Christchurch up for gold at walking and cycling awards

Christchurch up for gold at national walking and cycling awards

Gold medal Olympian cyclist Sarah Ulmer and Mayor of Wellington Celia Wade Brown will be recognising New Zealand’s champions for walking and cycling next week, when the winners of the national walking and cycling awards are announced on 29 October at the 2WALKandCYCLE 2014 Conference in Nelson.

Christchurch has secured a number of finalists spots in both the Golden Foot and NZ Transport Agency Cycle Friendly Awards:

• Golden Foot – Best Project – Christchurch Walking Festival
• Golden Foot / Cycle Friendly – Best Joint Walking and Cycling – Open Streets Christchurch
• Cycle Friendly - Commitment by a Public Organisation – Christchurch City Council for committing $68m for 13 cycleways
• Cycle Friendly – Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Business - Abley's McLeans Island Cycle Crossing
• Cycle Friendly – Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Business – Jade Bike Week
• Cycle Friendly – Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Business – Beca Christchurch
• Cycle Friendly – Best Cycle Champion – Dr Glen Koorey
• Cycle Friendly – Best Cycle Champion – Darren Fidler

Awards coordinator Dirk de Lu says the Awards celebrate and recognise New Zealand achievements for better walking and cycling by acknowledging innovative new facilities, highlighting national best practise and rewarding ongoing commitment to walking and cycling.

Dirk says it bodes well for New Zealand that finalists for the awards came from all over New Zealand.

“New Zealand is increasingly recognising the valuable role walking and cycling plays in keeping our communities healthy, green and safe, and this is evident in the wonderful efforts we’re seeing nationwide to support these travel choices.
“The judges will have a hard time to decide because of the high quality of the entries and the high number of finalists”

Finalists are as follows:

• Golden Foot finalists: http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/4875
• Cycle Friendly finalists: http://can.org.nz/article/nzta-cycle-friendly-awards-2014-finalists

Uli Neumann, co-convenor of the conference, says the committee is honoured to have Sarah Ulmer and Celia Wade Brown presenting the awards.

“Sarah and Celia have really gone above and beyond in bringing walking and cycling to the fore throughout New Zealand, and I know they will be thrilled at the calibre of the finalists.”

Celia, who also founded Living Streets Aotearoa, says the Golden Foot Awards have gone from strength to strength in recent years.

"Walking is the invisible glue that binds a successful city together. Walking underpins economic success, equity, physical and mental health. Modern progressive cities ask "Is our city walkable?"

“I’m delighted to see so many steps towards a positive culture for people on foot, of all ages and all speeds, for utility and recreation. “

Celia and Sarah will also speak at the conference.

2WALKandCYCLE is New Zealand’s conference for better walking and cycling for everyday transport, recreation and tourism. Nelson is expected to be buzzing with engineers, transport planners, students, local politicians and academics converging on the picturesque city, which is regarded by many as New Zealand’s walking and cycling capital.

For more information on the 2WALKandCYCLE Conference, visit http://www.2walkandcycle.org.nz/

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