Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, October 4, 2023
Hamilton has over 138 km of road cycle lanes, 80 km of shared paths and 96 km of shared parks and reserve paths to enjoy by bike, on a scooter or on foot. It surely does provide a perfect excuse for people in the city to go out this season and explore the city with some environmentally friendly alternatives.
The Hamilton City Council has organised a number of biking events in the city for the month of October, ensuring an active month for everyone looking for a reason to head out with their bikes.
Mihi Bennett-Smith, Transport Education Team Lead for Infrastructure Operations and Assets said, “We are passionate about encouraging Hamiltonians to embrace the many shared pathways or buses available in Hamilton. Getting out and about on foot, or by pedal power really improves your well-being and it is also healthy for the planet.”
Biketober for Hamiltonians
The Council is introducing ‘Biketober’, a month-long festival of biking to encourage Hamiltonians to get on their bikes and explore the city. A perfect way to get the city on the bike, no matter if you are a bike beginner, a regular rider and or someone in between.
Happening for the first time in Hamilton this October, ‘Biketober’ includes a range of events for all ages and abilities such as school holiday programmes, bike workshops, and community rides.
‘Biketober’ gives Hamiltonians the opportunity to develop their skills and safety awareness when biking in the city.
“Biketober encourages the community to get out and about and discover new places to bike. Hamilton has so many great opportunities for biking,” said Ms Bennett-Smith.
The Council is also working hard to upgrade Hamilton’s streets to make biking more desirable by improving key routes in the city.
“We have been making changes to our streets to make it safer and easier for people on bikes to get around. This includes separated bike lanes, shared paths and upgraded crossings,” said Ms Bennett-Smith.
In addition to this, there will be holiday programmes across multiple locations like the Western Community Centre, Hillcrest Pump Track, Pukete School and Pukete Mountain Bike Park, Bike skills training Workshops at the Settlement Centre, Waikato, Air, brakes and Chain Workshops by ‘Go Eco’ and Community rides from Hamilton Gardens along Te Awa River Ride as well as Melville Skatepark to Sandford Park.
Connectivity is key
Developing connected bike pathways to popular destinations enables more people to easily access these locations, with shared paths also for pedestrian and micro-mobility use.
“The connected bike links will encourage more of the community to access Hamilton by bike and help us work towards providing a better transport system for all,” said Ms Bennett-Smith.
One of Biketober’s community rides, from Frankton Railway Station to Hamilton Lake Domain, makes use of the recently upgraded intersection between Killarney Road and Queens Avenue.
Upgrades to Hamilton’s biking network are intended to connect to bike routes in the outer parts of the city which include 150 km of on-road and off-road biking paths, plus 30 km of stunning river paths.
World Car free day
More than 1000 cars remained parked at home, as Hamiltonians chose to use foot power, the bus or pedal to get around Hamilton on World Car Free Day on September 22, 2023.
Ms Bennett-Smith said she hopes people who explored an alternate form of transport for World Car Free Day will continue to try to go car-free one day a week.
“We know for many people, driving is the only way they can commute, and that is okay. But if you have other ways to get from A to B, why not try it regularly. It is a small way you can do your part for the planet.”
On Thursday, September 21, 2023 the day before World Car Free Day, Hamilton City Council and Waikato Regional Council also held a World Car Free Day event in the shared space on Worley Place by the Hamilton’s Civic Square.
The organisations partnered with Go Eco, River Riders, Electrify NZ, Ride your Trike and Friends, Bike Waikato, Doing Pennants and The Mobility Centre, to give Hamiltonians the opportunity to learn about the different ways to explore Hamilton as well as having some fun.
The event combined with Parking Day, a global project where carparks are utilised as social spaces. Arts for Health, Free Lunch Theatre, Boon Arts, and Riff Raff Trust each took a carpark along Worley Place and provided fun activities for the public.
More details about Biketober are available here.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
