Have your say on transport plans for future

Hawke's Bay residents will have up until January to have a say in transport plans for the region.

Hawke's Bay people have until January 23 next year to have their say on transport plans being drafted for the region for the next 10 years.

The drafts of the Regional Land Transport Plan and Regional Public Transport Plan have just been released for public comment with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council encouraging people to have their say on what the region's transport systems should look like in the future.

The Regional Land Transport Plan looks at what needs to be built or improved on Hawke's Bay's roads over the next decade to help the region prosper commercially as well as improve road safety.

Several new construction projects have been outlined in the plan and the regional council wants to hear what the public thinks.

Among the projects is improving the SH2/Napier Rd (to Havelock North) intersection, the Whakatu arterial link, upgrading the Hawke's Bay Expressway at the Pakowhai/Links Rd intersection and improving traffic flow and safety to and from Hawke's Bay Airport.

There are also draft plans for more cycleways across the region.

As well, the transport plan looks at the future needs of bus passenger services around Napier and Hastings and schemes to ensure the mobility of people who find it difficult to drive or use public transport.

The draft plan aims to focus on fine tuning the changes made to services during the last few years, which have seen more people than ever using goBay public transport.

The plan also considers services to new residential areas, later services and a faster direct service between Napier and Hastings if or when funding becomes available.

Hawke's Bay Regional Transport Committee Chairman Alan Dick said both plans aimed to help deliver better transport options for the region.

"I encourage people to let us know whether they agree with the strategic focus of both plans and whether our priorities are the right ones," he said.

The plans are available to view on the HBRC website or at the region's libraries.

To request a copy, contact HBRC.