Safer cycling route along Eltham and Beaver roads gets green light

Designs are being prepared for a cycleway that connect Eltham Road and Beaver Road with the Taylor River cycle path.

The plans will make it safer for children cycling to Whitney Street School and for students looking for a safer route from the south side of town to Bohally Intermediate and Marlborough Girls’ College.

Deputy Mayor Terry Sloan, who also chairs Bike Walk Marlborough, says school students and cyclists will be able to cross town much more safely.

“This will be a game changer for Blenheim, providing a north to south cycling spine through the middle of town.”

“Currently, more than 500 students cycle to the three schools. By providing a safer, high quality cycle route, I hope we will see that number increase.”

“Design options are being worked through at the moment. Options include a cycle path separated from traffic, more pedestrian refuges and other traffic-calming features.”

“We will seek to retain as much residential parking as possible.”

The project is part of the Urban Cycleway Programme which gets funding from NZTA.

Design proposals will soon be made available to the schools and residents along the route so they can provide feedback, before the final design decision is made.

How they get to school

Bohally Intermediate School has the highest proportion of cyclists (30%) and scooter-riders (12%) with just 12% of its students walking to school and 23% driven by car.

Whitney Street School has 7% of its pupils riding bikes to school and the highest car use (63%).

Marlborough Girls College is evenly split between walking (29%), car use (33%) and bus (34%), while 14% of students cycle to school.

Marlborough District Council gave the go ahead for the project at its 18 May meeting.

ENDS.

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