Editorial: Drivers and cyclists must share

BRAVING IT: A cyclist in the rain on Willowbank Ave, Napier.

Riding along the cycleway between Hastings and Havelock North yesterday I realised that cyclists are not going to have a choice about where they ride once work on the opposite side is completed.

They will have to ride on the cycleways. That's not a bad thing, in fact it will be the safest option for them.

This road is so busy at all hours of the day and early evening and now that road space has been taken to ensure cyclists are safe there's not much room for motorists to manoeuvre.

Any cyclists riding on the road are going to force motorists to cross the centre line and that's not something any driver will want to do with a stream of oncoming traffic.

As far as I can tell there won't be room to move to the right at all.

I always use the cycleway no matter what direction I'm going. I've been told cyclists don't like it because busy motorists coming and going don't give way to them.

There's been an ongoing battle between cyclists and motorists for years.

It's time both sides let it go and just got on with sharing the roads when necessary and using cycleways when they are available.

It doesn't matter if you are out for a leisurely bike or training for a race, for the safety of everyone on the roads you need to be using this cycleway.

There are plenty of other country roads around Hawke's Bay where cyclists can train. If you have to use this thoroughfare to get there be sensible.

Motorists need to take care when entering and leaving any of the establishments. All it means is that you stop and look both ways before crossing the cycleway.

Everyone with a driver's licence knows how to do that.