I’m a very infrequent biker – not the Harley-Davidson type of rock chick, dressed in black leather from head to foot (although my husband might wish otherwise) – but the sort that takes to the road on a bicycle from time to time, usually on a sunny windless day that just begs to be enjoyed.

As a family we own four bikes, and they’re well used. The kids bike to school, we’ve all done mini-triathlons and other biking events, and have even toyed with the idea of booking for the Otago Central Rail Trail, although one day spent at the Woodhill Mountain Bike Park last year almost put me off cycling for life.
So when Prime Minister John Key suggested the creation of a 3000 km national cycleway might help to beat the recession, my ears pricked up. He called it a “serious initiative” and said it could be paved with concrete so it was suitable for a range of bikes.
Now call me stupid, but has he really costed that out? We had the builders in at our place last year, and a small patch of drive about 10 metres long had to be re-laid as the digger used to demolish the old garage had also cracked the drive. That short patch alone cost over $5000.
It’s an admirable idea, and one in principle I think most people would agree with. I can even see the merits of riding on a beautifully even concrete track as opposed to rough terrain. But would it really create the jobs we desperately need? And would it attract hordes of tourists once completed?
What we really do need is a series of paved cycle tracks alongside all our main urban arterial routes – like the one that parallels the north-western motorway from Auckland to Te Atatu.
There are plenty of advocates within Auckland’s biking fraternity that are keen to see such a move, and having worked on the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport’s latest journal, I’ve seen enough evidence that says dedicated cycle routes would go a long way towards achieving the government’s targets for transport reform by 2040, especially increasing active modes of transport (such as walking and cycling) to 30 percent of total trips in urban areas.
The NZ Herald asked readers for their views on whether building a cycleway the length of the country would help beat the recession. I think one fellow had it absolutely right: that we should build a giant BMX track instead, complete with huge jumps and ramps and dangerous water traps, which would bring in young adventure-seeking tourists ready to spend money.
Anyone for a country-wide Woodhill Mountain Bike Park?

Until next time …