Auckland City Council
Media release

Tuesday, 13 January

New Viaduct venue for 2009 Go By Bike Breakfast

Auckland City Council’s Go By Bike Breakfast has a great new location for 2009. The annual celebration of cycling takes place on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 at the Eastern Viaduct, Viaduct Harbour.

Everyone who turns up on a bike between 6.30am and 9am receives a free breakfast. There will be live performances and displays, spot prizes and free bike checks.

Jon Bridges and More FM will anchor the full programme of entertainment. “This is always a great morning and it just gets bigger and better every year. I’m looking forward to welcoming all the cyclists to the viaduct, the waterfront is a fantastic spot for breakfast,” says Jon.

“We all know cycling is a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around, this event is a fun way to celebrate travel on two wheels. It’s also a great opportunity for occasional or new cyclists to give it a go,” says Councillor Ken Baguley, Transport Committee chairperson.

People don’t need to be a regular cyclists to attend the breakfast, or even need to own a bicycle as it is easy and cheap to hire a bike in the city centre.

Children can join in the cycling fun the day after at the Kid’s Bike Ride event at Western Springs. There will be live music, obstacle courses, free bike and helmet checks and prizes. This free event is suitable for children up to the age of 14.

These well-loved annual events are part of Bike Wise Month, a nationally coordinated month of cycling activities and promotionthat runs from 1 to 28 February 2009. Other Bike Wise activities include the popular Bike Wise Battle where organisations compete against each other to see who can get the most staff cycling and clock up the most kilometres.

Auckland City Council has a long term plan to improve cycling and walking facilities throughout the city to continue to provide people with a range of transport choices.

Areas where improved cycling facilities are being investigated include Onehunga, Otahuhu and Ellerslie, while the Avondale community board recently approved a proposal for cycling and walking improvements along a section of Great North Road.

The council strives to make the Go By Bike event as sustainable as possible, last year the majority of waste created by the Breakfast was composted or recycled.

See www.aucklandcity.govt.nz//events to find out more about any of the activities during the week.

ENDS

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