Across New Zealand and the world the debate has raged about how to best provide for cyclists and encourage more people to take up cycling. A perennial issue is what kind of cycle facilities to provide, particularly the choice between on- and off-road provision. Many people have strongly-held views at both ends of the spectrum about the merits or otherwise of on-road facilities (such as cycle lanes) and off-road facilities (such as shared pathways). Key concerns are often to do with personal safety, directness and convenience, construction/maintenance quality, and interaction with other road or path users. This paper provides some personal reflections on the issues, based on research in this area and discussions with various people. An attempt is made to try to identify issues that can be reasonably resolved and common ground that may suggest a way forward. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E213900.
Samenvatting