Green road markings which have appeared on Dunedin's state highway network are not a ploy to raise the profile of colour-changing rugby jerseys - they are there to raise awareness about cycleways.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has rolled out the green skid-resistant road seal to mark "high risk" areas for cyclists travelling on the main highway routes through the city. 

NZTA Coastal Otago area manager Roger Bailey said the new road seal helped better identify cycleways to motorists on approaches to high-risk areas, such as intersections.

About $77,000 has been spent so far marking stretches of the NZTA-administered routes on SH88 and the one-way system through the city.

"It is fairly commonplace up north, for cycleways to be marked like this, particularly through the busy city areas," he said.

NZTA was "well over halfway" through the road-marking project, which has a funding budget of about $133,000, he said.

There were some gaps in the cycleway markings, (Seal Online Cegel)primarily around areas where roading reseal projects were planned.

Adrienne Mulqueen, from Dunedin cycling awareness group Spoke, welcomed the safety improvements being made.

"It reminds car drivers of their responsibilities and helps stop them encroaching on cyclists." The safety measures were an encouraging sign for Dunedin cyclists, although Mrs Mulqueen said more could still be done to highlight concerns about the narrow cycleways through the city one-way system, she said.

The Dunedin City Council is also understood to be investigating funding streams to enable the marking of more cycleway routes, from next year.