En-route to more footpaths - News thats paved in gold

Good news for pedestrians and cyclists - more new footpaths are to be built around the district thanks to a change in funding policy from Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ).

The Government’s transport funding agency has approved funding for a large proportion of the ‘higher priority’ footpaths identified in Thames-Coromandel District Council’s draft Cycling and Walking Strategy, which aims to get residents out of the car and into a healthier lifestyle.

LTNZ has provided more money than budgeted for in the council’s draft Annual Plan, giving another 53% in subsidy for the cost of building new footpaths. This brings the total amount to be spent on new footpaths in 2008-09 to over $800,000. New footpaths are planned in all Community Board areas.

The increase in funding subsidy is part of the central Government’s attempts to provide a more balanced approach to land transport which puts greater emphasis on encouraging walking and cycling.

“There are so many benefits from a strategy to get people walking or cycling – from saving on fuel costs to a healthier population and a better environment,” says TCDC Roading Manager Steve Bremner. “It’s great news for our communities because LTNZ has effectively matched the money we had planned to spend and doubled the budget but at no extra cost to ratepayers. It means areas that have been earmarked for footpaths in the future will now be able to be done much quicker.”