Safety tips on our walkways

We’ve come up with some handy tips for sharing our pathways, so everyone feels welcome, safe and respected.

Palmy’s walkways are a treasure for our whole community to enjoy: young and old and everyone in between, disabled people, families, pedestrians, runners, skaters, cyclists, dog walkers, horse riders and more.

Please be kind and considerate, and take care to look out for more vulnerable recreational users. From picking up your dog poo to biking more slowly, let's share better, Palmy. 

Tips for biking on our shared pathways

• This is not the Tour de France. Slow down.
• Keep left and stay alert.
• Give way to everyone else. Pedestrians have the right of way.
• Watch out for children and dogs and always be ready to stop suddenly.
• Use a bell or call out to warn people you're coming up behind them (and remember, not everyone has perfect hearing).

Tips for dog walkers

• Scoop the poop! Bag it and bin it.
• Check whether you’re in an on or off-leash area before setting your furry friend free.
• Ensure your dog is always under control. If they are not, make sure they’re on a lead.
• Not everyone is comfortable around dogs, so please be mindful of those who aren’t, even if you’re in an off-leash area.

Tips for horse riders

• Ride like you drive – be aware of your surroundings and don’t speed.
• Maintain a steady walking pace and safe distance from other users.
• Like dog owners, scoop the poop!

Tips for sharing the pathway with horse riders 

• Don't shout or make sudden movements.
• Give a wide berth when overtaking and let the rider know you are there.
• Ask riders before approaching or patting their horse.

Tips for everyone

• Keep left.
• If you’re going to leave anything behind, make it your footprints and not your coffee cup.
• Look after our beautiful awa and walkways by picking up your paru (rubbish). Be a tidy Kiwi.
• If our bins are overflowing, give our friendly team a call on 06 356 8199 and take your rubbish home.
• Keep an eye on your tamariki and teach them good walkway etiquette when they’re young.

Motorbikes are prohibited on all our shared pathways

If you notice motorbikes on our pathways and in our parks, please call the Police immediately.

Council can't take enforcement action and we have limited powers to impede access. Installing barriers, such as bollards, is not a good deterrent because they also impede access for legitimate pathway users such as people on bikes and in wheelchairs, as well as maintenance vehicles. The tools we use include education campaigns and signs.