Tauranga council staff win bike-to-work challenge

Tauranga City Council picked up first place in the 500+ staff category of the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. Photo/file

Tauranga City Council staff have wheeled their way to victory in a nationwide bike-to-work challenge.

In the 500-plus staff category the council took first place for encouraging the largest number of staff to cycle to work.

The workplace challenge, called Aotearoa Bike Challenge, ran throughout February and was aimed at encouraging New Zealanders to ride their bikes for everyday trips.

Transport Agency national cycling manager Dougal List said more people were cycling in towns, and the number was growing.

The Government's Urban Cycleways Programme, lunched in 2014, aimed to break down the barriers of cycling and Mr List said 75 per cent of urban New Zealanders would like to cycle if there were better networks.

In response, central and local governments were working to deliver $333 million of new cycle projects throughout the country by June 2018.

"We also recognise there is work to be done to improve attitudes towards cycling and to grow the confidence of New Zealanders - this is where the Aotearoa Bike Challenge had provided a wonderful opportunity to get more people on bikes, more often."

During the challenge, cyclists all over the country made more than 150,000 trips by bike and cycled 2 million kilometres. That would be the same as cycling to the moon five times.

Cycle challenge winners:

1st Place (500+ staff): Tauranga City Council
1st Place (200-499): FIS Global, Christchurch
1st Place (50-199): Wilderness Motorhomes & Smart RV, Auckland and Christchurch
1st Place (20-49): TDG-Auckland
1st Place (7-19): Saecowilson, Rotorua
1st Place (3-6): Eagars Funeral Services, New Plymouth