The pop up cycleway on Wilson street
The Streets for People campaign in Cambridge will soldier on, Waipā District councillors have decided.
They decided at their full council meeting this week that the wave of negative responses to the project’s trial period rolled out earlier this year was more to do with aesthetics than the concept.
Ahead of the meeting several changes had already been announced – notably that the unpopular pink and blue dots at intersections would be driven out.
Traffic on Duke St has been restored to two lanes following complaints from emergency services.
While the trial is over many of the projects implemented at the moment will remain temporarily until better solutions can be found.
Councillor Susan O’Regan said that while it was important to “soldier on” with the road safety implementation better work needed to be done in its execution and what works for the community.
Many councillors did seem to be in agreement that while a lot of negative feedback did come in it seemed to be around the aesthetic of some of the lay outs, with the blue and pink dots rising the most complaints, but that the community were very much behind the road safety improvements.
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk said that it is a matter of “moving forward with the community” and not leaving them out of the process.
Councillors were told schools involved in the project reported it has contributed to lowering speed and had contributed to safer journeys for students walking, biking or scootering to school.
Numbers of students not being driven to school had increased by 10 per cent during the trial.
Waipā road corridor manager Bryan Hudson said the trial could be considered a success as it limited traffic and speeds around troubled areas. He said critical spaces that needed to be fixed have been, with Bryce St and Duke St opened back up to two lanes for emergency services.
Mayor Jim Mylchreest said it was a matter of finding a solution that can somewhat benefit everyone.
“It comes down to that life cycle where we are encouraged to go to school walking or biking and once people get their licence, they want door to door access with a vehicle and then in later life they have to be out walking and biking more,” he said.
“So it’s a matter of finding that right balance.”
Councillors have referred recommendations and amendments to the project to the Service Delivery Committee which is expected to meet later this month.
