Usage of shared pathways in Whanganui increased by over 12 per cent

The number of people using shared pathways in Whanganui has increased over the last financial year. Photo / Bevan Conley

Use of Whanganui’s shared pathway network has increased by 12 per cent over the last year.

On the Riverbank pathway from the Dublin St Bridge to the North Mole, 152,225 users were counted for the 2022/23 financial year.

An increase in use was also measured on the Te Tuaiwi (The Spine) pathway, running through the central city from Whanganui City Bridge, along St Hill St to the intersection of State Highway 3, London St and Victoria Ave where 101,941 users were counted 2022/23 compared to 86,791 users in 2021/22 and 80,811 in 2020/21.

Whanganui District Council transportation manager Damien Wood said more people in the city had taken up cycling over the last year.

“Also, we’ve been promoting our shared pathways leading to greater awareness of them in the community,” Wood said.

The council had been promoting the pathways through their social media channels and via Whanganui & Partners.

Wood said the council expected the use of the pathways to continue to grow as more individuals and community clubs came to realise the benefits of using the network.

The council has also applied for funding from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to complete the Mountains to the Sea pathway and is carrying out business cases for other projects around town.

The latest section of the Mountains to Sea Trail could be completed by the end of November.

This section will run from the drop-out repair work on Somme Pde opposite the Aramoho Shopping Centre to the Dublin St Bridge, where it will link up with the rest of the path.

The pathway will be mostly concrete with a short section of gravel.

Sixty per cent of the $560,000 cost has been provided by Waka Kotahi’s low-cost low-risk (walking and cycling) budget.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.