Scenic Drive Cycle Awareness Campaign
Waitakere City Council, in partnership with the Department of Cycling (DOC)
and Cycle Action Auckland (CAA), are working to improve awareness and
understanding between drivers and people who cycle on Scenic Drive. The council
is investigating the attitudes of cyclists and drivers, and their behaviour
toward each other. Read on to
find out
more about the campaign and how you can contribute.
Keep checking the website for more information and updates.
Introduction
Scenic Drive - path through the Ranges
The Waitakere Ranges have been long prized for its unspoiled natural bush and
amazing views. Scenic Drive traverses the Ranges between Titirangi and Swanson
and gives access to Titirangi, Piha, Waiatarua, Huia, and Whatipu. It is also a
gateway to the West Coast beaches of Piha, Karekare and Bethells.
The conditions of the road range from narrow traffic lanes without
shoulders (near Titirangi), to a wider road with broken shoulders and sightseeing
bays (near Arataki Visitor Centre). The speed limit varies between 25 km/h and
100 km/h. Residents, visitors and tourists drive Scenic Drive daily for many
different reasons.
Scenic Drive - the ideal training ground for cyclists
It is the challenging road environment and beauty of the Waitakere Ranges
that makes Scenic Drive an ideal training ground for sport cyclists. Cyclists
use the steep terrain and challenging conditions to train for events.
The greatest numbers can be seen on a weekend morning, when up to 20% of traffic
on some sections of Scenic Drive can be cyclists. Vehicle traffic also starts to
build throughout the day at this time as weekend day-trippers head to the Ranges
and beaches.
The large number of cars and cyclists, combined with the often narrow and hilly
nature of the road can be a source of frustration for both cyclists and drivers.
Drivers may be frustrated driving behind a cyclist waiting to pass safely whilst
cyclists are concerned at driver speeds and close following distances. Due to
the hilly nature cyclists can also develop significant speed going downhill,
surprising drivers.
There have been four reported crashes involving cyclists on Scenic Drive between
2002 and 2007. Only a small number of accidents involving cyclists (10%) are
reported and near misses are not included in crash data . Anecdotally, the
majority of cyclists using Scenic Drive have concerns with driving behaviour on
the road. The issue of most concern to cyclists is vehicle speed, followed by
cars passing too close and dangerous drivers (Waitakere Ranges Cyclist Survey,
December 2007).
Campaign goals
The goals of the Scenic Drive cycle awareness campaign are to:
- Alert drivers to the presence of cyclists on Scenic Drive
- Shift driver attitudes and behaviour toward cyclists to be more cycle-friendly
- Change cyclist behaviour to make Scenic Drive safer for all users,
- Promote Scenic Drive and the Waitakere Ranges to cyclists, residents and
visitors as a cycle-friendly environment
A survey of people cycling in the Waitakere Ranges
was conducted in December 2007. It shows that many cyclists feel unsafe while
training in the Ranges due to the speed at which cars pass and the dangerous
behaviour exhibited by some drivers.
Drivers report that it can be annoying to see cyclists riding in packs or taking
the whole lane on steep hills.
The Scenic Drive Cycle Awareness Campaign aims to encourage a better
understanding of cyclist and driver's behaviour, attitudes and concerns. It is
hoped that improved understanding will raise awareness with drivers and the
cycling community to reduce the number of crashes between cars and cyclists on
Scenic Drive.
The campaign will reinforce the message that safer roads are the joint
responsibility of all road users.
What is happening
The campaign has several components:
| 1. Research |
We are hosting online surveys and holding focus groups in Waitakere to find out
what drivers, residents and cyclists think about each other and Scenic Drive. We're also looking at other cycle awareness campaigns here in New Zealand and
around the world for applications to Scenic Drive.
|
| 2. Messages for signage and publicity |
Once we've completed the research, the next phase will be to develop the
messages that will appear on the signs and publicity material. We'll then test
these with stakeholders. |
| 3. The signage |
When the messages have been confirmed, prototypes for signage will be developed.
These will then be erected during November 2009 at specific points along Scenic Drive, chosen through
an auditing process. The on-road signage will alert drivers to watch out for
cyclists, and for cyclists to consider drivers with whom they share the road.
There will be a series of generic signs along Scenic Drive and on the
approaches, as well as more targeted signs near key intersections where
visibility is poor and near misses have been reported.
|
| 4. Launching public awareness campaign |
At the same time the signs are being erected, a public awareness campaign will
be launched to promote the messages of the campaign and let people know to look
out for cyclists and cycle considerately. |
Our partners
Waitakere City Council thanks its partners in the Scenic Drive Cycle Safety
Awareness Campaign:
Useful links
Below are some useful links to cycling in Auckland and cycle safety:
 Links on Cycle Action Auckland's website
Cycling facilities and public transport
Arataki Visitor Centre
Rainforest Express
More about the Waitakere Ranges
Mt Eden Avantiplus rides along Scenic Drive
ARTA Western Cycle Map (commuter routes out west)
League of American Bicyclists - good cycling behaviour
New York City Bicycle Safety Coalition bike safety campaign
New York Bicycling Coalition - Share the Road
Cycling Resource Centre (Australia)
Share the Road campaign guidance and project examples (NZTA)
Walking and cycling resources (NZTA)
Waitakere
City Council road safety
Documents:
Waitakere Ranges Cyclist Survey December 2007
With recreational cycling becoming more popular in the Auckland region and more
cyclists riding in the Waitakere Ranges this survey sought to understand what
issues cyclists faced in pursuing their recreational activity in the ranges and
to understand what improvements can be made to make cycling safer in the Ranges.Note: You will need to have 
Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For
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Waitakere Ranges Cyclist Survey December 2007
(Size 3400K)
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