Editorial: Green corridor is future

Tens of thousands of cyclists come to Rotorua every year.

Just before Christmas I reported on a council decision to build a "green corridor" through the central city.

Even though the concept has been around since 2005, it came as a shock to many retailers, who had either missed the news or filed it away in the depths of their memories.

The decision depended on funding being made available by the New Zealand Transport Agency, which has announced it would fund most of the project's almost $400,000 cost, to the delight of our district councillors.

I know there are plenty of naysayers, and I must admit I was dubious about the project's merits at first, but, this is a mature decision that needs a maturity of thought from all parties involved to see it succeed.

If Rotorua is to cement its place as the cycling capital of the country we need to be pro-active and support ideas such as this one. We need our cyclists to share the space maturely, not speed through the city jumping all over the place.

Drivers need to be more aware of who they are sharing their roads with and slow down while driving through the city.

Pedestrians need to give way, as well as mobility scooter users, as well as kids on their scooters and skateboards.

This is a modern, forward-thinking plan that has already proved its worth in many towns and cities around the world and there's no reason why it won't work here.

It will open up our streets to more gardens, artworks and features, and if done correctly will be another feature locals will be able to point out with pride to our visitors.

Most importantly, it will show the tens of thousands of cyclists who come to Rotorua every year to use our world-class cycling trails that we are conscious of their support of our city and have made every effort to accommodate them. We still have an opportunity to shape the way this corridor will look and feel - and, of course, to oppose it - if that is what you want.