Cycleways go green for safety
Cycling around Cambridge is set to become safer with the addition of new road markings around the town centre.
Waipa District Council will be turning the Te Awa River Ride cycle lanes green through Cambridge’s town centre in an attempt to remind drivers to be mindful of other road users.
The green lanes, complete with skid-resistant coating, currently feature in a number of towns throughout New Zealand and provide visibility for road users.
Council’s roading manager, Bryan Hudson, said highlighting the cycleways was a “no-brainer” for the community.
“Cambridge is the home of cycling and we are proud to have Olympic athletes, as well as other keen and active cyclists, in the community,” he said.
“We want to keep Cambridge a cycle-friendly town and this is an extra step to help cyclists claim their space in the CBD.”
“We expect the addition of the green cycleways will also remind drivers reversing out of angle carparks to consider all road users before exiting.”
The upgraded cycle lane markings are located on Victoria and Alpha Streets, where the Te Awa River Ride navigates through town towards Leamington.
Council will also be implementing sharrow lanes - road markings indicating a shared cycle/vehicle lane.
The sharrow markings will encourage cyclists and vehicles to considerately share the road heading toward the high-level bridge and on Alpha Street between the Gaslight Theatre and the start of the green cycleway. Hudson said sharrows have been used successfully in towns across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia for a number of years.
“Sharrows are best used when all road users are travelling at similar speeds,” Hudson added.
“We expect drivers to be considerate of cyclists and other road users as they have the same right to be on the road as motorised vehicles.”