More Hastings students to walk, cycle and scooter to school with $6.4 million in extra funding from Waka Kotahi

Leela-May Katene-Ranginui of Hastings Central School showing changes for the schools' walkable neighbourhood during the 2020 trial. Photo / Supplied

Hastings District Council’s programme to encourage healthier, low emissions transport to school has received a boost, with $6.4 million in additional government funding to progress the Heretaunga Arakura, Hastings Pathways to School programme.

The programme aims to get more students walking, biking and scooting to school in order to encourage healthy, active habits, cut the volume of emissions created by school runs and reduce congestion at the school gate.

Council is working to improve the safety of school zones across Hastings through a combination of urban design, calming traffic and lower speeds while equipping students with the skills and confidence to walk or ride to school.

Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced the funding as part of the Waka Kotahi Transport Choices programme, which includes a focus on ensuring safe, green and healthy school travel.

Waka Kotahi will work with councils to explore how projects can be progressed in line with Transport Choice’s timeframes, and funding allocations may be adjusted after this consultation.

The announcement follows an initial $1.5m funding from Waka Kotahi’s Streets for People fund in September and means the council can look at rolling the programme out to many more schools across Hastings.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says she is thrilled with the news and said, “We’re delighted. While the final figure is subject to us scoping the project with Waka Kotahi, this is a significant announcement that will enable us to make the journey to school safer for many more Heretaunga children.

“Through a trial at four schools in 2020, we’ve seen the impact that a programme like Heretaunga Arakura can have, safer speeds around our schools, students empowered to choose active transport, and fewer safety worries for parents, teachers and principals.”

The mayor said having fewer cars on the school run not only creates a calmer, cleaner and healthier environment at the school gate but also directly impacts emissions and will make a meaningful contribution to our climate goals.

“The potential for this programme is immense, and we’re looking forward to rolling it out to more schools across Hastings,” Hazlehurst said.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, manager urban mobility Kathryn King explained she is pleased HDC has received funding as part of the Transport Choices programme.

“The Transport Choices programme is supporting councils to give people more options in the way they travel, and I’m pleased to say we received an outstanding response from councils around the country, embracing the opportunity to provide greater transport choices for their communities.”

Funding criteria specified projects that would deliver strategic cycling/micro-mobility networks; create walkable neighbourhoods; support healthy school travel, or make public transport easier to use.

“The aim is to open up streets so everyone can get where they need to go in ways that are good for their health and the planet.”

The Heretaunga Arakura programme will complement the council’s work in Mahora and Camberley, where the Walkable Neighbourhood project is creating an environment conducive to walking as a safe, healthy, and desirable way to travel.

This project also received a boost from the Transport Choices programme, with approximately $3.1m in funding announced.

The expanded Heretaunga Arakura programme will begin in earnest next year, with the project team contacting schools across Heretaunga in the New Year, and schools will be prioritised on a number of different criteria.