Walking, cycling into future

T wo transformational plans for extensive walking and cycling networks in Cambridge and Te Awamutu are up for discussion.

They are part of the Urban Mobility proposal which is currently being considered for funding in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.

The plans for each town were created following consultation with residents last year which showed strong support for investment in protected cycleways and shared pathways.

Waipa¯ District Council service delivery group manager Dawn Inglis said the plans were a high-level overview of what the future of walking and cycling could look like in Waipa¯’s main towns.

“The majority of people who provided feedback said investing in protected cycleways and shared pathways was the right move for our main towns so we’ve taken that feedback and created some plans for what those networks could potentially look like.

“Now we are asking residents whether they would like council to allocate funding to invest in Urban Mobility in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan so we can look at making these a reality.”

The proposed networks would create cohesive, direct and safe pathways for cyclists to move across Waipa¯’s main towns, provide connections to key destinations such as schools, and allow residents to get just about in town safely and easily on a bike, scooter or on foot.

Dawn said if funding was allocated, further consultation would be carried out to give residents the chance to have their say on the finer details of the plans.

“These indicative routes are not set in stone but provide an overall picture of what we would like to achieve in the urban mobility space for our two biggest towns.

“We are expecting significant growth across the district so it is necessary for us to provide the infrastructure to get people out of their cars and using different modes of transport such as bikes or scooters. These are also key to getting people to our passenger transport services,” she said.

“We strongly believe it will be the difference between streets clogged with vehicles and our towns remaining beautiful places to live and work in.”

Around $10.5 million in funding is being sought for Urban Mobility which would be rolled out over the next decade.

An application to cover 51 per cent of these costs has also been submitted to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for consideration.