'There's bound to be a death': another near miss at SH6 danger spot

A Queenstown school teacher is demanding action after the latest near miss on a "notoriously bad place" for cyclists on State Highway 6 heading into Frankton.

Guillaume Charton says he was forced off the road and into a ditch by an impatient motorist on his way to work on Thursday morning.

Mr Charton says the incident happened in the "dip" before the stone cottage, where there is no shoulder and the road is "a squeeze" for two vehicles and a bike.

He says there was heavy traffic and a vehicle came up behind him, honked its horn, and "pushed" him out of the way as it overtook him.

"I just lost control of my bike...I didn't fall, but I just stopped...I was quite shaken."

The scare was enough to prompt Mr Charton to write an email to the New Zealand Transport Agency, who years ago committed to building a commuter trail for cyclists and pedestrians adjacent to the highway, district Mayor Glyn Lewers and local MP Joseph Mooney, as well as biking advocates in Queenstown, to highlight the ongoing danger the road poses.

"There's bound to be a death," Mr Charton says.

In February, Crux reported on another cycling commuter tired of hearing excuses for the delayed delivery of a promised dedicated trail linking Jack's Point and Frankton.

Like Mr Charton this week, Paul Vlietstra spoke of a horror ride on the state highway, prompting him to send a "fired up" email to local decision makers too.

Crux has asked NZTA for an update on where the project is at, but had not received a response by time of publication.

In February, a spokesperson for NZTA told Crux a preferred route had been narrowed down but it relied on successful negotiations with property owners.

While there is already a trail between Jack's Point and Frankton, it is a scenic route that follows the lake and travels via Kelvin Heights, making it much longer.

Mr Charton says in riding his e-bike he is taking one vehicle off an increasingly congested road.

"It takes me 25 minutes by bike on the state highway and by car it takes me 12 minutes."

As he dons his high-vis, Mr Charton wants motorists to understand that behind the bike there is "a dad, a husband".

"Ninety-eight percent of people are super nice. They give space. Most of the people, I arrive at work and I'm, like, 'wow, the community is amazing'."

But then there's that remaining two percent.

Mr Charton says they can be pushy and impatient - and dangerous.

"We try to avoid them. We try to ride on the white line. We try to escape."

However sometimes there is literally nowhere to go.

He says there can be grit and gravel on the edge of a road, particularly this time of year, or potholes, rubbish, dead animals, grass or, as was the case on Thursday, a ditch.

Main Image: Guillaume Charton at the crash location - the ditch over his shoulder where there is simply no safe room for cyclists.