Feedback open for Waipā's walking and cycling network options

Waipā District Council has drafted two plans for extensive walking and cycling networks as part of the Urban Mobility proposal. Photo / Supplied

The future of walking and cycling networks in Cambridge and Te Awamutu is up for discussion.

Waipā District Council has drafted two plans for extensive walking and cycling networks as part of the Urban Mobility proposal.

The plans have been developed according to community feedback gathered last year where most residents showed strong support for protected and shared cycle- and walkways.

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Council's service delivery group manager Dawn Inglis says: "Now we are asking residents whether they would like council to allocate funding to invest in urban mobility in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan so we can look at making these a reality."

The proposed networks would create cohesive, direct and safe pathways for cyclists to move across Waipā's main towns, provide connections to key destinations such as schools, and allow residents to get just about anywhere in town safely and easily on a bike, scooter or on foot.

Inglis said if funding was allocated, further consultation would be carried out to give residents the chance to have their say on the finer details of the plans.

The two draft plans for Waipa's two main towns Te Awamutu and Cambridge are now open for feedback. Photo / Supplied

"These indicative routes are not set in stone but provide an overall picture of what we would like to achieve in the urban mobility space for our two biggest towns.

"We are expecting significant growth across the district so it is necessary for us to provide the infrastructure to get people out of their cars and using different modes of transport."

Around $10.5 million in funding is being sought for Urban Mobility which would be rolled out over the next decade.

Council has already submitted an application to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to cover 51 per cent of these costs.

"We strongly believe the walking and cycling infrastructure will be the difference between streets clogged with vehicles and our towns remaining beautiful places to live and work in," Inglis says.

You can have you say on Waipa's walking and cycling networks here.