Bike Waikato May 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter from Bike Waikato:
- Hamilton City Annual Plan – Verbal Submissions Tomorrow
- Hamilton CERF Projects Update
- Transition Matamata update
- Reporting Cycle Lane Maintenance
Hamilton City Annual Plan – Come Support!
Thank you to all of our members who joined the call in supporting cycling infrastructure in Hamilton City Council’s Annual Plan.
Bike Waikato will be making our verbal submission directly to Councillors on May 18 (this Thursday!) at 11.10am. If you’re in town and keen to support our message, come to the City Council Chambers in Garden Place. Wear your bike helmet!
Date/Time: 11.10am on May 18
Place: Council Chambers – 260 Anglesea St, Hamilton
Hamilton CERF Project Update
The cycling infrastructure upgrades we are supporting tomorrow include the Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) projects, which are quietly making progress in the background with consultations being carried out by Hamilton City Council. There are 28 projects in total.
Consultation was completed on three of them last year – with the feedback period for a fourth project, Anglesea Street South Bus Stop Upgrade, closing at the end of April. Hayes Paddock and Horsham Downs Road projects are expected to begin consultation shortly.
Council are anticipating the remaining projects will be mostly ready for consultation in June and July. There will also be a small number of projects that require no or limited consultation.
All going to plan, they’re hoping to have started construction on a few of the projects they’ve already consulted on before the end of August 2023. Bike Waikato is optimistic about the programme and we are looking forward to seeing construction begin later this year.
Transition Matamata update
Businesses and young families were among key supporters of a Transition Matamata petition, calling for a comprehensive network for cycling and walking into and around Matamata (also good for those on mobility scooters, kids on skateboards, etc). The petition arose after Matamata-Piako District Council trialled a cycling and walking route, adding new features such as traffic “calmers” and marked crossings. Volunteers from the group got 354 signatures and provided detailed feedback to the council in April, saying the small route trialled was a great start. Transition Matamata co-ordinator Martin Louw says dependence on cars cannot continue at the pace of today if climate change impacts are to be manageable – another great reason to support cycling and walking. He points to other benefits such as reducing air pollution and obesity rates. Business owners and managers particularly saw it as a part solution to the pressing issue of parking in the CBD, which will only worsen with a growing population. They understood the role of such a network to get kids safely to school in a healthy, active way and its contribution to quieter, calmer streets were appreciated. Transition Matamata is part of the worldwide Transition Town movement focusing on sustainability, care for the environment, and local self-reliance.
Consultation on the Matamata Piako Annual Plan is open until May 26, submissions are encouraged.
Issues with Cycle Lanes? Use Antenno
Given the recent extreme weather, many cycleways are full of leaves and some are damaged. Bike Waikato recommends that you use the Antenno app (Android / Apple) to report cleanup and maintenance issues to your local City or District Council, who are committed to responding to all of them.
Once you open the app, click on “Report It” along the bottom and click the plus-button to create a new report.
For issues with bike lanes, you’ll want to select “Roads, footpaths & cycleways”.
Then, select Cycleway damage or obstruction as below. You can also report damage to footpaths/roads etc.
You can attach a photo to your report. Then, you only need to specify the location of the report, a short description, and your details – then click “Submit”!
