Latest issue

by Anthony Hill - Resident from last century, before any traffic lights, when Frankton was considered out of town

Cycling in Queenstown is a thorny bush. A few beautiful bits and many sharp ends. With Frankton Track’s closure, and another round of disrupting works to disrupt us further, choosing to bike in and out of town is a whole lot harder right now.

Although, it was not easy to begin with and maybe, just maybe, the closure is a worthy short-term inconvenience for a better recreational and commuter outcome. Improvements are needed in our urban cycling space.

Cycling from downtown to Frankton is periodically interrupted by low overhanging branches and sometimes road works’ tripods which force cyclists to ‘wobble’ into the traffic. On the opposite side, the bike lane, for some reason, is part of the footpath. I realise there is not much space on the road but there is less on the footpath. Think of prams, strollers, and tourists with wheelie suitcases, and of course those branches.

I strongly believe a shared footpath should be a minimum width. I actually don’t think bikes should be on the footpath at all. They are a road vehicle and with the proliferation of ebikes going so fast, they are not appropriate on a footpath. At one stage Frankton Rd was widened enough to make 3 lanes, then that was decided to be an inappropriate move. But that does mean there is a considerable amount of room along most parts to support a dedicated cycle lane. Sure, a little readjustment is needed at pedestrian crossing refuges, but please get the bikes off the footpath. So if the now closed again Frankton Track is going to be for bikes, let’s make it for bikes, not strollers and pedestrians. Make it fit for purpose.

The new cycle trails around the basin are fantastic. It is great to see them well used. Cycling in town is great too, requiring less parking and providing easy manoeuvrability. But they are a legal road vehicle, and they need to follow the basic rules. Get them off the footpaths and on the tracks built specifically for their use at ebike speeds.

The fundamental non-negotiable rule of these fast-moving electric powered machines is a helmet on your head. Done up properly, not dangling around your handlebars – useless!!! I am happy to give you a Darwin Award, but I don’t want to subsidize your ACC. Bikes are also supposed to have lights for nighttime use. That is nothing new. Speeding around in the dark looking cool until the collision that leaves you on ACC or worse. A bell is handy too. May seem useless on a mountain bike, but when you’re on the road or a shared track…

Let’s get the great work we have done with our rural cycle trails brought into our urban environment to make them functional and safe alternatives to our congestion. A win for everyone and better than handing out Darwin Awards.