Media Release
16 February 2007

Manukau City Council Staff Get on Their Bikes

Manukau City Council staff are gearing up to ride to work for Go By Bike Day on 28 February.

Chief Executive Leigh Auton and a group of council staff will ride to the Go By Bike Breakfast in Manukau Square. They’ll be joined by Transport Committee Chairman Alf Filipaina and Pakuranga councillor David Collings.

The council is also encouraging Manukau businesses to get their staff to ride to work and meet in the square for a free breakfast.

The Go By Bike Breakfast is being hosted by Manukau City Council as part of Bikewise Week, which runs from 24 February to 4 March. The event runs from 7am to 9am, with free breakfast, entertainment and prizes.

The other Bikewise event being held in Manukau is the Pohutukawa Coast Ramble at Umupuia Reserve in Clevedon at 6pm on 28 February. This is a family event with the choice of an 8.5km ramble along the beautiful roads of the Pohutukawa Coast or a 20km fun ride to Clevedon. Return to a free sausage sizzle.

Transport Committee Chairman Alf Filipaina says he’s hoping Go By Bike Day will be the catalyst for him to start training for his upcoming police fitness test.

“I’m sure a lot of people like me find it so hard to get motivated to exercise, so things like Bikewise Week really help.

“I also hope Go By Bike Day encourages people to start thinking about alternatives to the car for getting to work. Cycling saves money on fuel and the hassle of parking. But it’s also fun, good for the environment and gets you healthy.

“The council has a number of improvements planned to make it easier and safer for cyclists to get around Manukau. For example in 2007 we hope the amount of on-road cycle lanes and cycle paths next to roads will increase from 28km to 70km,” Cr Filipaina says.

The aim is to have a cycle network of more than 100km by 2010.

Manukau City Council is spending approximately $1 million a year on improving cycling facilities. This is subsidised by Land Transport NZ and a $4.1 million Infrastructure Auckland/Auckland Regional Holdings grant.

There are already cycle lanes or paths on Great South Road, George Bolt Drive, Te Irirangi Drive, Stancombe Road, Weymouth Road and East Tamaki Road. This will be expanded in 2007 to extend coverage on Great South Road, Highbrook Drive and sections of Buckland Road, McKenzie Road, Coronation Road and Ormiston Road

As the new suburb of Flat Bush develops it will have cycle lanes on all the main roads. The first, from Ormiston Road into Flat Bush town centre, is expected to open in February 2008.

Flat Bush will also have a 35km off-road network through its green fingers and parks. This will be the largest off-road network in New Zealand once construction is complete in 2014.

Cycle lanes are also planned on routes that include Highland Park to Botany Downs; Ormiston-Sandstone-Whitford-Maraetai; Pakuranga Rd and Bucklands Beach Rd.

ENDS

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