Auckland Transport media release

17 March 2017

Auckland Walk Challenge registrations surpass expectations

Registrations for the Auckland Walk Challenge have surpassed all expectations with more than 5200 Aucklanders signing up to virtually walk the length of New Zealand online.

Auckland Transport’s Manager of Walking, Cycling and Safety Kathryn King says the challenge is directly linked with AT’s strategic goal of encouraging people who might usually drive their car on short trips to walk instead.

“The walking challenge last year was focused on encouraging Aucklanders to walk to and from work, or at least to and from a bus, ferry or train,” she says.

“Looking at our active modes research we discovered that if more of us replace driving a short trip with walking a short trip, it would make a big difference to the number of cars on our roads.

“Switching our mindset to using our feet when we can might seem like a small contribution to easing congestion but it can make a big difference. AT aimed for 2500 Auckland Walk Challenge entrants and more than twice as many have signed up, so the walking wave is gathering momentum.”

More than 1300 teams are competing in the 2017 Auckland Walk Challenge where walkers who log their journeys are rewarded with weekly, challenge and spot prizes throughout the month of March. An online interactive platform called Walker Tracker allows walkers to view their progress on a daily basis as they walk from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

Kathryn King says Auckland Transport is increasing its walking profile and has just launched a new online resource page with maps, games and events at https://at.govt.nz/walking.

ENDS

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