Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Living Streets needed, not roading corridors of death

Draft GPS - Living Streets needed not roading corridors of death

Pedestrian advocacy group, Living Streets Aotearoa, is calling for a more sensible approach to transport than that represented by the Government Policy Statement issued on Monday.

Living Streets Aotearoa President, Andy Smith, says the GPS simply continues the obsession this government has with multi-lane highways and motorways instead of changing the balance to put healthier, happier, cleaner, more economically-rational active and public modes of transport first.

“The increase in walking, cylcing and public trasnport use that would result from higher investment in those modes would achieve the government's objective of freeing up road space for freight and business vehicles without requiring the never-ending massive capital and operational expenditure to expand, renew and maintain more roads.”

“The next generation is choosing smarter ways to conduct their lives than to spend hours driving and we need to ensure the roading environment is one that is safe for them to get about by walking and cycling and by taking the bus or train.”

“The obvious place to start is near schools and other busy places like shopping precincts, sportsfields and hospitals using variable or permanent lower speed limits. International best practice is for speeds to not exceed 30km/h near these locations. The Government is to be commended for the effort it has put into its Safer Journeys Strategy but now it needs to make bolder moves to create a more considerate driving culture in NZ.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Lower speed limits in certain places is the most obvious way to do so. If people feel less endangered as pedestrians and cyclists, they'll be more likely to walk and cycle. That will pay dividends through the health budget as well as well as our transport budget. It's a great shame the GPS has put so little to the modes of transport that should be getting the lions share of funding.”

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.