Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston
The strong turnout at a national cycling conference shows people want low carbon transport options despite a slash in government support, advocates say.
Hundreds of cycling and walking enthusiasts from around the country descended on Wellington's Tākina event centre on Monday for the 2 Walk and Cycle conference.
Representatives from local councils, advocacy groups and interested businesses went along.
Some attendees told RNZ they were frustrated with the government, saying its approach to transport was a "head wind" to bike lane and walkway progress.
Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Yadana Saw said although government funding was cut for big public transport projects in her region, the community wants change.
The conference rallied interest groups to find solutions and work-arounds to funding gaps, Saw said.
"There are always obstacles in the process of change. We've come from roads being primarily for trams and horses and carts. We've had a time of cars now. I think we need to take a longer vision and view of what our cities and road space looks like."
Cycling Action Network chairperson and Cycle Wellington co-chairperson Alex Dyer said work in the active transport space had been going from strength to strength.
But the government's draft policy statement on the wider transport sector, which axed climate change as a strategic priority, was upsetting and irresponsible, Dyer said.
"I've heard from a lot of people that it's quite distressing what is being done. We're just hoping that this ill-advised direction is a blip."
Funding was essential for maintaining expertise and worker capacity in the industry, he said.
"We could reduce car dependency very quickly if we used some drastic measures, but I don't think anyone has an appetite for that. So, if we're going to it in a considered fashion, that takes resource. It takes time. It takes expertise."
Bike Auckland chairperson Karen Horrman said the government lacked vision and leadership in transport.
"The focus has definitely changed to connections being road only and worryingly, you know the GPS (Government Policy Statement) indicates that maybe even pavements and cycle ways will not be put alongside some of these major connections."
More people were choosing to use bikes and the government and its agencies were responsible for keeping them safe, she said.
"That doesn't go away no matter what the politics of the moment is. People need to be safe when they're on the road or on the cycleway or on the footpath. That should be just an absolute right."
The conference continues on Tuesday.
