Editing Transport in New Zealand (section)

===Cycling===
[[File:Lake Road Northshore Nov 08.jpg|thumb|right|Cycling conditions on Lake Road, [[North Shore City]], prior to the introduction of cycle lanes in the 2000s. Such perceived or actual safety issues discourage many New Zealanders from cycling.<ref name="EXPLORING"/>]]
{{Main|Cycling in New Zealand}}

While relatively popular for sport and recreation, bicycle use is a very marginal commuting mode, with the percentage share hovering around 1% in many major cities, and around 2% nationwide (2000s figures). This is primarily due to safety fears. For instance Auckland Regional Transport Authority reports that "over half of Aucklanders believe it is usually unsafe, or always unsafe, to cycle".<ref name="EXPLORING">Bean, C. E., Kearns, R. & Collins, D., 2008, Exploring Social Mobilities: Narratives of Walking and Driving in Auckland, New Zealand, Urban Studies 45(13), pp.2829–2848.</ref>

The high risk to bicycle users is due to a number of factors. Motorists tend to exhibit hostile attitudes towards bicycle riders.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10547937">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10547937 |title=Cyclists fear the bash |author=Milnr, Rebecca |date=14 December 2008 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=24 November 2011}}</ref> Bicycles are classed as 'vehicles', a transport class legally obliged to use the road, forcing bicycle users to mingle with heavy and fast-moving motor vehicles; only postal workers are legally permitted to ride on footpaths.<ref>[http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-other-road-users/information-for-cyclists.html Rules for cycling in the Road Code] Accessed 20 December 2009</ref> [[Cycling infrastructure|Bicycle infrastructure]] and the standards underpinning bicycle infrastructure planning are poor and bicycles receive relatively very low levels of funding by both central and local government.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://can.org.nz/media/2009/cyclists-angered-by-funding-cuts |title=Cyclists angered by funding cuts &#124; CAN |access-date=2009-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510012453/http://can.org.nz/media/2009/cyclists-angered-by-funding-cuts |archive-date=10 May 2009 }} Press release on funding levels</ref> It has also been argued that the introduction of [[Bicycle helmets in New Zealand|New Zealand's compulsory bicycle helmet law]] contributed to the decline in the popularity of cycling.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/342132/cycling-helmets-do-we-need-them|title=Cycling helmets: do we need them?|date=22 October 2017|website=Radio New Zealand|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref>