Road schemes often pose a great challenge to cycling advocacy groups because major road development projects many times suck up resources that could be spent on infrastructure for cycling, walking and public transport. In addition, the principle of induced demand also ends up in increased congestion, not decreased. An interesting story is unfolding in Wellington, New Zealand where a planned flyover would direct funds away from the development and promotion of public transport, sustainable transport and active modes according to a local group.

Wellington, New Zealand
Flickr/Paul Capewell

Major road schemes are often a huge challenge to our community of cycling advocates both in the European Cyclists' Federation and our World Cycling Alliance.

Occasionally they can be an opportunity to introduce new cycling infrastructure but far more often campaigners find themselves reminding politicians of the far sighted urbanist Lewis Mumford who said "Building roads to cure congestion is like loosening your belt to cure obesity".

The problem with major roads

Major roads suck up resources that could be spent on infrastructure for cycling, walking and public transport and because of the principle of induced demand most road building results in increased congestion, not decreased. Conversely reducing road capacity by turning roads in to public spaces and green corridors actually reduces congestion, not increasing it. There is a growing body of cities that have implemented freeway demolitions with a huge positive effect on their cities.

But when it comes to sucking up resources we were amazed to hear that New Zealand campaigners have had to launch an international appeal to raise NZ$50,000 to fight an appeal case between two government agencies.

The flyover in Wellington

The Environmental Protection Authority set up a Board of Inquiry to examine a proposal for a major flyover above the northern boundary of the historic Basin Reserve cricket and recreation ground in Wellington, a proposal by another agency – the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). When the Board of Inquiry rejected the proposed flyover, the NZTA appealed to the High Court, but the Board of Inquiry cannot be represented in court so campaigners have to raise funds themselves to defend the Board’s decision.

The Basin Reserve flyover issue represents the intersection of local, regional and national transport and planning issues. The proposed flyover was put forward as a 'solution' to traffic congestion in and around the Basin Reserve, but it also represents a key component in the present government's region-wide, and nationwide, $12 billion Roads of National Significance motorway-building programme.

Tim Jones of Save the Basin told ECF "The adoption of this programme has seen transport funding directed away from the development and promotion of public transport, sustainable transport and active modes, and towards road building". So, while the Save the Basin campaign's focus is to stop a motorway flyover being built at the Basin Reserve, stopping the flyover also puts a big dent in the government's larger motorway-building plans according to Tim Jones. "We believe with local and international support we can defeat this project and create a space to put forward alternative, more cycling-friendly visions of Wellington's transport future", he added.

FLOW: research role of cycling, walking in reducing congestion

At the EU level ECF is pleased to report that we are part of a winning consortium in the EU’s Horizon 2020 research program that will spend the next 3 years researching in detail the role cycling and walking can play in reducing congestion. ECF’s work in the FLOW project includes evaluating the political case for action, giving decision-makers an alternative to road building as a congestion buster. In the long term we can get money spent on sustainable measures and avoid our global community having to spend hard earned resources on legal battles against road building.

The FLOW project will begin in June 2015. 

About the author

Kevin Mayne is ECF's Director of Development. Previously he was Chief Executive of CTC, the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation for 14 years. He was also a member of the Board of Cycling England where he was a specialist on cycle training issues. In both roles he helped create millions of pounds of funding for cycling. He became a Vice President of ECF in 2007 and stood down to join the ECF staff.