Editorial: Cycle cash great news for region

Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced yesterday that the projects would receive $8.91 million in funding. Photo / Glenn Taylor

Our region has received a big boost with the news that extensions to the Napier and Hastings iWay network will be built sooner than planned.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced yesterday that the projects would receive $8.91 million in funding from the $333 million Urban Cycleways Programme. The projects were among 41 nationwide.

The iWay Napier extension includes 36.5km of both on-road cycle lanes and wide, off-road pathways to complete the local network throughout Napier. iWay Hastings will get an additional 18km of on and off-road cycling routes and will connect Napier to Hastings, Havelock North to State Highway 2 heading north, and SH2 to Te Mata Park heading south.

The great news is that construction is expected to begin in late 2015 and be completed by 2018.

We often moan about how our region is forgotten by central Government but I have no doubt that the extensions will be well used.

As a regular user of the Havelock North to Black Bridge cycleway, I am always amazed at how many people use the pathways, either for biking or walking. At weekends, there are often large family groups out there for hours.

Hopefully yesterday's announcement will encourage more people to get out and about.

I am also confident that it will draw even more tourists to our region.

I often bump into tourists walking or cycling on the iWay, especially in the summer months.

Tourism Hawke's Bay and the local councils do a lot to promote our cycleways with events like the Big Easy.

Making the network of safe cycleways even bigger opens up a world of opportunities for the people of Hawke's Bay.