Hutt City Council has secured a share of the Government’s $350m Transport Choices Package for two Lower Hutt projects aimed at providing safer, cleaner, and greener modes of transport.

The two projects have received $17m from the fund to progress, covering up to 100 per cent of the costs. The first project, the "Magic Triangle", aims to improve safety and encourage more sustainable forms of transport from Naenae, Taitā and Avalon linking to the Beltway Cycleway.

The second project will improve walking, cycling and public transport connections through Lower Hutt city centre. This will complement the upgraded streetscapes, new riverside routes and walking and cycling bridge across the river to the new Melling train station.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says this funding will help enable more active transport across the city, while minimising the cost for Council.

"Like other major cities, Lower Hutt is facing some big transport challenges: congestion, a growing population, and the impacts of climate change. This funding will enable us to progress critical work to create safer, healthier, more sustainable and more accessible alternatives for residents to move around Lower Hutt.

"We have secured record Government funding for projects in Lower Hutt over the last three years, and this new funding will further reduce the burden on ratepayers as we progress important transport projects across our city," says Campbell Barry.

Meetings with local groups and community leaders will begin in early 2023. The community will then have opportunities to provide feedback and agree on any changes.

The Transport Choices package is part of the Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and is an ambitious programme of work that will open streets and help people in communities across the country get to where they need to go safely and efficiently.

Transport Choices funding is currently indicative until Waka Kotahi works with Councils to explore how projects can be progressed in line with Transport Choices timeframes. Funding allocations may be adjusted after this consultation.

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