8 December 2014

Time to have your say on Hawke’s Bay’s roads and public transport

Hawke’s Bay people are being encouraged to have their say on what the region’s transport systems should look like in the future.

The drafts of the Regional Land Transport Plan and Regional Public Transport Plan have just been released for public comment.

The Regional Land Transport Plan looks at what needs to be built or improved on Hawke’s Bay’s roads in the next ten years to help the region prosper and to improve road safety.

A number of new construction projects have been outlined in the plan and HBRC wants to hear what the public thinks. These projects include improving State Highway 2/ Napier Road intersection, the Whakatu Arterial Link, improving the Hawke’s Bay Expressway at the Pākōwhai/Links Road intersection and improving traffic flow and safety to and from the airport. They also include further cycleways for the region.

Meanwhile the Regional Public Transport Plan looks at the future needs of bus passenger services around Napier and Hastings and schemes to ensure the mobility of people who find it difficult to drive or use public transport. The draft plan aims to focus on fine tuning the changes made to services during the last few years, which have seen more people than ever using goBay public transport.

The plan also considers services to new residential areas, later services and a faster direct service between Napier and Hastings if/when funding becomes available.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Transport Committee Chairman Alan Dick says both plans aim to help deliver better transport options for the region.

“I encourage people to let us know whether they agree with the strategic focus of both plans and whether our priorities are the right ones,” says Councillor Dick.

The plans are available to view on the HBRC website or at the region’s libraries. To request a copy simply contact HBRC. The public has until 23 January 2015 to make a submission on either or both plans.

ENDS

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