The government's new transport target to increase cycling and walking to 30% of all trips by 2040 is welcome, but needs to happen much sooner, says Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) spokesperson Stephen McKernon.

This week the Minister of Transport Annette King announced the National Transport Strategy’s combined target for walking and cycling is 30% of all trips by 2040, almost double the present figure. To help meet this target, the budget for walking and cycling will more than double to $28 million over the next ten years.

Mr McKernon says the 30% target and increased funding reflect the increasing importance of modes that are healthy, responsible, safe and economical for people within the wider community.

But the proposal also poses significant issues.

‘CAN would like to see the 30% target met in ten years, not 33. We cannot afford to move slowly on this,’ says McKernon. ‘New Zealand’s climate change, health, urban design and transport problems are all urgent reasons to increase support for walking and cycling. CAN suggests three intermediate targets for 2017: that 20% of trips are carried out by cycle, that cycling is positively perceived by most people, and that most cyclists are satisfied with their experiences of cycling.’

‘A more sustainable transport system will require integration of central and local government strategies across all sectors, including health, housing and regional development. It’s not just a case of having a 30% target for 2040, but of making sure the full benefits of walking and cycling are realised in quality of life for the whole community. The national walking and cycling strategy (Getting There – on Foot, by Cycle) should be used to set intermediate targets and to ensure these are realised in actual projects. In particular, the Model Communities initiative provides a framework for learning how to integrate these different strategies,’ says McKernon.

‘But spend on roading and provision for cars has increased rapidly in recent decades, and the result is that everyday cycling has decreased steadily,’ notes McKernon. ‘While numbers of leisure cyclists are increasing, they see peak hour traffic as far too dangerous to ride in. This is unlikely to change as the National Transport Strategy will encourage use of electric cars, and so doubling the spend on cycling will have no effect if support for the motorcar also continues to grow. In reality cycle strategies are under-resourced, including our national walking and cycling strategy, so implementation is slow or non-existent. Funds are not being spent on important cycling projects, including most of Transit’s small cycling budget for last year. Everyday cycling cannot increase from its current base given such inconsistencies.’

‘Commitment to cycling needs to extend well beyond using it to green-wash motorcar-centred transport strategies and plans. If the National Transport Strategy is to achieve its walking and cycling targets, it needs to increase spend on cycling many times more than proposed, to ensure strategies are implemented properly and to integrate traffic reduction measures that actively support walking and cycling. It needs to spend according to the numbers of everyday cyclists required, not present numbers’, says McKernon.


According to the Ministry of Transport’s Household Travel Survey for 2003 – 2006, there are up to 1.3 million cyclists in New Zealand and about 750,000 of these are regular cyclists. But only a small proportion cycle for transport, and for example, only about 2% of commuters cycle to work. Combined funding for cycling and walking currently totals less than 1% of the national transport budget. The proposed walking and cycling budget of $28 million in 10 years will still be less than 1% of the total.

I reckon the quickest way to make more people use public transport, cycle, walk, is to remove parking provision. Tax car parking so it becomes unfeasible to park for more than an hour or two.

As for your question Sifter - i would be interestyed to see what "investment in cycling" actually means. If its a bunch more bad cycle lanes then you are right.

mob: mmm... sub optimal social outcomes

It will never happen here, but I'd like to see a council brave enough to follow that visionary man and Mayor of London Ken Livingston's lead and tax the cars that enter the city.

That would sort the bastards out...and ease congestion.

only about 2% of commuters cycle to work

I wonder why.....they fact that cyclist are not catered for wouldn't have anything to do with it and nor that NZ road & motorist are not cyclist friendly

It would be easy to do here too. There aren't that many roads in and out.

Of course they'd have to waive the tax on wedge shaped vehicles with Roadworks logos on them!

especially the ones that sit tantalisingly out of reach up hills

thelivo wrote: I reckon the quickest way to make more people use public transport, cycle, walk, is to remove parking provision. Tax car parking so it becomes unfeasible to park for more than an hour or two.

Only affects people who work or shop in town and a lot of us who do have carparks provided by the company anyway.. plus in chch they do 1 hour free parking in the council car parks to try and attract people to shop here

You've got to want to bike to work, you can't force people, I'm just glad that with my new job I'll be in a casual office instead of out and about visiting clients and required to have a vehicle.

LOL! I didn't realise you were trying to get on until John told me! Sorry about that, Chief!

More shower/storage facilities would be useful. we do not have any in my office (next job this is a pre-req).

There is a company just started up in downtown Auckland offering showers and safe storage, but to use the full service (shower $2, bike lockup $3 and locker $3) would cost more day than catching the bus.

A nice cheap secure service would be cool, but a commercial venture would never work due to property costs. Council should cater for this when building transport centres. There is a sh*tload of spare space at Britomart...

Having a company car park makes it all a harder choice :-)

Ha ha - i had underestimated that hill from the word go anyway and gone out a bit too fast with no warmup. Was feeling a bit jellied when you guys passed and the sprint effort to get on cost me!!!

mob: More busses would make me seriously reconsider currently cycling to work. I would feel far safer in a car in that situation.

phunk wrote: mob: More busses would make me seriously reconsider currently cycling to work. I would feel far safer in a car in that situation.

do you work in the city ?