Nelson cyclists and pedestrians rally for 'travel justice'

A group of cyclists did a circuit of Nelson's CBD in defiance of the perils they can face on local roads. Photo: Nelson Weekly / Max Frethey

Dozens of cyclists and pedestrians converged on the Cathedral Steps in Nelson on Sunday at a 'Rally for Travel Justice'.

The rally, the second such event organised by sustainable transport group Nelsust, called for a more accessible city with equally viable travel options for all.

"Cars have got carried away," said Nelsust member and rally creator Elizabeth Dooley.

"An awful lot of people are really being hampered by cars being given free range."

She highlighted the increasing size of cars becoming a greater hazard for cyclists, especially in places without cycleways and adequate facilities for disabled people.

"I feel it's been very unjust for everyone outside a car."

Nelsust called for a range of measures to be introduced, like reducing the speed limit to 30km/h on roads without cycleways separated by a barrier, and keeping cycleways on the inside of parked cars - measures which drastically lower the chance for cyclists to be injured by traffic or opening car doors.

"Streets are public property, they're supposed to belong to everyone, not just those in a car," said the group's convenor, Peter Olorenshaw.

Cyclist and Nayland College student Astrid Sayer, 17, echoed Olorenshaw's sentiments and highlighted the dangerous dichotomy of cyclists trying to keep left for passing traffic while also keeping enough space to avoid the threat of opening doors from parked cars - a daunting task for many, let alone school children.

Nayland College student Astrid Sayer. Photo: Nelson Weekly / Max Frethey

"It's not okay that our tamariki are scared to ride their bikes to school, and it's not okay that our tamariki are therefore missing out on the benefits of riding their bikes."

While many of the rally's speakers discussed shortcomings of Nelson's transport network, there were some success stories for local travel justice.

Wheelchair-bound Caleb Harcus said he can have problems navigating roads and crossings, especially where there are hard, sharp lips back onto the footpath.

However, he thanked Nelson City Council for promptly fixing one particularly obstructive location after he raised the issue.

"Within two weeks, council got out with an angle-grinder, grinding out those hard edges and smoothing it out."

Dooley also added that council staff "really listen to us", and though she did not think all elected members were on the same page as Nelsust, she found some quite helpful.

Deputy mayor Rohan O'Neill-Stevens. Photo: Nelson Weekly / Max Frethey

Deputy mayor Rohan O'Neill-Stevens understood the freedom private motor vehicles provided, but also highlighted the social severance that increasingly large vehicles and congestion has done to the community.

"We have seen significant loss of public amenity and public space all towards private motor vehicle use … but we can dream of and deliver a better city," they said.

"We deserve choice in how we get around."

O'Neill-Stevens also took the opportunity to mention the new electric bus service launching on 1 August, which will have greater coverage, increased frequency, and lower prices than the current bus service, that they hope will help reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and get people out of their cars.

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air