Questions for Nelson & Tasman Local Election Candidates

Below is the email that's been sent to all the Nelson electoral candidates. Tasman candidates have been sent a very similar version. BNB will post their responses after the 14th September.

 

Thank you for running for office in this local body election!

We1 are surveying candidate’s views on cycling issues to help voters make an informed choice this election.

Activity surveys show that over a third (36.2%) of Nelson and Tasman residents do some cycling - one of the highest rates in New Zealand2. Nelson also has one of the highest rates of cycle commuting in NZ, and continues to build one of NZ’s better urban cycling Networks.

The range and depth of recreational cycling, from the Great Taste Trail3 to the Heaphy and Queen Charlotte Tracks is establishing the Nelson-Tasman region as a leading cycle tourism destination for domestic and international tourists.

We would love to know (briefly!) your responses to the following Questions:

1) What's your vision for cycling in Nelson-Tasman (the city and region)?

2) If you are elected how will you work towards this goal?

3) Have you supported cycling in some way in the past? (e.g. personally or professionally, made submissions, helped with events, attended any forums, etc.)

4) If the rocks road off-road cycle/walkway feasibility study shows such a facility to be viable, will you support this project?

5) When children cycle to school, to their friends or the shops we create the travel habits of a future generation. A city that is safe and easy for children cyclists will also see more parents, commuters, shoppers and tourists make their journey by bike. How would you make Nelson the place for children to ride?   

6) Council’s process of consulting with communities and community groups has had some criticism in recent years. How would you improve council's approach to consulting with a community group like Bicycle Nelson Bays?

7) Nelson City Council has a large and growing investment in cycling infrastructure, and much to gain from the increased health and decreased congestion benefits that cycling delivers. Would you increase council’s involvement in the promotion of cycling? If so, how?

8) Vulnerable users (pedestrians and cyclists) in Nelson have a higher than NZ average risk of being injured in accidents involving vehicles. Would you support greater action by council to create safer driving around cyclists and pedestrians?

Thank you for responding to this survey. We will post the results on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BicycleNelsonBays) and Website (http://bnb.org.nz/). They will also be made available to the media and to other cycling/sporting bodies and clubs.

Please send replies to us by 10pm Sunday 14th September.

  1. Bicycle Nelson Bays, a not-for-profit cycle advocacy body.
  2. SPARC Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Profile: Tasman Region, 2007/8, Survey of adults over age 16.
  3. The Otago Rail trail, the same type of trail to the GTT, brings in $12M and 121.3 FTE jobs to that region annually. These figures are for those who ride the whole 150km trail. The additional economic impact of the larger number of visitors who do sections of the trail is unknown.

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