New Plymouth Shortlisted for National Initiative

New Plymouth’s development of walking and cycling initiatives has seen it shortlisted for a national programme with substantial funding behind it.

New Plymouth joins Hastings, Nelson and Taupo for the opportunity to be selected as a walking and cycling model community by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

The agency will choose one or two towns as its model community, with $7 million set aside over two years for further developing walking and cycling initiatives.

“This is an exciting opportunity to push on with the big ideas we have on how to make walking and cycling an easy and enjoyable choice for New Plymouth residents,” says Manager Roading Assets Max Aves.

“New Plymouth was one of 22 councils that sent in proposals to NZTA, and now we’re one of four that have been invited to develop our proposals further for the agency to consider.”

The Council has put in a lot of effort in recent years to encourage more people out of cars and onto bikes or footpaths.

Safety education and cycling skills workshops have been provided to students and adults, Te Henui Walkway’s path has been upgraded and the Coastal Walkway is being extended a further 3km to Bell Block.

NPDC has worked with a number of schools on travel plans to encourage more students to cycle or walk, and also helped establish the North Taranaki Cycle Advocacy group so that cyclists would have a voice in the Council’s plans.

Examples of improvements for pedestrians include a six-second head start being programmed into signalised intersections, and upgrades to pedestrian and kea crossings around the district.

“Anything we can do to make walking and cycling safer will increase their popularity,” says Mr Aves.

“If we’re successful in being selected as a model community for cycling and walking, we will be able to do a lot more to develop sustainable transport as the first choice for commuters and leisure-seekers.

“Ultimately, we want to make cycling and walking the easiest transport choices for the community.”

NZTA will announce the selected model communities in June.

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