Police appeal to Wellingtonians after 'wilful damage' to new cycleway
Traffic cameras mounted along the Te Ara Tupua cycleway in Wellington have captured footage related to recent vandalism on the route that led to a cyclist being injured.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), which is responsible for the cycleway, remains tight-lipped on what the footage shows.
Early Sunday morning, a Wellington man sustained minor injuries after crashing his bike into one of several boulders placed on the path, in what appeared to be an act of vandalism.
Footage related to the incident has been handed to police, who confirmed they are making inquiries into “a report of wilful damage in the Petone area”.
“As part of our initial inquiries, police are reviewing CCTV footage,” they told the Herald.
Police are asking for anyone who has information about the incident to call 105 and use the reference number 260614/8083.
Information could also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
Cyclist Clarke Townsley said the rocks placed on the path seemed between 25-40cm in size and weighed up to 8kg.
Firefighter Clarke Townsley was riding his bike to work along the recently opened shared path when he crashed into a large rock in the middle of the lane.
“The next thing you know, I’m lying on the ground going, ‘Oh what’s this about?’
“I turned around and I saw the rock lying there.”
The fall left him with a grazed elbow, a grazed hip, sore hands and a punctured front tyre.
He soon realised there were several boulders and a large log that had been placed on the path, which is used by cyclists and pedestrians.
Townsley estimated the rocks ranged from 25-40cm in size and weighed up to 8kg, which led him to believe they had been intentionally moved on to the path by people overnight.
An NZTA spokesman confirmed the agency’s cameras “have captured footage related to this incident” and it had been provided to police.
“Given the matter has been referred to police we’re not in a position to provide further details at this stage,” he told the Herald.
In addition to large rocks, a log was pulled on to the cycle lane of the Te Ara Tupua shared path.
“If you don’t like cyclists, that’s okay, but you don’t go out to hurt people – that’s just malicious,” Townsley said.
In an earlier statement to the Herald, NZTA confirmed it was aware of the incident, which appeared to be vandalism.
“We are extremely disappointed by this, given the danger it poses to shared path users.
“The Ngauranga to Petone shared path has been enjoyed by thousands of people since it opened last month and it is deeply frustrating that anyone would choose to behave in such a way.
“We also want to thank other path users for clearing the debris and helping to keep the route safe for the public.”
Photos of the debris were posted to Facebook group Cycle Wellington by Clarke Townsley's wife Kirsten.
Townsley’s wife, Kirsten, posted on a local Facebook cycling page to warn others about the debris.
She believed people who attended the Hurricanes game at Hnry Stadium on Saturday night may have been the ones to move the rocks while walking the path on their way home.
Kirsten said the boulders were placed in dark patches not illuminated by lights on the pathway, leading some commenters to question if the path needed better lighting.
Townsley did not take issue with the pathway lighting, which he described as “passive”, but admitted his own cycle lights had no chance of catching the boulders before it was “too late”.
He said of all the people who passed him on the path that morning, only one runner helped him move the stones.
“If you don’t [clear the path], if you’re expecting someone else to do it, that is just a recipe for disaster,” he said.
Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.
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