Tauranga City Council have rejected calls for Pilot Bay's boardwalk to be opened up to cyclists as well as pedestrians.

A petition was handed to the authority by resident Jo Wills this afternoon, which included more than 220 signatures in support of sharing the popular Mount Maunganui walkway.

Mount Maunganui's Pilot Bay boardwalk will remain a 'no-cycling' zone after Jo Wills' petition was rejected by council. Photo: Andrew Campbell.

However, council transportation manager Martin Parkes was quick to dismiss the request, insisting that the boardwalk would need to be a minimum of three metres in width to accommodate cyclists and walkers.

Jo had previously argued that adjacent road The Mall was unsafe for bike riders, with parking bays on both sides of the street which grow increasingly busy over the summer months.

Councillor Steve Morris also rejected the idea, pointing to large amounts of foot traffic on Pilot Bay, while Councillor Matt Cowley agreed with the application.

Jo had previously claimed the restriction on cyclists seemed 'counterproductive” and that the ‘no-cycling' signs were 'alienating a different group of people”.

'It has always been a shared space that cyclists could access and enjoy alongside other members of the community,” she says.

'The parked cars are a constant source of concern due to people often forgetting to check the road behind them before opening their car door.

'Any cyclist on the receiving end of a car door is not likely to escape without injury.

'The alternative is to stick right in the middle of the lane, which then causes frustration to all other traffic. Neither choice for a cyclist is appealing.

'The Mall is not a safe road for the type of cyclist who would be accessing that area for recreational purposes.”