The T2T stands for the Turangi to Taupo bike trail. It was proposed by Turangi originally about 13 years ago as one of the NZ wide bike trails. Then the Toe-paw council commissioned an “independent” (?) feasibility study which confirmed it ticked all the boxes for a tourist bike trail. Then the Turangi Economic Strategy Report made it top priority – describing it as “transformational” for Turangi’s survival. Then the Toe-paw Council included it in their submission to DOC for the next great NZ walking track. So after all that the Chairperson of the Turangi Community Board emailed me to ask how Turangi could benefit from a bike trail? Very cautious people in Turangi – they still need convincing. OK So this is what we ask each board member to do their own feasibility analysis. It is easy
Next time they drive up to Toe-paw – about 50 km north – count the number of bikes and bike racks on cars heading south. My last count was about 40. That then has to be increased as some have 2 or 3 bikes so increase it by 50% to 60. Seems fair – OK? Then double it for traffic heading the same direction. That makes 120 bikes spread over 50 km in one hour. OK? Then multiply that by about nine hours of daylight = 1008. Then add for traffic heading east to Hawkes Bay and west to Taranaki so add perhaps another 20-30% – say 13-1400 bikes are been driven along the edge of the lake every day looking for a new bike trail to try out. But be realistic – we cannot catch them all so let’s say just 50% might be only 650-700. Seems reasonable. Them multiply that by 300 days per year (we have not counted wet days) = about two hundred thousand (I have written it out in case you imagine I added another zero) bike trips per year that Turangi is missing out on because the Toe-paw council would rather spend our rates on widening their footpath around the lake edge. That will not add a single extra tourist ride but could have paid for the T2T . But imagine what the T2T might achieve. For every $ invested it will generate over $3.50 per annum. Nothing else could match that. So…. Where are you hiding Councillors?