Cyclists on a Cycle Action Waiheke ride, in September. The organisation says some roads on the island are too dangerous, and cycle lanes are needed. Photo: Supplied/ Cycle Action Waiheke
A cycling advocate on Waiheke island says a fast straight road popular with tourists on the wine trail is "an accident waiting to happen".
On Thursday a person riding a shared four-seater bike was killed in a road accident in the Wairarapa, on a busy stretch at the heart of the area's wine tourism industry.
Cycle Action Waiheke's Xan Hamilton Photo: Supplied/ Cycle Action Waiheke
Cycle Action Waiheke's Xan Hamilton said many of the island's visitors hired e-bikes without realising there were few cycle lanes and roads are narrow in parts and in poor condition.
One Waiheke resident, who did not want to be named, told RNZ that Onetangi Road, which has many vineyards and is a popular route for tourists, has a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour, but most people travel at 70km/h: "It is a scary road to cycle down for a local, let alone a tourist."
Hamilton agreed the road was a particular concern, with motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and breweries and vineyards all in the mix.
"The road narrows and it's the spot on the island where people are allowed to go the fastest. A lot of drivers on Waiheke are courteous but many are not courteous and they'll pass you with very little space."
Locals had asked for cycling lanes for at least two decades, she added.
"Onetangi Road has one of Waiheke's only cycle lanes, but no footpath means pedestrians force cyclists into the path of buses and cars."
Cyclists at the 2024 Cycle Action Waiheke Trig Hill Ride. Photo: Supplied/ Cycle Action Waiheke
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