Jack's Point cycle trail 'unlikely' to proceed: NZTA

A much-anticipated local track that would take cyclists off an increasingly busy Queenstown road is a victim of central government's shift away from funding active and public transport options in favour of roading projects.

The A7 route proposed to connect Frankton and Jack's Point via a path separate from State Highway 6 has missed out on funding in the National Land Transport Programme.

The programme, formally adopted on Monday, outlines spending until 2027.

Responsibility for the project, initially on the radar of the Queenstown Trails Trust, now lies with the New Zealand Transport Agency.

James Caygill, the agency's regional relationships director, confirmed in a written statement to Crux today NZTA is "unlikely" to proceed with constructing the trail in the next three years.

He says, "given the government has made it clear that there is no additional funding available for walking and cycling, the A7 route is unlikely to be able to proceed to construction in this NLTP period".

The new government has made it clear it is prioritising economic growth and productivity through creating more capacity on the country's roads and improving travel times and placing lesser emphasis on walking and cycling than previous governments.

However, in the Whakatipu, there has proven to be an appetite for active transport options, and the flagged route linking Frankton to Jack's Point, Hanley's Farm and other new neighbourhoods planned for Queenstown's southern corridor has some vocal supporters.

Amanda Robinson, founder of the Lightfoot Initiative, says, "there's a huge amount of demand for this route to be completed".

She remains confident "there's a local solution to this".

Two weeks ago, Crux caught up with cycle commuter Guillaume Charton after a near miss on what he says is a "notoriously bad place" for cyclists on State Highway 6 heading into Frankton.

It is his view residents have waited long enough for the A7 route, and he does not want to see a death on the road before it eventuates.

Another regular cyclist on the highway, Paul Vlietstra, spoke with Crux earlier in the year after a similar horror ride.

He said the road was more dangerous "than doing a full-on double black diamond downhill trail".

"Give me a shovel and I will start digging the bloody thing," he said.