cycling to work or school, and to have zero active kill or seriously injure transport users while using the transport. network.
“We’ve set some stretch goals, but it has to be done,” Parfitt said.
“We already have more people walking and cycling to school and work than most if not all other places in New Zealand.”
Parfitt said the council welcomed any feedback on the plan, but for those who had no clear idea where to start, there was a questionnaire with specific questions on the Shape Nelson page. She said the council was particularly interested in the potential speed reduction and reducing street parking in some areas.
The municipality will hold a walk-in session on strategy at the Nelson Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.