Lower speeds, better safety loom for town
Scheme to enhance access to main street
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council will be working with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the Waipawa community to develop local solutions to improve the safety and connectivity of the main street of Waipawa.
The council has gained funding and support for planning and scoping projects as part of the Streets for People programme, which builds on the Innovating Streets programme established by Waka Kotahi in 2019.
The programme aims to make it easier to create safer, healthier and more people-friendly streets, so people can get to where they are going safely.
It also helps to reduce emissions and improve physical, mental and community wellbeing by making it easier for people to walk, bike or scoot to the shops, school or work.
For Waipawa, this will include planning to reduce traffic speeds through town and give people moving around the town centre safe and easy access to east and west sides of the main street.
Mayor Alex Walker says: “For years we have known that more could be done to improve the main street in Waipawa for visitors and locals. The first thing is that we want everyone to be as safe as possible around the state highway. Then we can build on the opportunities that the visitors along that road bring. This is an exciting project for Waipawa.”
The planning, scoping and capability-building stages of the Streets for People programme will span several months.
The council will engage with Waipawa business owners, pedestrians, cyclists and residents to propose street change projects that will create vibrant, people-friendly places for the community.
The council will then present a proposal to Waka Kotahi for funding to implement these changes, to be announced this year.