It’s ‘Love Your Path’s first birthday! And you’re invited to join Bike Eastern Suburbs in celebration.
When: 8 June, 9am to join the usual working bee, 10.30am for cake and celebration!
Where: Meet at the Sunhill Garden Centre Car park
A year ago, things were feeling bleak for bike advocates. The political climate was unfriendly, especially with many budget cuts for cycling projects, and in Auckland’s eastern suburbs the Gowing Drive connection had been postponed, yet again.
Te Ara Ki Uta Ki Tai, a shared path which should have been a wonderful local asset, was often overgrown and collecting litter, seeming to reflect the bleak atmosphere.
It was against this backdrop that advocates from Bike Auckland and Bike Eastern Suburbs (the local Bike Burb) created the first Love Your Path event. It was an open invite to the local community (and anyone who had joined our volunteer list) to a working bee: come and tidy up our local shared path.
It was joyful affair! We learnt that doing something hands on like this, where we could connect with other advocates, and see and feel the impact we had made, was incredibly empowering. It was like a tonic, revitalising us to continue on with our advocacy.
It could have ended there, with just the one joyous clean up, but it didn’t.
To our immense joy, Roger Lacey of Bike Eastern Suburbs continued to spread the love: turning ‘Love Your Path’ into a regular working bee. These became a way for the local community to connect and to take ownership of the pathway. They even planted a patch of beautiful sunflowers, brightening up people’s days as they walked, cycled, or scooted by. Other locals show their appreciation for the clean ups, often thanking the clean up crew as they go by.
We are absolutely blown away by the way Roger has continued and built upon ‘Love Your Path’ as a concept. We awarded Roger the ‘Trailblazer’ award at our 2024 AGM in recognition of his incredible efforts bringing together various local community stakeholders to care for and celebrate this amazing local asset: Te Ara Ki Uta Ki Tai shared pathway.
Lacey says ‘Love Your Path’ has been a great success in so many ways. It has led to:
- A big uptick in members (to over 530) on the Bike Eastern Suburbs Facebook group.
- Good relations with the Ōrakei Local Board, Maungakiekie Local Board, and local ward councillors.
- Enhanced community connections, locals meeting and talking with each other.
- A positive image for cyclists in the local neighbourhood (including on the Facebook pages – an incredible achievement!) because other locals appreciate the difference the cleanups have made.
- Seeing the improvements they’ve made lifts Roger’s spirits every time he rides past – and no doubt that’s true for the other volunteers who get involved too!
Bike Eastern Suburbs has also recently been successfully funded $3000 from the Ōrākei Local Board; to go towards tools and equipment in support of their working bees. So they’re one step closer to an essential item on Roger’s wish-list: a bike trailer, to enable them to ditch the car and take more tools and rubbish by bike.
The 1st Birthday party is an opportunity to celebrate these wins, and to thank everyone who has helped out and supported ‘Love Your Path’.
Bike Eastern Suburbs will continue their usual working bee on 8th of June from 9am. At 10.30am they’ll have a little party and they’d love for you to join them for either or both parts of the day!
