Railway Reserve lit for winter
Mayor Nick Smith (foreground) switched on the final section of new lighting along the Railway Reserve, alongside (from left) Gillian Dancey, Marg Parfitt, Kiem Thia, deputy mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens, Kevin and Jan Woodward, and councillor Aaron Stallard. Photo: Supplied/NCC.
Cyclists can enjoy the Railway Reserve at all hours now that the entire path has been lit up.
Mayor Nick Smith switched on the final section of lights, along Jenkins Pl, last Wednesday.
“The Railway Reserve is one of Nelson’s gems and the completion of this 7.6km lighting project will make it safer and more useable for cyclists and walkers,” he says.
The project began in March 2023 and cost $1.9 million, 51 per cent of which was paid for by the Government’s Better Off funding.
David Light, who was the council’s acting group manager infrastructure last week, said the project threw up some challenges.
“Contractors encountered very hard ground as well as multiple underground services, which had to be maintained. The dry conditions meant the clay under the asphalt had become hard, testing the contractors and machinery.”
The reserve was kept open to users while the work was ongoing.
“It’s the safest way for cyclists and pedestrians to move between Nelson city and Saxton, and we didn’t want to divert cyclists onto the busy and tight Waimea Rd, or onto Main Rd Stoke.”
There were 142 lights installed along the Railway Reserve for the project, five of which were bollards while seven are solar lights. The seven solar lights were chosen as the most cost-effective solution for lighting the section between State Highway 6 and Quarantine Rd due to the underground services in the area while the bollards are located along Jenkins Pl to limit light spill into neighbouring properties. The rest of the lights along the reserve are LED and meet dark sky requirements and the Waka Kotahi standards for light spill and glare.
Kate Malcolm, from sustainable transport group Nelsust, initiated a petition for the addition of lights along the reserve in 2020.
“I remember, it was cold and dark, when a group of our volunteers intercepted cyclists on the Railway Reserve to collect signatures for the petition. We heard stories of users who were essentially left blind if their own lights failed.
“We are delighted that it’s now safer for cyclists and pedestrians, but also that the Railway Reserve has been recognised as an important arterial link for open-air commuters.”