Hamilton City Council wants to hear from the community about options to make biking, walking, e-scooting, e-skating – and taking the bus – safer and easier across east Hamilton.

Hamilton City Council seeks feedback to help identify the best design approach for both the School Link and the University to City Link. The selected designs will be put forward for funding support from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency mid-year.

The Eastern Pathways/Te Ara o te Rawhiti programme includes two main projects in eastern Hamilton: School Link and the University to City Link. The programme aims to deliver better and safer biking, walking and public transport options focused along Hukanui Road /Peachgrove Road, and Clyde Street/Knighton Road.

It will improve connections for the 30,000 residents, 1000 businesses, 23 schools and over 9500 students who travel in and around this area.

Infrastructure Operations Committee Chair Councillor Angela O’Leary says we want a city that is easy to live in, explore and enjoy.

“As we continue to evolve into a metropolitan centre, we have the game-changing opportunity to become a 20-minute city. This means creating liveable neighbourhoods with local access to amenity that is important to residents.

“It’s also about connecting people with existing destinations like schools, parks and places of work with safe walking, cycling and public transport travel options, so our residents can safely access most of the things they need within 20 minutes.

“We have dedicated $38 million as part of our draft Long-Term Plan towards Eastern Pathways/Te Ara o te Rawhiti,” says Cr O’Leary.

“Currently, fewer people, including students are choosing to walk, cycle and take public transport. But we know safety and travel times can improve, not to mention our environment and our wellbeing if more people use active ways of getting around.

“Eastern Pathways/Te Ara o te Rawhiti aims to provide the kind of facilities and connections that mean taking a walk, bike or bus ride is convenient and safe.”

Hamilton City Councils Public Transport and Urban Mobility Programme Delivery Lead Martin Parkes says Council has heard feedback over time about challenges along these two busy stretches of road and it wants to work with the community to identify and implement solutions.

“We have heard that people would like to bike, walk and take the bus more often, but concerns about safety and convenience discourages them. This was supported by what we heard recently from engagement on the 2020 Biking and Micro-mobility Programme and the 2018 Safe Ways to School Survey.

“We have some ideas about how to make walking, biking and the bus safer and more convenient in east Hamilton, but we would like the community to have their say on the preferred approach and priority. Where should we build first and which options are preferred?”

Mr Parkes says the next steps (once a preferred option has been identified and funding has been endorsed from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency) are to progress the design and construction of the Eastern Pathways/Te Ara o te Rawhiti programme.

To find out more about Eastern Pathways/ Te Ara o te Rawhiti and to have your say by 5pm, Thursday 4 March, go to hamilton.govt.nz or call 07 838 6699.

Click here for more information and to have your say

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