Marlborough Walking and Cycling Strategy “Comfort – Cyclists need smooth, well-maintained surfaces, regular sweeping and gentle gradients. Routes must be convenient to use and avoid complicated manoeuvres and interruptions.” When considering roads that may be suitable for inclusion in a walking and cycling network the following attributes should be reviewed: Engineering Planning Carriageway width Road hierarchy Presence and width of footpaths Land use Intersection control Origins and destinations Centre and edge marking Connectivity Shoulder width Integration with passenger transport interchanges Road surface Aesthetics Road gradient Spacing of toilets/rest areas, water, food, accommodation Traffic volumes Traffic speed Traffic composition (i.e. % of truck traffic) The plan shown in Section 5 of this strategy shows the District walking and cycling networks, identifying existing and proposed facilities. The types of walkers and cyclists using each route or location are important in the design of walking and cycling facilities. For example, competent and confident adult cyclists will behave quite differently (and have different needs) from young, less experienced cyclists. Local walkers may have different needs than overseas long-distance walkers. The facilities along a route or outside schools or recreational facilities need to be appropriate to the existing or anticipated users. Both on- and off-street facilities may need to be provided in some locations. Facilities should be developed to “best practice” standards. An attempt should be made to provide consistent design guidelines and standards with those used by neighbouring road controlling authorities, including Transit New Zealand. Technical advice on design issues should be sought from acknowledged walking and cycling experts. Even apparently simple decisions such as whether to provide cycle lanes or an off-road cycle path are not trivial, and acquiring expert advice is strongly advised. Some suggested reference material regarding standards and technical guidelines for walking and cycling facilities and general roading matters that affect walkers and cyclists is listed in Appendix D.3. In general, provision of off-street cycling facilities parallel to roads (such as shared footpaths/cycle paths) needs to be carefully considered. Motor vehicle drivers do not expect cyclists in these locations and can collide with them, for example, when exiting driveways. Either wide shoulders or cycle lanes on both sides of a road are often preferable solutions. In many locations, the opportunity will exist to provide a walking and cycling facility isolated from other similar facilities as part of some other infrastructure initiative, rather than one which is part of an overall walking and cycling network. These opportunities should be taken when available. As the walking and cycling network evolves over time, isolated facilities can be integrated into the network to improve its connectivity. A road or pathway will be far less user-friendly and effective for walking and cycling if the surface is uneven or broken. Issues include maintaining clear riding surfaces, repair and upgrading of damaged facilities, upkeep of lighting, trimming of hedges and vegetation and maintenance of clear signage. xv