$37m upgrade to improve transport options for city
A $37 million package of upgrades has been given the go-ahead to improve biking, walking and public transport options in Hamilton.
Hamilton City Council has formally approved the Transport Choices Initiative Funding Agreement with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency in which the transport agency will fund $33.2m towards the proposed 28 climate-friendly transport projects. The council will contribute $3.8m to bring the total package of projects to $37m.
Deputy mayor and chairwoman of the infrastructure and transport committee, Angela O’leary, said: “This funding will help us join the dots between more parts of the city.
“The projects are relatively simple upgrades that will make a big difference. These projects will really start to open up the city.”
The proposed 28 projects, due to be completed before June next year, range from footpath upgrades to new bike and walkway connections. The council’s public transport and urban mobility manager, Martin Parkes, said that while the list of projects looked imposing, most were relatively small.
“It’s a suite of small to medium changes that we can make around the city,” he said.
Parkes said simple “tweaks” would enhance existing infrastructure, such as improving bike lanes along Killarney Rd so that commuters and students could connect more easily to the Western Rail Trail.
“The Western Rail Trail is an excellent off-road facility but first you have to get there. With this funding
we can make it safer for people to bike from Frankton to the rail trail so they can get more easily into town or school,” he said.
One of the larger projects was a proposal to relocate bus stops from the Rototuna Shopping Centre on to Horsham Downs Rd to help improve the shopping centre amenity and make the buses easier to get to. New bus shelters were proposed for both sides of the road with a raised pedestrian crossing for safer access.
Parkes said the proposed 28 projects were at various stages of development, with concept designs and project plans required to be signed off by the city council elected members through the infrastructure operations committee before formal community engagement.
“The council’s transport strategy, Access Hamilton:
Ara Kootuitui
Kirikiriroa, clearly shows us what we need to do to make it safer and more enjoyable for people to move around the city. It’s all about opening up our streets and helping people get to where they need to go safely and efficiently,” said O’leary.
Waka Kotahi in December said the city council would receive a oneoff grant from the Transport Choices investment package. Since then, council and transport agency staff had been working to confirm the final number and budget of projects that would move forward.
Transport Choices is an investment package within the Waka Kotahi Climate Emergency Response Programme that supports councils to begin immediate work to reduce emissions by developing safer, greener
and healthier travel options. Transport makes up about 64 per cent of Hamilton’s total emissions. Transport Choices funding is indicative
until Waka Kotahi works with councils to explore how projects can be progressed in line with Transport Choices’ timeframes. Funding allocations may be adjusted after this consultation.