Trialling more ‘liveable’ streets
Tasman District Council is to trial temporary measures aimed at making two neighbourhoods more ‘‘liveable’’.
The council was this week awarded funding from the Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency Innovating Streets for People Pilot Fund, which is designed to support projects that make streets safer and more liveable.
Council activity planning adviser Drew Bryant said the funding would be used for two neighbourhoods in the district – the area around Golden Bay High School along with its connection to central Takaka, and a block in Richmond bordered by Salisbury Rd, Croucher, Talbot and D’Arcy streets.
Bryant said it was too early to say yet which street treatments would be trialled in the Richmond block, but they may include features such as temporary seating, planter boxes, paint or cones.
‘‘Nothing is permanent,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘We can modify it on the fly. It’s for trialling stuff out, giving something a go and talking to the community.’’
The aim would be to slow traffic and improve walking and cycling safety in the area, which was an ideal link between the schools along Salisbury Rd and the Richmond town centre.
‘‘Making it quieter, making it nicer,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘Cars might not have priority there.’’
NZTA was to fund 90 per cent of the $132,000 budget for the Richmond trial. Over Takaka Hill, the Golden Bay project had a budget of $105,000 of which NZTA was to also fund 90 per cent.
Bryant said a range of measures would be trialled to tackle safety issues identified around the high school, which would include improving the walking connections to central Takaka, increasing cycle storage, calming the traffic around the school and improving the mobility impaired access.
The intersections of Rototai Rd, Meihana St and State Highway 60 near the school created a ‘‘mini Spaghetti Junction’’, Bryant said.
Both projects were prompted by the results of a survey of Nelson-Tasman residents conducted during the Covid-19 lockdown. Almost 1200 respondents took part in the Streets for People survey, which revealed some clear themes.
Although the Covid-19 lockdown created difficulties for many people, survey respondents indicated some positive effects including an awareness of more bird life, fewer vehicles on the roads with those that were travelling at slower speeds and more residents walking, cycling ‘‘and getting kids out in the streets’’.