Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board Plan 2026-28
Submission from Spokes Canterbury
Reference: https://letstalk.ccc.govt.nz/waimaero-fendalton-waimairi-harewood-community-board-plan-2026-28
March 2026
Tēnā koutou katoa
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board Plan 2026-28
Introduction
Spokes Canterbury (http://www.spokes.org.nz/) is a local cycling advocacy group with approximately 1,300 followers. Spokes is affiliated with the national Cycling Action Network (CAN – https://can.org.nz/). Spokes is dedicated to including cycling as an everyday form of transport in the greater Christchurch and Canterbury areas. Spokes has a long history of advocacy in this space including writing submissions, presenting to councils, and working collaboratively with others in the active transport space. We focus on the need for safe cycling for those aged 8 to 80. Spokes also supports all forms of active transport, public transport, and has an interest in environmental matters.
Safety improvements at the Withells Road/Yaldhurst Road intersection
Spokes supports safety improvements at the Withells Road / Yaldhurst Road intersection. It is a dangerous intersection for pedestrians and cyclists. There is no pedestrian crossing between Racecourse Road and Withells Road that less confident cyclists can use to get safely over Yaldhurst Road to get between the South Express and Withells Road. There is no footpath on the south side and the road cycle lanes are narrow for the speed of traffic. Motor vehicles are making dangerous turns out of Withells Road without looking for other more vulnerable road users.
Safety improvements for the pedestrian crossing at Avonhead School – Rakipaoa on Avonhead Road
Spokes fully supports safety improvements at the school for pedestrians and cyclists.
Improvements to facilities at Burnside Park
The path through the middle of Burnside Park from Memorial Ave to Avonhead Road is popular with cyclists. The current path is too narrow for the volume of users and floods in places when it rains. The width should be doubled and the bollards in the middle removed to allow easier access for mobility devices and cargo bikes. The cut-down on Memorial Ave at the end of the path that was taken out should be put back in again so cyclists have a way of getting on and off the road ideally angled/sloped in so it’s not a 90 degree turn. The southern branch of the path has a very narrow entrance onto Avonhead Road, and going north on Avonhead Road to get to the path it is on a blind bend. This is an opportunity to reposition this part of the path now the fence has gone.
There was a plan to put a path around the outside of Burnside Park. This would be a good connection to Hadlow Place.
There is no secure bike parking in Burnside Park. The old stands at the tennis courts do not work for most bikes. Please add staple bike parking similar to the new bike stands in Hagley Park at strategic places. This would reduce the parking problems. The park is frequently used for high school sports.
Community Traffic Safety Committee – Merivale pilot project
Spokes can see opportunities here for good community engagement, including with cyclists. Merivale has high rates of cycling, with 8.3% of residents using a bicycle as their main form of transport to work and 16% using it as their main form of transport to education (both more than 4 times the national average). The project “responds directly to ongoing safety concerns around schools in Merivale, including congestion, speeding, unsafe drop-off behaviour, and increasing traffic volumes from housing intensification” aiming to “establish a structured, community-led committee to empower parents, students, residents, and schools to work collaboratively to develop practical, locally informed solutions.” The key to good engagement is ensuring that students who walk or cycle to the various schools in Merivale are advocated for, and that these voices are included within the community-led committee. As the committee is going to recommend infrastructure improvements, it is important that multi-modal perspectives are covered well.
Elmwood Park playground renewal
Spokes would like to see bike parking provided at all playgrounds. Provide way-finding signs here saying the path takes you to St Andrews Square.
Strengthening Community Connections in Bryndwr
Cycling provision, including safer speed limits, is a good way to strengthen communities.
Research shows that low traffic streets increase community connections and heavy traffic has the opposite effect. Donald Appleyard, Livable Streets University of California Press, 1981. We would like to see the use of modal filters and improved accessibility in alleyways with rails/bollards removed or upgraded.
Belfast Road improvements (Blakes to Main North Road)
Spokes supports Belfast Road improvements (Blakes to Main North Road). We would like to see the construction of a shared path along this road on the south side, connecting the existing shared paths at the Main North corner through to the existing shared path just past Blakes Road (formally extend the shared path from where it ends at the Christchurch Northern Arterial shared path access).
Radcliffe Road railway crossing safety improvements
Spokes supports the shared path and on-road cycle lanes on Radcliffe Road. We would like to see KiwiRail pay at least half of the safety treatments at their intersections. We would also be willing to see some compromises made on design rather than aiming for perfection, particularly given that the status quo has no treatments at this crossing suitable for pedestrians or less confident cyclists.
Sheldon and Nunweek Park improvements
Spokes supports the construction of a pump track at Sheldon Park
Nunweek Path needs another path at the South end down the tree line from Wooldridge Road to Sykedale Drive. This is the missing safe link for cyclists going to Burnside High, Harewood School and other schools in the area. Another option is a gravel path through to Wairakei Reserve as there are a lot of people walking through this area.
Both parks need cycle parking in high use areas.
Nor’West Arc
Spokes is concerned that there is no mention of completing the Nor’West Arc in the Board’s Plan, including the section on Harewood Road from Matsons Ave to the Northern Line MCR. We have not included the Nor’West Arc in our top priorities as Spokes believes it is already funded. Spokes has received many positive comments from cyclists on the sections that have been completed so far.
Spokes Cycling Priorities in Waimāero
These priorities have come from Spokes members and from a number of public consultations in 2025 and 2026. These are our top eight of 34 requests in priority order:
- Memorial Ave at the Ilam Road intersection going towards the airport has two lanes. Impatient drivers are speeding up the left-hand lane and endangering cyclists. The left-hand lane should be left turn only except for buses and cyclists who can go straight through. This would improve the flow of vehicles through the intersection as the centre lane would not need to stop to give way to aggressive drivers in the left lane. Spokes does not support the conversion of roadside parking between Clyde Road and Greers Road into a clearway, as there would be no space for cyclists.
- Greers Rd on-road cycling lanes need extending the full length of the road. Alongside this, access to Burnside High and Jellie Park need to be improved.
- Shared path along Radcliffe Road between Christchurch northern corridor path and Main North Road. (This has been consulted on)
- Upgrade the crossing on Grahams Road from Flay Park into Parkham Reserve. Lots of school children, pedestrians and cyclists, are crossing here.
- Extend the Uni-cycle MCR to Avonhead / Russley past Merrin School and connect to the south express MCR down Steadmans Road.
- Extend the on-road cycle lanes along Wairakei Rd to Roydvale Ave / Wooldridge Rd.
- Build a MCR down Memorial Avenue.
- Complete the Wheels to Wings MCR, plus connections to other cycleways. Harewood Road between Greers and the roundabout is very tight for cyclists in both directions (parked cars west bound, multiple lanes east bound).
There are also some general things that can significantly improve cycling in the Waimāero area.
- Speed reductions make neighbourhoods safer for all road users. Waimāero has the fewest safe speed neighbourhoods in the city.
- Pedestrian / cyclist crossings make it easier to get across busy roads.
- Bike parking at popular destinations and events that suit a wide range of bikes with space for loading and unloading.
- Provision of cut downs into and out of paths in parks and alleyways – suitable for cargo bikes and mobility devices.
- Progressively remove staples and bollards at alleyway entrances that are too narrow for cycles, push chairs and mobility devices to navigate. Put reflective tape on bollards that remain and paint diamonds on pavement where appropriate.
- More cycle signage and way-finding. This was the top request at the UCSA Orientation Day from new students. In particular, with recent work extending the Nor’West Arc, signage directing cyclists onto the Nor’West Arc and towards other nearby cycleways (such as the Northern Line) may be useful.
- Reinstating cycle infrastructure when road works are completed, e.g. green paint.
- Improved lighting for cycling through parks and alleyways.
- Greater enforcement for vehicles parked / driving in cycleways and cycle lanes, or dangerously parking at school entrances. Automated 24/7 enforcement at hot spots.
- Ensuring that cyclists trigger the lights at intersections without waiting for a car or pressing the pedestrian button. E.g. If there is a cycle lane at the intersection, make sure the cycle lane has underground loops to trigger the signals, and diamonds on the road surface so cyclists know where to ride.
- Spokes would like to see bike parking provided at all playgrounds.
- Flexi-posts should be installed on left-hand bends where drivers cut the corner and drive in the cycle lane or shoulder, where possible. These have been very effective along Kotare Street.
I would like the opportunity to present to the Community Board on this submission and I am happy to discuss or clarify any issues that arise.
Ngā mihi nui
Submissions Co-ordinator
Spokes Canterbury
submissions@spokes.org.nz
