Island Bay residents air their views on the new cycleway in December.

A cyclist has been hurt in a collision with a car on Wellington's controversial Island Bay cycleway, the first such incident reported along The Parade in a decade.

Cyclists have been using the new cycleway for only a matter of months. Construction began in September and will conclude when the last few bits of green paint are added in March.

Opinion has been sharply divided over the layout of the 1.7-kilometre cycleway, which places cyclists between the kerb and rows of parked cars. Some believe this seriously limits motorists' vision, while others have praised the increased protection for bikes.

ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ Reporter Amy Jackman road-tests the Island Bay cycleway, shortly after it was opened.

But long-time cyclist Rene van Lierop​ says he will avoid it altogether in future after he dislocated his shoulder in a collision with a car at the intersection of Mersey St and The Parade on Thursday.

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The crash happened at one of the new pedestrian crossings a couple of metres north of intersection. A car pulled out and he was unable to stop in time or swerve to avoid it, he said.

MAARTEN HOLL/ FAIRFAX NZ A cyclist heading south on the cycleway, with the Mersey St intersection on the left. Rene van Lierop was hit by a car coming out of Mersey St.

"I hit the side of the car and my shoulder took most of the impact. I bounced off and fell to the ground."

The driver stopped to apologise and said she hadn't seen van Lierop, he said. It was light and he was wearing a yellow hi-vis vest.

He believed the cycleway was an improvement on the previous road layout, but for those who rode at speed, it made it harder for cars to see them, van Lierop said.

MAARTEN HOLL/ FAIRFAX NZ The Parade looking north, with Mersey St on the right. The driver who hit van Lierop said she had not seen him.

"The most dangerous part of a road for a cyclist is around intersections. Normally I move a bit out into the middle of the road, away from parked cars so they can see me – you can't do that on the cycleway.

"The drivers are looking at the road and not really noticing you."

NZ Transport Agency figures show that, in the past 10 years, no cycling accidents have occurred on The Parade.

Island Bay Residents' Association president Vicki Greco​ said she was not surprised there had been a crash on the new cycleway.

"I'm surprised there haven't been more. The lack of visibility is a problem.

"There have been a lot of near-misses and a couple of accidents with no injuries, and it's going to continue this way as long as it stays in this format."

ROBERT KITCHIN/ FAIRFAX NZ Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said the council would investigate the crash.

Wellington city councillor Paul Eagle, an opponent of the cycleway's design, said the possibility of an accident had been worrying residents since construction started.

He was often approached at the shops or called by people saying they had witnessed near-misses and expressing their safety concerns, he said.

Council spokesman Richard MacLean said it would not comment on the specifics of the accident until it had spoken to police, but the council did not agree there was a visibility problem.

KEVIN STENT/ FAIRFAX NZ Wellington city councillor Paul Eagle wants people to report all accidents on the cycleway to the council or police, no matter how minor.

Markings had been put through the intersection to make drivers aware that the bike lane went through it. The Give Way sign had been changed to a Stop sign, and green road markings and safety posts would be installed next week.

"Drivers should be aware ... and so should expect to see people on bikes."

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, a cyclist from Island Bay, said her thoughts were with van Lierop and she wished him a full recovery. The council would examine all the facts of the crash.

Cycling Action Network spokesman Patrick Morgan said it was a timely reminder for all road users to remember to look in both directions for each other.

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