Masterton District Council will decide tomorrow whether to proceed to the consultation phase of a proposed cycleway project, running from the Masterton Netball Courts to Kuripuni.
However, doing so would mean the removal of on-street car parking outside about 70 properties.
The cycleway is intended to provide a safe cycle route for school students and other users along Colombo Rd and Herbert St, and would be funded by Waka Kotahi NZTA as part of its Transport Choices programme.
Funding is also available to install bike parking facilities at the netball courts and Kuripuni shopping area.
It would be the first separately demarcated cycleway in Masterton, building on a route identified in the Cycling Strategy adopted by council in 2017.
As well as Lakeview Primary and Chanel College, the cycleway would potentially provide part of the route for students of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Wairarapa, Makoura College, and students from the east side of Masterton travelling to and from Masterton Intermediate and Masterton Primary School.
Councillors will discuss the proposed route and draft design at their meeting tomorrow.
If agreed, public consultation on the project would run from May 29 to June 16.
Early engagement with businesses, organisations, and schools along the route has already informed the draft design, with a two-way cycleway on one side of the road, rather than having a cycle lane on both sides of the road.
It is proposed to cross Colombo Rd partway between Herbert St and Worksop Rd to preserve on-road parking options directly outside businesses.
A report to Masterton District Council’s upcoming meeting said car parks outside about 20 properties on Herbert St and about 50 Colombo Rd properties would be removed.
The council has so far engaged with two dairies on Colombo Rd, Green Frog Takeaways, Geraldine Inder Dance School, Chanel Court Motel, Red Star Sports Association, Chanel College, Lakeview School, Reformed Church of Masterton, and the Netball Courts.
The main issue raised by these parties is the potential loss of car parks.
A council spokesperson said the proposed cycleway would not affect residents’ access to existing off-road parking and would ensure that, where the cycleway runs directly past properties, public parking would remain available on the opposite side of the road.
The proposed route runs along the south side of Herbert St.
At transition points along the route, where the width of footpath allows, the cycleway would run along short sections of the footpath.
A council spokesperson said this is the safest option for cyclists and users of the footpath, with the least amount of disruption.
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I think a lot more people would bike in Masteron if there were safe routes that went where people want to go. It’s completely flat and you can bike across town in 15 minutes. It’s ridiculous that so many parents drive their kids to school, but a lot of them probably think that it’s dangerous to let their kid ride on the roads.
No survey done on how many would use them . Many kids don’t have bikes. But as money already taken it seems a pointless excersie to complain.
Whaka kohati have a history of ignoring public feed back
And have backed council into a corner ,