Cycle trail funding boost welcome news

Published on 15 December 2014

15 December 2014

Mayor Annette Main, who chairs the Mountains to Sea Trail governance group which includes the Ruapehu District Council, iwi and DoC, has welcomed the announcement of a $130,000 funding boost for the route which is part of Nga Haerenga, the network of New Zealand Cycle Trails.

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key announced that 13 projects will receive funding to help maintain the quality of the New Zealand Cycle Trail and ensure the trails continue to generate economic benefit to regional communities.

“The Mountains to Sea trail is already providing flow-on effects of visitors to the Ruapehu and Whanganui districts and they are bringing significant income into our economy,” Mayor Main said.

“However, while users of the trail can enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the Whanganui National Park and Whanganui River before cycling the relatively quiet River Road, the final stretch into the city does raise some safety concerns for cyclists.

“New Zealand Cycle Trails and NZTA both recognise that vehicles travel at speed on State Highway 4 between the Whanganui River Road/SH4 intersection and the urban area and the road is quite narrow in places, making it less than ideal from a safety perspective.

“The government funding will assist with a project to begin addressing those road safety concerns. The ideal solution is to take the cyclists off-road but there are a number of issues to be worked through with affected parties before any work can proceed.”