Funding granted to improve Waipawa’s main street
Waipawa's main street is set to get a makeover, with funding granted to develop local solutions to improve its safety and connectivity.
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council has gained funding and support for planning and scoping projects as part of the Streets for People programme, which builds on the Innovating Streets programme established by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency in 2019.
The programme aims to make it easier to create safer, healthier and more people-friendly streets, so everyone can get to where they are going safely.
Mayor Alex Walker says this is an exciting project for Waipawa.
"For years we have known that more could be done to improve the main street in Waipawa for visitors and locals
"We can help reduce our emissions and improve physical, mental and community wellbeing by opening our streets to everyone, making it easier for people to walk, bike or scoot to the shops, school or work.
"The first thing is that we want everyone to be as safe as possible around the state highway. Then we can build on the opportunities that the visitors along that road bring."
This will include planning how we can reduce traffic speeds through town and give people moving around our town centre safe and easy access to both east and west sides of the main street.
The planning, scoping and capability-building stages of the Streets for People programme will span several months.
Council will engage with Waipawa business owners, pedestrians, cyclists, and residents to propose street change projects that will create vibrant, people-friendly places for this thriving community.
They will present a proposal to Waka Kotahi for funding to implement these changes, to be announced later this year.
"The Streets for People programme provides an opportunity to meet many of Central Hawke’s Bay Council’s Project Thrive goals, connecting our citizens across strong and safe communities in an environmentally responsible way," Walker says.
