Living Streets Aotearoa

Press Release

28th August 2009

Living Streets Welcomes Transport Programme 

Living Streets Aotearoa supports the government’s National Land Transport Programme announcement today, which increases the three year budget for walking and cycle projects from $39 Million to $51 Million.

“This is a fantastic outcome for all New Zealander walkers.  Walking is the first mode of travel we all learned and the last one we want to give up,” says Peter Kortegast, president of Living Streets Aotearoa.  “This investment aligns well with the government policy direction of economic efficiency. It has been proven that higher numbers of pedestrians results in higher turnover for businesses.”

The government has acknowledged that the applications for walking projects exceeded the allocated budget, and this is indicative of the national increase in quality urban design and revitalization of our communities.

Living Streets Aotearoa supports the government’s focus of directing more funding to heavily congested cities, as these are communities where significant gains in numbers of walkers can be made.  Living Streets also supports the government’s approach of model walking communities, and looks forward to working with the New Zealand Transport Agency to assist in identifying those communities which would benefit from large scale investment in new infrastructure and other measures for encouraging more people to walk.
                

Peter Kortegast says “We need to get over the view that walking is a poor form of travel.  Walking is good for your health, great for the environment, and connects you with your local community.  We have an entire generation of children who have been deprived of the fun of walking to School.  I heard a young child tell me after her first walking trip to school that ‘I feel as tall as the sky tower now Mum trusts me to walk to school by myself”

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