Transport options  |  22 Sep 2023

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Plans to get more people walking, cycling and scootering in their local neighbourhoods have had the green light.

Christchurch City Council has applied to receive up to $25 million in funding from the Government’s Climate Emergency Response Fund - Transport Choices programme.

The funding is for projects aimed at reducing vehicle kilometres travelled and the city’s carbon emissions, which largely come from road transport.

Today, Councillors approved the nine programmes of work after hearing approximately 70 submissions from individuals and groups. The projects will now go to Waka Kotahi for approval before construction can begin.

“I’m so pleased we’ve got these reports through Council. It’s really important to us to see communities, particularly in the east of Christchurch such as Bromley and Linwood, have more ability to choose the way they get around their local area and the whole city ,” Acting Mayor Pauline Cotter says.

“All roads and streets are different and need different treatments. Sometimes cycleways are fit for local streets and sometimes they're on busier routes, it's about providing equity and our team has worked hard to make sure each project is tailored to the neighbourhood.”

Key projects include:

  • A new cycle link to make it safer for students to bike to Te Aratai College along Aldwins Road and Ensors Road.
  • A cycle connection for Westmorland along Cashmere Road between Hoon Hay Road and Oderings Garden Centre.
  • A dedicated cycleway along Simeon Street that connects cyclists to the Little River Link, Quarryman’s Trail and Barrington Shopping Centre, and improving cycling connections for neighbourhoods such as Aidanfield and Ngā Puna Wai.
  • Upgrading the busy intersections of Aldwins/Ensors/Ferry and Aldwins/Buckleys/Linwood. The safety improvements will include the installation of safe speed platforms to slow people down as they enter an intersection so they can stop in time if they need to.
  • Installing pedestrian improvements in 10 locations in Linwood to help tamariki travel to Whitau School.
  • Upgrading six Bromley intersections with reduce road widths in certain sections, raised zebra crossings, traffic islands, pedestrian refuge islands, safe speed platforms, speed cushions, transitional roundabouts, and refreshing painted markings.
  • A cycle-friendly environment along Smith Street so people can cycle safely to Te Pou Toetoe: Linwood Pool and Te Waka Unua School on Ferry Road.
  • Making it easier and safer for people to cycle in Richmond with a new route that will connect cyclists from the north to the south of Richmond.

“We also really want people to know this work isn’t coming at the expense of regular Council business like road resealing and we’ll still be delivering our core services,” Acting Mayor Cotter says.

“The programme focusses on offering communities, which have previously been lacking in travel choice, the chance to have new cycle connections, the ability to easily and safely walk around their neighbourhoods and get to school sustainably.”

“Congratulations to the team for having listened to the feedback from the public. They’ve made tweaks to the projects where they based on what residents have said and have made notes of other feedback,” she says.