Wellington Cycleway Vandalism Injures Firefighter, Exposing Hostility Toward Active Transport

A deliberate act of vandalism on Wellington's new Ngauranga to Petone shared path has left a firefighter injured and a community questioning the cultural hostility that still surrounds cycling infrastructure in New Zealand. Boulders weighing up to 8kg and a large log were placed on the path overnight, concealed in unlit sections, in what authorities describe as a dangerous and intentional act.

What happened on the Ngauranga to Petone shared path?

Firefighter Townsley was cycling to his shift at Newtown fire station when his front wheel struck one of several rocks placed along the shared path. The fall left him with a grazed elbow, a grazed hip, sore hands, and a punctured tyre. The rocks, estimated at 25 to 40cm in size and weighing up to 8kg, had been deliberately moved onto the path overnight. A large log was also placed among the debris.

Townsley, a 25-year veteran of the fire service, was on his way to a station responsible for covering Wellington Regional Hospital and Wellington Airport, which had caught fire the previous night. The station was already short-staffed. Had he not shown up for his shift, Wellington would have had two fewer fire trucks available for emergency response.

Anti-cyclist rhetoric meets real-world consequences

Townsley's wife, Kirsten, posted a warning on a local Facebook cycling group, highlighting the serious consequences of what some might dismiss as a prank.