It's official - the Island Bay Cycleway is one of New Zealand's top 10 urban bike rides!
The New Zealand Transport Agency recently announced the winners in their 2017 Favourite Places to Ride competition. What wasn't included in the official press release was amazing news for the Island Bay Cycleway and Wellington. The cycleway has finished 9th in the urban category nationally and 2nd in the urban category here in Wellington - a fantastic achievement! Looking at the top 10 list what's obvious is that many of these rides are semi-urban at best. The majority are actually scenic harbour or river rides. It could be argued that Island Bay Cycleway is actually the only truly urban ride in the top 10. The cycleway also beat many other well known urban rides from around the country, including Auckland's Lightpath and North Western Cycleway, and Christchurch's CBD cycleways.
Here's a reminder of why the Island Bay cycleway is one of New Zealand's favourite places to ride
Nominators were asked to make a comment about their favourite place to ride. You can read the full list of comments below, but here they are summarised into a word cloud. Tumeke! Thanks to everyone who nominated Island Bay Cycleway. It's a great validation of what's been achieved so far. Of course there's still lots of work to be done and the Love the Bay process is ongoing, but let's hope that the outcome gets us to Number 1 next year! Regan Here's the full list of comments. It's heart-warming and powerful to hear so many people articulating what they love about the Island Bay cycleway: Just because it is right in my neighbourhood! It's right at my back door! It's an oasis from the ordeal of riding in traffic An awesome place to get around by bicycle IN THE SUBURBS!!! Use it every day! I feel safe! Cycling home from work in the city, it's always a relief to reach the comparative protection of the cycle way after the nervousness of narrow Adelaide Road. I have started cycling more with my children (my youngest was on it as a 4y old) because it's safer for them than the road or footpath Shows what can be done with a protected cycleway. Just needs to be continued on into the CBD It is so nice having part of my commute where I don't have to worry about leapfrogging buses and having them pull out as I am trying to pass, or having cars pass me close by. It would be even better if the cycleway went all the way into the city! It's relaxing because you don't have to complete with cars and other traffic I can take the kids out, with us all biking to the sea and back. They love it It's a great safe way to cycle this busy urban route between my house and the city Good protection for cyclists from motor vehicles. Flat and convenient for getting to the local shops, it's ideal for utility cyclists riding within Island Bay. The Pohutukawa trees along the West side provide a significant wind shadow when riding into the prevailing northerly wind It's local, safe & protected, I can shop local, visit my local library, doctor, our children can ride their bikes to school, AND BEST of all we don't have to take the car and compete for car parking! Safe ride to the coast! It is so lovely having a special bike lane for the kids and I to get to tennis and cubs and the shops and the park and the beach. We love it It’s a really exciting way of creating a safe cycle lane for NZ and it’s along a really beautiful street It's a great connection between my home and the beautiful south coast It means I can pop down to the shops on my bike whereas before I would've been too scared to ride my bike It makes Island Bay so much safer for my children and I to ride - to the shops, to friends, the beach, the parks, the football fields and the skate park It's the only separated cycleway we have in my area, an absolute gem and reprieve from traffic stress Safe and easy to get from home to shops, and for my children to cycle to school It has made it so much nicer for our family to make short local trips by bike. The kids can get to local parks by themselves and (most of) my ride to work in Berhampore is much more pleasant. Can't wait for Stage 2 to link to Berhampore and Newtown properly Cause it is a safe place to get around by bicycle in the suburbs Cause it's not on the road! I live in island bay and it's on the way to school Because it's safe Just feels really safe and cruisy. Feel comfortable on it with the kids and relaxed on the commute I live in Island Bay and this cycleway is at the beginning and end of my commute to town. It is the part of my ride where I enjoy cycling the most because I can relax and not worry about cars scooting so close they might bump my elbows, or worse knock me off my bike. I love it because I can get past buses if they pull over. I love seeing parents and their kids using it Because I can enjoy it with my two girls, aged 6 and 7 and know that they are safely separated from traffic whilst enjoying the thrill of cycling through their neighbourhood with me - they love the freedom of going fast on the cycleway, they even ride their scooters on it. The girls often ask if we can cycle or scoot places because they know it's safe and fun to do so in the cycleway. I also know that when my husband uses it at all hours of the day and night he is safely separated from traffic Because it creates a safe environment for kids to cycle / scoot to school and around their community. Separates cycles from traffic for safety and pushes pollution and noise from traffic further away from houses. The design also slows down traffic so that if someone is hit by a passing car then there is likely less damage Because it is one of the very first parking protected cycleways in New Zealand and it works! It's also a suburban cycleway, making short, local trips safe and comfortable for local people of all ages and abilities. It is exactly what a surburban cycleway should be and I can't wait for it to be connected to the rest of the city Because it's safe Because that's how all cycle lanes should be! Cause it's great! Demonstrates how good protected cycleways are. Super fun to ride with the kids and mates as you can relax a bit. Awesome exemplar Everyone is a competitive or was a recreational cyclist in my family. I no longer ride so probably don't qualify for the competition. Just wanted to say as a driver going through this area several times per week for my work, this stretch of road is peaceful. Cyclists are safely out of the way of traffic. Simple Fantastic under-appreciated cycleway that should be expanded on Feel protected being separated from the traffic. Started a big debate on how to improve cycling infrastructure in Wellington Feels safe being separated from vehicles I can ride it with my 6yr old son It goes from the sea to the city with much diversity and great coffee places along the way It is physically separated from moving traffic It's a great little ride through a really nice little community with cafe's and access to the shore. The whole route is very safe and well protected from both cars and buses. Very good effort by the local community and the council It's great to feel safe while cycling in the city. I look forward to cycling with my daughter on the cycle way It's really the only place in Wellington where parents and children can ride safely on a suburban street, and it has a real good vibe to it for this very reason and nice to see the increase in all sorts of people and bikes using it . Feels good not having to watch your back from vehicles approaching from behind and feels good riding on Wellingtons first protected cycleway Poor IB Cycleway! It's such a great asset that has had so much stick from a vocal few. I love it. I love that in the morning I start my day with an easy, safe pootle up a protected cycleway. Friendly cyclists and pedestrians say hi and wave. Sure, it's only a couple of kilometres but is shows what my whole commute could be like. In the evening, I breathe a sigh of relief when I roll onto it at the end of my ride. I hope that in a few years, it gets a whole heap of siblings around my city. Well done Island Bay Cycleway, you survived a year, and I see more and more people on you month by month Protected cycleway, I can rid with my 5 years old to park, movies, BMX track.... Relaxing and safe way to get to the shops Safe and relaxing ride in an urban environment Separated and safe. This route is the most comfortable part of my daily commute Separated cycleway lets me cycle safely through a great neighbourhood, stop off at cafes and shops, and starts/ends at a great beach The Island Bay Cycleway is an example of how to make cycling safe and attractive. It is convenient and comfortable. I love being protected from busy traffic. It will be even better once it connects to the rest of Wellington The only fully segregated and protected cycle way in Wellington This cycleway is a safe way for cyclists to move around the suburb and for commuters to head into the city. Having this cycleway in our suburb has meant more people are cycling. I am so pleased that children are now able to cycle to school on a safe route. If the next generation grow up cycling to school they will help reduce car use and keep fit as they see the bicycle as their chosen mode of transport as adults Well designed, a vast improvement for cycling in Island Bay, and a groundbreaker for urban cycleways in Wgtn Fantastic protected cycle path Because it's beautiful Gets me around my community safely, and my kids can ride it It's the safest start and end to my commute into town for work. My kids and I regularly use it cycling to and from after school activities. I can happily send my 10 year old off to cycle to her tennis club (on her own) without worrying about her safety Separated from the road feels safer and like European bike lanes Because now it feels like the safest place to ride my bike in the entire city This ride is my favourite as it is my local ride, in the suburb I live, and gives myself and my children easy and safe (!!) access to ride around our neighbourhood, to and from school, to the South Coast itself, to the South Coast Kids Bike Track (nominated in community section) and Wakefield Park playing fields Right outside my door & can take me all the way to work It's a separated cycle way so I don't have to worry about cars and buses rushing past me too close! Separated from traffic It's safe (though it was safer before some sections were cut out!) and our 6-year-old daughter loves that she can ride "on the road" as it were, and ride with her mum and dad. It's a great fast way to get from one end of Island Bay to the other. My husband loves feeling safer for that segment of the ride to town. It's bold, and a good start towards making Wellington a more cycle-friendly city and getting more people cycling What a stunning finish, ending up at Wellingtons stunning South Coast and a safe place to ride for our whole family!! Easy, safe urban ride Relaxing and safe ride on the last part of the journey from the city to the South Coast. So nice to have a break from worrying about cars!! First separated cycleway in Wellington. Ride it every day to and from work. It's great It's the only place in Wellington where I can ride on a main road and feel safe and relaxed Good layout where cyclists are protected from moving traffic by parked vehicles Because it is safe and separated from cars - it's the only safe cycleway in Wellington. Bloody marvelous! Forward thinking Because it's the longest protected cycle lane in wellington Finally a dedicated, separated cycle lane that puts the safety and convenience of cyclists above cars Separated cycle lane makes me feel safer and more relaxed. So nice The Island Bay cycleway makes me feel safe and relaxed when riding like no other place! Bonus is to carry on through Island Bay to the coast, and along to Princess Bay for fish and chips on the beach on a summer evening :) I ride for commuting purposes and it’s great to have a safe cycle way towards the end of the ride home It is separated from both cars and pedestrians so I feel particularly safe along this route. It has really encouraged children to cycle to school too, both alone and with parents. I particularly enjoy not having to play tag with the buses that run along the main route Much better than the shambles that proceeded it Protected cycleway that I can use to take my kids to park, BMX track, friends Safe and easy I love how save it feels to cycle there with my children. I'm from Europe and love this kind of "proper" urban cycle way were parked cars shelter us from the road. I also love cycling around the Bays in Wellington Because every time, cycling down to Island Bay lifts my mood. I love the freedom of biking here, feeling safe and active, enjoying the fresh air, and as a middle-aged mum, having fun whizzing along. It feels just as fast to bike to community centre and the shops, as take the car, and much more fun. I've just added a box on my bike carrier so it's even easier to take groceries. I'd love the commute into the city to feel this safe - and I'd skip the bus, and bike round Wellington much more often Compared with cycle commute to the city, biking Berhampore to the Beach is a breeze. So much safer being separated from vehicular traffic. It makes the Bay sing It's safe and great for both commuters and children Because it means I can relax while riding, and not worry about cars at least for a few hundred metres Actually makes riding to town a safe and viable option I like the way bikes and cars are separated. I use it most days, and because it is safe allows my children to access activities by bike. Just wish it went through the shops and was longer Nice safe new infrastructure
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