Petone rail station

This blog records the good, the bad and the ugly of an 11km bike ride from Petone to Wellington.
Thanks to Simon for the concept, and to Claire for inviting Wellington Regional Land Transport Committee members along for the ride.

Start your journey at Petone rail station.

Petone roundabout

0.8 km from Petone Rail Station.
Cyclists riding south on Hutt Rd need to move into the right lane to enter the roundabout.

SH2 cycle lane starts

2 km from Petone.
Some like to use the cycle lane, but most people stick to the shoulder: it's faster, smoother, wider, and has less debris.

Rating - Good

SH2 cycle lane

4.8 km from Petone.
Uneven service covers makes this a bumpy ride. Debris piles up from the highway and railway, and puddles collect in the dips.
The cycle lane narrows to 1 metre at one point. The Austroads standard recommends 1.8 metres.

Rating - Good, but could be better with attention to detail.

Ngauranga

6 km from Petone.
Nice ramps allow easy transition between path and road.
Am still looking for that wine trail - maybe it's down there next to the stock effluent dump.

Rating - Good

Hutt Rd - signpost on bike path

7.1 km from Petone.
There's a signpost in the middle of the bike path. Would we put a post in the middle of a road?
Further along Hutt Rd, there's 15 lampposts in the middle of the path.

Rating - Bad

Hutt Rd cycle lane

7.7 km from Petone.
Hardings Furniture store items in the middle of the cycle lane.

Trucks use it as a loading zone. Even a jogger has to step off it to get by.

Rating - Ugly