New Waipā Urban Mobility plan covers walking, bikes, scooters, and mobility aids

A plan to improve sustainable transport networks such as cycle paths and walkways is one step closer for Waipa. Photo / Supplied

A plan for the future of Waipā's sustainable transport network, known as Urban Mobility, is one step closer after the council's Service Delivery Committee approved a business case.

The business case outlines how the council will carry out an improved walking, cycling, scootering, and mobility network in Cambridge, Te Awamutu, and Kihikihi.

Creating an urban mobility network was one of the key projects the community supported through this year's 2021-31 Long Term Plan.

Council's transportation manager Bryan Hudson said the business case had been 12 months in the making with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and through workshops with elected members and other representatives which sets out the next 10 years of costs for walking and cycling in three Waipā towns.

"The final funding is yet to be approved by Waka Kotahi but it is in the national land transport programme and regional transport plan so the alignment is there. Waka Kotahi will still need to do their final approval of the business case before the final funding is allocated.

"This is a plan that covers all active modes, such as walking, bikes, scooters, and mobility aids. Paths will link with retirement villages and other main destinations that people want to go to including shopping centres."

The business case identifies local streets in the three towns that would be earmarked for a walking network, but Hudson reminded committee members that the makeup of the network and the precise route would be consulted on at a later stage to ensure it reflected the community's desires.

"It's more than just building infrastructure, it's about the facilities people need at each end, improving bike skills training and education, and bike access schemes so we can get bicycles to groups that are at a disadvantage so there's equitable access," Hudson added.

The implementation of the Urban Mobility Plan would be undertaken with input from a technical reference group, made up of interest groups, such as community cycling and walking groups, disability representation; and governance provided by way of a Project Steering Group, made up of elected member representation which would cross over multiple election cycles.

Residents can keep up to date on what's happening for Urban Mobility at www.waipadc.govt.nz/urbanmobility.