Promises all round to help bicycles

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 2

Promises all round to help bicycles

The Christchurch CityCouncil is doing its part for bicycles and will keep doing it, the Mayor (Mr Hamish Hay) told a Bicycle Week crowd in Cathedral Square yesterday. The Labour and Values Mayoral candidates said their parties would do even more to encourage bicycle riders — and discourage motorists — if elected. The Mayor and the two candidates — Mr Peter Heal, Values (right) and Mr Alex Clark, Labour (alongside) — are shown riding into the Square before they delivered their speeches. The organiser of Bicycle Week (Mr J. Boston) is on the left, and in front are two cyclists wearing smog masks. Te two Mayoral aspirants admitted that steps had been taken to help the bicycle regain a balanced place in the traffic system, but said that the step was far from sufficient. “Don’t let this week become a token gesture,” said Mr Clark. “We must make it the beginning of an era.” He said that Travis Road, past Queen Elizabeth II Park, was “a shocking example” of the lack of bicycle planning. Not only were there no footpaths in an area used heavily bychildren, but there was scarcely room for both cycles and cars on the road. He also called for all-

weather parking facilities! ifor cycles in the city, in-j I stead of spending all parking ; revenue on car-park buildlings. The Vaues candidate (Mr Heal) said that the council ■ should make sure that less [cars were used, at the same* [time as it encouraged cycl-i lists. Ideas of the bicycle' Iplanning committee should! be injected into the [decision-making process at) the early stages of planning! [for new roads, subdivisions* [and commercial centres. | At least parts of streets) should be given over to. lanes that allowed only* cycle or bus traffic “so we* can survive in this smogridden city.” Mr Hay and the other two candidates rode into the Square on bicycles after ex-j periencing first-hand traffic! conditions in Manchester* and Cashel streets. The Mayor said he hoped to see a council bicycle route land acquisition fund started in the coming financial year. He said the policy ! of emphasising forms of* transport other than the car! would be achieved "only to* some extent” by cycle! tracks. There had to be a proper balance in traffic planning, but no-one should blind himself to the fact that cars were still the most popular form of transport.