1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?
Walking and cycling are important for fitness, recreation and building community spirit. In the northern suburbs of Porirua many people commute to Wellington by train, but to get to their nearest station many walk and a relatively few cycle. The greatest amount of walking and cycling is for sports and recreation rather than as a mode of transport to get to work.
2. How would you rate (good, average, poor) facilities for
(a) pedestrians and
(b) cyclists
in your area? This could include such things as cycleways, pedestrian overbridges, cycle parking, quality of footpaths.
Throughout Porirua walkway and cycleway facilities are improving rapidly and I note particularly the Ara Harakeke path from Pukerua Bay to Porirua CBD – a major ongoing project. Of course there are many other pathways, especially through our many reserves. Of course there is lots of room for improvements and as more people do get active with walking and cycling the facilities will improve. Not all stations have cycle storage, for example, but when I asked a Mana Station cyclist about the lack of storage there he wasn’t worried since he was the only commuter leaving his bike at the station on a daily basis! With the “upgrade” of SH1 the need for pedestrian overbridges has increased, with the need at Pukerua Bay being absolutely critical.
3. Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
Yes. Indeed, speeds in Plimmerton are now being reduced (by “traffic calming” humps) explicitly to benefit pedestrians and cyclists as we develop the new “Plimmerton Promenade”.
4. Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?
I’m aware of many – both formal and informal – since I use them regularly myself.
5. How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.
Signposting varies, but all the recent dedicated paths seem well posted.
6. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use?
Yes.
7. What would you do about these barriers?
The worst restriction in our area is the appallingly mismanaged T2 lane along SH1 through Mana. This was explicitly designed to provide safe cycling, especially in off-peak hours, yet Transit refuses to manage the traffic usage outside peak periods. Along with many others I have been battling this for some years and shall continue to do so on Council.
8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
In practical terms it is sometimes unavoidable.
9. If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one?
Yes.
10. Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one?
I’m more aware of the walking and cycling strategy of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, in whose Regional Land Transport Strategy walking and cycling is a core component.
11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
N/A
12. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
Council’s role is to provide the facilities, as and when possible, with public promotion of the activities more correctly lying with other groups.
13. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
As above.
14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors? N/A.
15. Will you sign the Walking Charter?
I have already signed the Charter.
16. Do you cycle and/or walk regularly? We recognize of course that many people who do not remain supportive of our aims to increase rates of both.
I walk several kilometres every day – along our beaches; over the hills; in our reserves etc. As I noted in my answer to Q1 it’s not just for health and fitness; I believe it is enjoyable to meet others along the way and thus build our communal spirit.
(Tim Sheppard) 78 Cluny Rd Plimmerton 5026
1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area? ECONOMIC
2. How would you rate (good, average, poor) facilities for
(a) pedestrians and
(b) cyclists
in your area? This could include such things as cycleways, pedestrian overbridges, cycle
parking, quality of footpaths. AVERAGE
3. Would you support lowered speed limits on
certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists? YES
4. Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are? YES
5. How well signposted are these facilities?
Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other. NOT WELL DONE
6. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or
public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use? NO7. What would you do about these barriers? IMPROVE THEM
8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible? YES
9. If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one? YES
10. Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one? DON'T KNOW, YES
11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them? YES, YES
12. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity? NIL
13. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing? VITAL, SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR
14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors? DON'T KNOW
15. Will you sign the Walking Charter?
YES
16. Do you cycle and/or walk regularly?
We recognize of course that many people who do not remain supportive of our aims to increase rates of both. YES
What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?
Much of Porirua City is scenic - for example Plimmerton. Thus it is ideal for walking and cycling. The city is convenient for secondary school students although going by bike is not a popular as it used to be. Suburban traffic is now more deadly than it once was.
How would you rate (good, average, poor) facilities for
(a) pedestrians and
(b) cyclists
in your area? This could include such things as cycleways, pedestrian overbridges, cycle parking, quality of footpaths.
AVERAGE
Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are? YES
How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other. MODERATELY WELL SIGNPOSTED, BUT COULD BE BETTER.
Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use?
YES, THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH STATE HIGHWAY ONE. WE NEED A TRACK AROUND THE PORIRUA HARBOUR FROM PLIMMERTON TO THE CITY CENTRE.
What would you do about these barriers?
we need to fix them, obviously this is being done progressively as budgets allow the priority at the moment for spending is still the inter-connectivity between the cities.
Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
Not in Porirua City. There are many cities in the world where it is necessary.
If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one?
We have one. We should continually update and improve informational material.
Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one?
Yes we have a formal policy for both. It fits in with the regional strategy.
Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
Support them, not going to facilitate them.
What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
The development of tracks is the critical thing that develops usage and we might be able to apply more funding to this work if we can moderate the rest of our budget better.
What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
The DHB is supposed to provide for public health. They must be the lead institution and our role must be minimal. If we fund it we take the responsibility from them. This sort of mixed approach implied in this question is one of the reasons our health sector is such a mess.
Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?
Not necessary for our city council. Transport is a regional council responsibility in Wellington.
Will you sign the Walking Charter?
Do you cycle and/or walk regularly? We recognize of course that many people who do not remain supportive of our aims to increase rates of both.
Yes i both cycle and walk. Usually manage a long walk every week.
1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?
as exercise and leisure.
2. How would you rate (good, average, poor) facilities for
(a) pedestrians and
(b) cyclists
in your area? This could include such things as cycleways, pedestrian overbridges, cycle parking, quality of footpaths.
both are only average. I believe walkers are worse off in that there are a number of areas where the footpaths are uneven.
3. Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
no. I opposed the speed restrictions in certain streets. If there are to be speed restrictions it needs to be in all residential streets. Speed restrictions in some streets and not others will cause confusion and non compliance. Another problem is the logistics of enforement.
4. Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?
yes. I have collected brochures of walks from the council with the intents of walking them. Cycling I do mainly as a fitness workout and generally only on the flat.
5. How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.
walking routes are not well sign posted.
6. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use?
yes
7. What would you do about these barriers?
nothing, as the areas that I am aware of are there for safety issues.
8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
yes. There are areas of Wellington where the roads are not able to support parking outside residences without causing a safety issue for road users (cars and cycles). These areas need to be kept to a minimum. I would prefer to see one side of these roads free of parking but this has ongoing affects on the occupiers of the homes. There is no simple fix to this one.
9. If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one?
yes, provided it was not unduly expensive.
10. Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one?
I am not aware of a specific strategy but I know that the Wellington City Council is pro walking and cycling.
11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
I would like you to clarify what you mean by travel plans before answering.
12. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
you can only promote walking and cycling as great way to get and stay fit and a great way to see the city. Publishng a different route each time a council or regional council newsletter is sent out would be an idea.
13. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
I do not believe a council has a duty to promote public health. I do believe that they can provide information on walking and cycling routes.
14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?
see Q11
15. Will you sign the Walking Charter?
yes
16. Do you cycle and/or walk regularly? We recognize of course that many people who do not remain supportive of our aims to increase rates of both.
not as often as I should. I walk and cycle in summer. In winter my exercise comes from involvement in sport.
1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area? Cost effective , less pollution, healthier option.
2. How would you rate (good, average, poor) facilities for
(a) pedestrians and
(b) cyclists
in your area? This could include such things as cycle ways, pedestrian over bridges, cycle parking, quality of footpaths.
Lot depends on the area you are in; I would rate good the area in general for pedestrians and cyclist.
3. Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
Yes if there was strong push by the community collectively.
4. Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?
Walking is not a major concern, cycling paths or lanes are generally keep to the left of most streets or main roads, I cannot recall if there are special lanes for cyclist but common road code rules.
5. How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.
Walking areas like Colonial knob and other scenic routes are marked out, cyclist just general road code rules.
6. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use?
Pedestrians not allowed to walk along state highways/ motorways and cyclists not really sure other than public areas / shops/ railway stations / etc..
7. What would you do about these barriers? None Safety is important
8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible? Yes
9. If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one? Most definitely.
10. Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one? Not sure but would support having one.
11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
Again it depends on the amount of interest from them, if there was a great push to encourage walking and cycling then the traffic , risk planning needs to co coordinated with what other avenues are currently in place.
12. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
Week campaign on Health Week around walking and cycling again the cost for a bike can be quite significant. Training safety cycle workshops around the road code, helmet and care of equipment.
13. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
In light of today's obesity concerns in some of the younger generation there has to be some public awareness campaign promoting wellbeing and fitness and nutrition.
14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors? Not Sure I am a first timer.
15. Will you sign the Walking Charter? http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/ICharter.htm YES
16. Do you cycle and/or walk regularly? We recognize of course that many people who do not remain supportive of our aims to increase rates of both.
I do both not as regularly as I would like but I enjoy both activities and swimming.