National Walking and Cycling Awards

Two national awards have been won by New Plymouth District Council for its efforts in promoting walking, cycling and alternative transport.

The Cycle Advocacy Network (CAN) and Living Streets Aotearoa (LSA) have given the Council the Joint Walking and Cycling Award for the Let’s Go – Walk Ride Bus programme.

The LSA has also awarded the Council the Best Walking Facility Award for the Coastal Walkway extension to Bell Block, including Te Rewa Rewa Bridge.

“It is fantastic to have these two national groups select Let’s Go and the Coastal Walkway extension as the best examples of what can be achieved in New Zealand,” says Mayor Harry Duynhoven.

“Increasingly more people are responding to Let’s Go’s active transport initiatives, and the Coastal Walkway has had public support right from the start. These are two home-grown projects that are leading the way in active leisure and transport.”

Let’s Go Project Manager Carl Whittleston says NPDC’s entries in the awards have been positively received by the other contenders.

“Photos of the projects in the finals were projected at the awards ceremony and when the images came up of the Coastal Walkway extension, they attracted the largest applause,” he says.

“Lots of people are really interested in what we’re doing in the district.”

The Joint Walking and Cycling Award is for projects that enable more people to walk or cycle more often, which recognise that people have different physical abilities and needs, and provide people with real recreation or transport choices.

The Best Walking Facility Award is for excellence in designing and/or building walking infrastructure that includes the needs of those with disabilities, the very young and the very old.