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Walking and cycling projects

We aim to improve walking and cycling opportunities for the whole community.

Walking and cycling networks support and encourage our community to get outside and enjoy being able to move around the city easily and safely and therefore improve health, economic and social outcomes.

The walking and cycling network consist of a mixture of footpaths, shared paths, footbridges, bike lanes, mountain biking, boardwalks and cycleways.

We’ve continued to expand our urban walking and cycling network through the Government’s Urban Cycleways Programme (UCP). The programme's a joint venture between Gisborne District Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and aims to develop a dedicated walking and cycling network around and across Gisborne. This project comes to an end on 30 June 2021.

We’ve completed the cycleway from Wainui through Kaiti, through the inner harbour area, over the Gladstone Road Bridge walkway to the Tūranganui River.

The extension of this shared path to the intersection of Wainui and Crawford roads will complete the UCP. In addition to the 3-metre-wide pathway, a safety crossing on Wainui Road will be installed and new road signs to improve safety in the area.

Taruheru River walking and cycling project

Council’s focus will now shift toward progressing the Taruheru River walking and cycling project, pending receiving 100% external funding.

This project goes back to 2017 when we investigated the feasibility of the Taruheru River walk and cycleway, an off-road shared path that will run along the river from the city to Campion College.

We consulted on a couple of options in the 2018-2028 Long Term Plan (LTP). Submitters supported Council's preferred option - to see this cycleway completed over 3 years, starting in 2021.

We needed to secure 100% of the funding from external sources to get it done. Those opposed to the preferred option generally suggested that Council should invest some money to enable the project to be completed sooner.

The community then reconfirmed during the LTP pre-engagement period in 2020 that we should continue to seek external funding for this project and not to abandon or refocus it.

This is an ambitious plan to build a pathway along the Taruheru River from the city centre to Campion College.

The proposed route is 4.5km long, 2.5km of concrete path with 2km of timber boardwalk with adjoining connections.

For the most part a concrete path is able to utilise Council-owned esplanade and recreation reserve land.

Sections of a wooden boardwalk in the river mudflats will keep the path away from private properties.

The proposed alignment is along the right bank of the Taruheru River from Bright Street to Stanley Road.

The path then crosses the river on the Stanley Road footbridge where it follows the left bank of the river ending at the Campion Road footbridge.

The proposed path will travel through the Botanical Gardens, Atkinson Street Reserve and Nelson Park, with connections to neighbourhood reserves, sports clubs and schools.

How it's paid for

We are 100 percent reliant on external funding to progress the $7.4m Taruheru River walking and cycleway project. So even though the project is listed as part of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan is not guaranteed to progress.