Post #2653604

2026-05-18 00:36 UTC

“…the $348m Te Ara Tupua cycling and walking path between Ngauranga and Petone.” Queue all the complainers complaining about $348m spent on a “stupid cycling path”. What they don't realise is that this is actually rail corridor climate change risk mitigation with a path put on top. The cycle/walking use is just a happy outcome of necessary works. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/regions_wellington/595529/cyclists-commute-at-sunrise-on-the-beautiful-te-ara-tupua

Replies (5)

@PatrickHerd@aus.social 2026-05-18 01:40

@donkey@mastodon.nz Colleague biked it yesterday, described it as a 4.5km long party.

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@thirzajane@social.vivaldi.net 2026-05-18 01:44

@donkey@mastodon.nz And, P.S., cyclists and walkers are allowed to have money spent on them too.

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@zl2tod@mastodon.online 2026-05-18 02:09

@donkey@mastodon.nz I hope they plan to sweep the new path occasionally. NZTA did almost no maintenance on the old one leaving it covered with debris and making it rather hazardous. The new path is on the sea side of the railway so it will need sweeping after every storm.

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@airshipper@cloudisland.nz 2026-05-18 02:31

@donkey@mastodon.nz @robl2044@aus.social ha, already had that exact convo with someone yesterday. "that's a $325 million seawall with a $25 mil bike lane on top"

Open ##2880670
@ensslen@mastodon.nzoss.nz 2026-05-18 05:38

@donkey@mastodon.nz It's not for rail either. The only reason it got funded is that there is a highway, the only road for dozens of km along that route, which needed that same sea wall. It's not spending on cycleways. It's not spending on railways. It's another subsidy for cars.

Open ##2880674