Cycling and walking are not particularly popular in Whangarei. We are hilly, unlike centres like Christchurch and Palmerston North, and we also have significant rainfall.

Some of our arterial routes are also narrow, making the provision of cycleways difficult.

The current Whangarei District Council does not put major effort into encouraging alternative forms of transport, possibly because of the above.

Cycling and walking advocates will have to make themselves heard to change this.

I hope to lead a council which listens more to its community, and will respond to calls which enhance the environment and wellbeing of its citizens.

1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?
• Health: Increasing levels of physical fitness;
• Environmental: Decreasing pollution; Supporting sustainability; Decreasing traffic congestion; Solving parking problems;
• Economic: More cost effective than cars or other transport; no parking costs;
• Social: People without driver licenses or cars are able to get around (24% population under driving age, currently 14% over 65 (predicted to increase to 25% by 2050), around 10% do not have a car).

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.
Pedestrians: average
Cyclists: poor

3. Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
Yes, where appropriate.

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.
Maps online are hard to read. Signposting is often good when you know where to find it.

6. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use?
Yes, for safety reasons.

7. What would you do about these barriers?
If it is deemed appropriate for pedestrians and cyclists to use these particular roadways or public spaces (for cyclists) then strategies need to be put in place to accommodate them safely. This includes provision of safe cycle lanes and pedestrian zones to ensure that cyclists and pedestrians are safe from vehicles and other road traffic. Also limiting obstacles such as improved footpaths and lighting.

8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
No.

9. If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one?
There are route maps available, however these can be improved.

10. Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one?
Yes and yes.

11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
Yes. Promote:
• Walking school busses,
• Facilities for cyclists in business places (such as safe areas to leave bikes and cycle gear, and showers),
• Carpooling to a designated parking area from where everyone can walk to work (for those who live in outlying areas),
• Safer cycle and walking lanes,
• Benefits of physical activity,
• Economic benefits.
I would also support park & ride options and a free link bus service between shopping areas in the CBD to cut down traffic in town.

12. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
• Promoting walking and cycling groups.
• Developing more recreational cycling lanes, through parks in the central city area for example.
• Celebrating community cycle, walking and car free days and other initiatives,
• Incentives to walk or use bikes, such as prize schemes within schools for number of steps or number of days bikes are ridden to school.

13. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
Council needs to promote social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing of communities. This includes promoting public health. Walking and cycling contribute an active, easy, affordable, social and environmentally friendly leisure activity, and an economic, healthy, sustainable and efficient method of transport. Cycling and walking have an important role to play in improving sustainability and health of individuals and communities.
Council needs to work within the guidelines of the Walking and Cycling Strategy and other relevant documents, such as The Pedestrian and Cyclist Road Safety Framework, to develop a cycle/walking friendly community. The most cost effective and resourceful method for promoting health is for council to plan and implement strategies in collaboration with key stakeholders, such as Manaia PHO and Sport Northland.

14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?
Council needs to be leading the way with sustainability. Plans need to be improved and more widely promoted.

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.
Yes. I walk regularly. I would love to cycle with the family, but do not currently have the means to transport 4 bikes from central city where we live to areas that I deem safe for children to cycle.

 

1.       What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking is a low-impact form of transport, on both the body and the environment.  It provides health benefits and can contribute to social  cohesion and safety in neighbourhoods where people walk and meet others.
(b) cycling is easy on the joints.  It is a low emission form of commuter transport and provides great social and health benefits for students going to school or Polytech.  For some people with disabilities a stabilised cycle or tricycle could be more valuable to personal health than a motorized chair or scooters.
as a form of transport in your area?
 
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.
 
Footpaths (average) are not always continuous or on both sides of the street.  Many new subdivisions, such as at Parua Bay, do not have footpaths on busy roads.  Off-road walkways have been improved in a number of parks, including AH Reed, Parihaka, Whale Bay, Mt Aubrey and Reotahi.  But there is much more work to do in other areas so that all of our communities have the opportunity for walking, away from traffic.
 
Cycleways (poor), though some work has been done for cyclists on the road shoulders and bridges along the Onerahi straight.  Many roads have no shoulder for cyclists.  Some cycle stands have been installed in city parks, such as at the Conservatory.
 
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? There needs to be more information on cycling paths and walking tracks throughout the district.
 
5.       How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.  Signage is more plentiful for walking tracks; the few cycleways tend to have the cycle logo on the road.
 
6.       Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can?t use? In general this is clear.
 
7.       What would you do about these barriers? Some barriers are for safety of the user or for protection of the environment.  Alternatives can often be found and need to be developed.  For example a cycle track could be put in on the western bank of the Hatea River as an alternative to a walking track on the other bank, which has a number of flights of steps within it.
 
8.       Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?  No.
 
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? This has recently been completed and now needs an implementation plan to underpin it.
 
11.   Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?  Yes.  Council can work to highlight the need for them, and to facilitate these activities with other agencies, such as Sport Northland, local schools and the health sector of the DHB.
 
12.   What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity? Support from council for walking and cycling groups and activities can be effected in a number of ways, by providing information to the public, with technical advice and occasionally by funding community groups.  Recent events, such as the Hatea River Walkway opening were a joint effort by council and Sport Northland.  There are still several links in trails which need to be filled in and I would suggest that council facilitates workshops with residents to confirm opportunities and gaps in the walking and cycling networks.
 
13.   What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? Under the Local Government Act 2002 Council is responsible for the social, cultural, economic and environmental well-being of its district.   Council is responsible for the infrastructure required for safe walking and cycling.  It has the opportunity to play a collaborative role in integrating its facilities and policies with other government and community agencies.  It has a role in setting policy and has just completed a new cycling and walking strategy.  The policies of the Management Plan for Pohe Island include provision for walking and cycling facilities, including children's learn-to-ride cycle areas. It needs to urgently prioritise implementation of both strategies, to create safe cycle routes to school and town and healthy recreational opportunities close to  the city. 
 
How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?.  Walking is the most popular form of exercise, according to the surveys of Sparc and its predecessor. Both walking and cycling are low-impact forms of exercise, which can be simply and cheaply built into people's lifestyles to augment health.  They can be done at a time and place to suit the users and can be social activities or individual meditative opportunities.  For all of these reasons it is important for public agencies to build the potential for walking and cycling into the fabric of our cities and communities.  In addition, these activities have a low carbon footprint and low emissions, which are both beneficial to our environment.
 
14.   Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors? Council has a cycle available for staff to use, but not a travel plan.
 
15.   Will you sign the Walking Charter? http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/ICharter.htm  I am a member of Walk 21 and have 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.  Yes. I walk or swim most days, before or after work.  I cycle 20 km twice weekly in the Parua Bay, Taiharuru, Pataua and Horahora areas.
 

1.       What do you see as the advantages of
  (a) walking and 
  (b) cycling
  as a form of transport in your area?
      Exercise has to be a major benefit. You also are able to see more things, meet more people and enjoy the environment while  
      going at this slower pace. Anther major factor is that both of these activities have less impact on the environment.
   
  2.       How would you rate (good, average, poor) facilities for
  (a) pedestrians and
        I believe the pedestrian facilities and quality of foot paths in Whangarei are above average.
  (b) cyclists
        I believe cycleways do need to be improved with safety being a major factor. Have not seen any cycle parking,
  in your area? This could include such things as cycleways, pedestrian overbridges, cycle parking, quality of footpaths.
   
  3.       Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
      This is something that would need to be addressed once given some facts to work through.
   
  4.       Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?
        I am aware of some cycle ways, but more aware of walkways. There are obviously more that I could be advised of.
   
  5.       How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.
        I feel signage could be improved for both, this is probably why I am not aware of them all, so feel others may not be also aware .
   
  6.       Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can?t use?
        Only aware of minimal information in this area. Obviously needs to be communicated better.
   
  7.       What would you do about these barriers?
        Answer has to be better education. I believe that personally I do like to be aware of such things.
   
  8.       Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
        Yes. If safety is an issue. eg narrow street, can not have normal parking as the road may become too restrictive for emergency vehicles to pass through.
   
  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?
       Whangarei District Council has invested in some great walkways and cycle routes. There is always room for improvement so lets listen to the people and if there is enough interest then let us investigate its merits.
   
  11.   Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
        I believe some responsible companies and citizens are in fact already well into this area of sensibility. It will not always work for everyone but council should be seen to be encouraging the implementation of it in areas where it will indeed work successfully. If it works then it is a good idea.
   
  12.   What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
       Education in this area has to be a major factor to promote it. Health authorities promoting the benefits of exercise must be seen as an incentive. Pedestrian malls have to be considered but must not be detrimental to the businesses alraedy established in those areas. New developments could be promoted as such but dont change existing shopping / retail areas unless the majority of them want it changed. Business is essential for any community to flourish, not just shoe and bicycle shops.
   
  13.   What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
        Education and promote the benefits of good public health. Covered in above answer.
   
  14.   Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?
        Not aware of one but stand to be corrected
   
  15.   Will you sign the Walking Charter? http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/ICharter.htm
        I have printed it off and will very possibly be sending it in after giving it some consideration.
   
  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.
       Both my wife and I walk regularly and enjoy it very much when time permits. Regularly have a stroll around town but like many should walk more. Love to cycle around occasionally, when people are game to lend me their bike, but do tend to avoid the hills.

1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?

It is a sustainable form of transport
Reduces traffic congestion for the city
Health and environment benefits
Fun and enjoyable pastime

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.
I do not believe Whangarei has an above average level of pedestrian and cycling facilities. The ward I am standing for is primarily rural and open road.

3. Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
This would depend on the impact on traffic flow. Safety is always important. I am open to listening to good ideas that have practical application.

4. Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?
Some, not all.

5. How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.

5. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can’t use?
For the full Whangarei district – no I am not.

7. What would you do about these barriers?
Roading which is well designed and creates managed space for people is important. Issues such as this should be taken under consideration.

8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
No.

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?

11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?

11. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
Creating a culture of walking or cycling within a city

12. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
Councils core role is to manage and facilitate infrastructure effectively (eg) Roading, water, waste and solid waste and to ensure well designed and managed space for its people.

14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?

15. Will you sign the Walking Charter? http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/ICharter.htm

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.

 

1.  What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?
Exercise, saving petrol, connecting more with your area by travelling slower, can be more sociable
 

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.
I live in a rural area where the lack of verges on country roads and State Highways make cycling and walking perilous at times.
 

3.  Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?
 Definitely

4.  Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?
 Whangarei has a strategy which I will be supporting, but at present it is city based only.  I am working with others to create circuits/walkways in our area

5.  How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the other.
 Cycling is not supported out of city areas at all from what I can see.

6.    Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can't use?
 Motorways etc.

7.  What would you do about these barriers?
 Like parts of Auckland - develop dedicated pathways alongside

8.   Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?
 For ambulances

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?
 We do, but it needs actioning, and only focuses on the City area.

11  Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate them?
 Yes - one step at a time.  In particular in a high development area such as we have, working with developers so that they have to develop travel plans from new areas to schools, shops and workplaces.  We have to get less dependent on cars.

12  What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity?
 Creating a significant shoulder on all roads under construction or sections of roads being developed - ie any new work should include a wider shoulder, so that in time they will all join up.

13   What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?
 Council has a role in promoting public health in partnership with other agencies.  The Step programme is a good move in this direction - marking how many steps are in a circuit and encouraging people to use them

14  Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?
 I don't know

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.
 Yes I use an exercycle, walk the dog and cycle regularly to the village and on the beach
 

1.       What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?
They are both good for people's health, reduce traffic congestion and parking problems, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Cycling enables longer range than walking, but walking has the advantage of not requiring such a high standard of track and walking is safer
 

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.
In general the quality of existing facilities is from average to good but is not very extensive and needs to be enhanced to better integrate the CBD with suburbs.
 
Look you said above this would only take ten minutes, well I've spent that long already, would it suffice to say that I cycle toured around New Zealand  doing over 10,000 km on four trips between the ages of 14 and 15, mostly by myself, then cycle toured around Australia with my wife doing 13500 km during 1987 and 1988 before we had kids. I have also done extensive walking and mountaineering in both countries. Now I have a tree nursery business I have purchased vehicles to operate the business but I use them very efficiently. I am right into bicycling and I am very respectful of other cyclists and walkers and am well aware of issues affecting them and if I was elected I would be well able to represent the interests of cyclists and walkers.
 
You are welcome to contact me for more detailed opinions if you need them but your ten minutes is up and I don't like spending too long on computer surveys.
 

  1.       What do you see as the advantages of
  (a) walking and
  (b) cycling
  as a form of transport in your area?     none
   
  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?
   would serve no purpose
  4.       Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?                no
   
  5.       How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is better for one mode than the  poor
   
  6.       Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a) pedestrians or (b) cyclists can't use?  no
   
  7.       What would you do about these barriers?   nothing a plan would be needed
   
  8.       Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on footpaths is permissible?  no
   
  9.       If your ward/community does not have a walking or cycling route map, would you support creating one?
                only if needed
  10.   Does the council have a walking and cycling strategy, and if not, would you support having one? see above
   
  11.   Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what would you do to facilitate a plan would  be needed
   
  12.   What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and cycling as a regular activity? none
   
  13.   What role do you see the council has in promoting public health? How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?   this is a central guv job
  14.   Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors? i do not see any need for this
   
  15.   Will you sign the Walking Charter? http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/ICharter.htm   no
   
  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 .and gym
 

 

1. What do you see as the advantages of
(a) walking and
(b) cycling
as a form of transport in your area?

There has never been a greater need to promote active transport in our
communities. This is from a health, climate and community inclusiveness
perspective. We need to establish a culture of walking and cycling in
our children.

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.

Poor and Poor.

3. Would you support lowered speed limits on certain streets to
enhance their use by pedestrians or cyclists?

Definitely. It says a lot about our collective morality, or lack of it,
that we are willing to accept such a high level of risk for vulnerable
road users (read cyclists and pedestrians) as we continue to race past
them, often at speeds exceeding the speed limit, where one slight
mistake might be fatal.

There is encouragement in the safety in numbers philosophy - the more
cyclists and pedestrians the safer the road evironment becomes.

4. Are you aware of where walking or cycling paths/lanes/routes are?

Yes - 90% of my journeys (at least) are by bicycle, so I'm pretty
familiar locally with short cuts lanes routes etc.

5. How well signposted are these facilities? Please note if signage is
better for one mode than the other.

Poor. In fact a lot of the cycle friendly areas in Whangarei have "No
Cycling" signs, eg. Town Basin, Hatea River paths, Cameron Street Mall.

6. Are you aware of parts of the roadways or public spaces that (a)
pedestrians or (b) cyclists can't use?

None - although Transit NZ do their best to exclude cyclists by design -
Western Hills Drive between Rust Ave and Kensington Ave, 70 kph dual
carriageway with no shoulders! SH1 intersection with Kioreroa Road -
straight ahead merge lane (80 kph) with right turning traffic - ugly
from a cyclist point of view. (These issues have been raised with TNZ
with no response).

7. What would you do about these barriers?

Civil action citing negligence - exclusion by design - failure in a duty
of care to protect the right of passage for vulnerable road users. Lobby
through WDC policies and relationships.

8. Do you think there are certain conditions under which parking on
footpaths is permissible?

The second coming - major environmental disaster/civil defence emergency
- that would be it.

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?

Yes - adopted last week!

11. Do you support travel plans in schools and workplaces? If so, what
would you do to facilitate them?

Yes! Support them as much as possible. I drive a walking school bus to
my daughter's school every morning - up to 20 kids - 20 less cars - 20
fitter kids getting to school ready to learn - lots of community
development.

12. What other techniques could you suggest to improve walking and
cycling as a regular activity?

District Plan rules to generate money for walking, cycling and public
transport from developments that encourage private car use. A levy say
per car parking space. Social marketing. Major improvement in delivery
of cyclist education - police endorsement of the modes.

13. What role do you see the council has in promoting public health?
How do you see walking and/or cycling contributing?

Council has a key facilitation and relationship building role in
promoting public health. The whole area of quality urban design is vital
- and benefits extend beyond public health to energy efficiency and
conservation, social inclusion, improved environmental outcomes etc.

14. Does your council or DHB have a travel plan for staff and visitors?

No.

15. Will you sign the Walking Charter?
http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/ICharter.htm

Sounds like something I would support.

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. I am aspiring to be a follower of a teacher from the Middle East
who suggested that we should live simply and love our neighbours. To be
consistent with this I am trying to walk or cycle as much as possible -
and drive (or fly) as little as possible! I have found that the benefits
are enormous and far outweigh any costs, especially when the social
benefits are considered. Maybe we should leave the oil and coal in the
ground and learn how to live within our means and without inflicting
such a huge environmental cost on future generations? Less may very well
be more - especially as more seems to be the undoing of the West.
Walking and cycling regularly, for me, represent great hope for the
future! Kia ora tatou.