Grey Street in Cambridge from Hamilton Road to Williams Street will become cycle friendly in plans confirmed by Waipā council this week.
The layout will eliminate through traffic and substantially reduce motor vehicle volumes around Cambridge Middle School, says Waipā Transportation programme engineer Erik Van Der Wel.
The most significant change will see Grey Street to the north of Hamilton Road turned into a cul-de-sac.
Plans for Grey Street cul de sac
The $600,000 cost for the changes is covered by an agreement between New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the council.
Transport minister Simeon Brown’s recent announcement pulling the brakes on cycling and walking initiatives around the country came too late for the Waipā work which escaped the freeze because the funding agreement was signed and sealed.
Waipā Transportation programme engineer Erik Van Der Wel, left, with deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk, centre, and community board chair Jo Davies-Colley at the end of Grey Street. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Van Der Wel told the council’s Service and Delivery committee this week staff presented three options showing a broad range of street layouts for the Grey Street/ Middle School section of the Cambridge Pathways project. The agreed layout is different to the protected cycleways elsewhere in the project.
The two key reasons behind the decision were the location and desire to retain roadside trees on Grey Street between Hamilton Road and Clare Street. Creating a cycle friendly street required less infrastructure with less cost and disruption to residents.
Students, the public and an online survey gave members of the public the opportunity to provide feedback.
While many of the respondents wanted the pathway extended in Grey Street towards Williams Street, project funding constraints meant this was not possible, said Van Der Wel.
Work should start in July.
