We heard in our early engagement and residents survey that a barrier to walking and cycling for many people is how safe they feel on our roads.
In the last 10-Year plan we were able to leverage additional funding from NZTA, bringing many walking and cycling improvement projects forward.
However, Central Government is unlikely to provide this funding in the future. This means we would need to fund more of the cost of any further projects through rates and borrowing. There is a high degree of uncertainty about the level of NZTA funding that will be available for walking and cycling projects.
Cycleways, footpaths and shared pathways all play a role in the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, as does the speed of other vehicles on the road. We consulted on our Speed Management Plan earlier in the year, and any changes based on this community feedback will need to be budgeted for.
Our preferred Option A
Modest further investment in improvements to safety for pedestrians and cyclists
We plan to implement the Speed Management Plan with a focus on reducing speeds around schools initially. This would also likely involve speed sign changes followed by progressive changes to other roads over time.
Residential greenways in selected urban areas would be developed to support lower speeds and improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists in areas where higher density development is planned.
A modest investment in new footpaths and shared pathways would address gaps and faults in the walking and cycling networks. This option would also see improvements made to Tasman’s Great Taste Trail to relocate the Wai-iti Recreation Reserve to the Hoult Road section off the State Highway due to safety concerns.
The rates and debt impacts of this option are included in our proposed Plan.
We anticipate receiving NZTA funding towards the costs of providing the walking and cycling projects in this option. If NZTA funding is not provided at the expected level, we will use the Council's funding to undertake walking and cycling projects. However, the amount of work would be reduced by the forecast 51% or $8 million of NZTA funding over 10 years.
In this scenario we will focus initially on maintaining the existing walking and cycling assets and implementing speed management controls outside schools. Other pedestrian and cycling safety improvements would only be carried out to the extent that our funds permit. We expect this to mean little or no increase in either, how safe residents consider the road environment for walking and cycling, or in use of cycle routes.
| Benefits | Costs |
|---|---|
| Existing walking and cycling infrastructure would be maintained and renewed when necessary. | The momentum of walking and cycling improvements developed over recent years will reduce, and we may not achieve the goal of doubling walking and cycling trips by 2030. |
| The cycleways developed over recent years would continue to provide for cyclists. | Upgrades of intersections in Richmond to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians would not take place. This means we wouldn’t maximise the benefit of the existing investment in cycleways. |
| Improved safety from speed management particularly around schools. | |
| Some possible reduction in cars on the roads and associated congestion. | |
| Improved safety on the Wai-iti Recreation Reserve to the Hoult Road section of Tasman’s Great Taste Trail – currently a 100km/h speed zone with very little buffer. |
Operational costs (10 years): $0
Capital costs (10 years): $15.7 million
Rates revenue (all types of rates):
Year 1: $0
Year 2: $0.1 million
Year 3: $0.1 million
Years 4 – 10: $3.1 million
This is equivalent to an average rates cost of $6 (incl GST) per household/business per annum from 2026/2027.
Impact on debt: $6.0 million
Effect on levels of service: ↑
Alternative Option B
Enhanced investment in improvements to safety for pedestrians and cyclists
This would include everything described in option one, with the additional safety improvements made at intersections in Richmond to enable better access for walkers and cyclists, completing the most critical remaining aspect of the key walking and cycling routes outlined in our Walking and Cycling Strategy.
We have estimated receiving $1.2 million of NZTA funding towards improving intersections for pedestrian and cyclist safety in this option. Without this funding, we would not proceed with these projects.
| Benefits | Costs |
|---|---|
| Enhanced safety for cyclists and pedestrians in Richmond where the most acute needs are in terms of safety and access issues in the transport network. |
Higher level of rates and debt. |
| Maximises the benefits of previous investment in cycle lanes in Richmond by providing safety and improved connectivity at intersections. |
Funding from NZTA for these projects is unlikely. |
| Reduced cars on the road. Lower congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions. |
Compared with Option A – Additional rates revenue increase (all types of rates) by:
Year 1: $0
Year 2: $0.1 million
Year 3: $0.1 million
Years 4 – 10: $1.1 million
This is equivalent to an average rates increase of $5 (incl GST) per household/business per annum from 2029/2030 in addition to Option A.
Impact on debt: $1.2 million
Effect on levels of service: ↑
Alternative Option C
Reduced investment in improvements to safety for pedestrians and cyclists
In this option, there would be limited funding available to implement the Speed Management Plan, with only speed limit changes around schools implemented. This option would also mean that there would only be very limited development of residential greenways in higher-density urban areas, and minimal to no new footpaths, shared pathways, and offroad shared pathways. There would also be no funding for improvements to the Great Taste Trail between Wai-iti Recreation Reserve and Hoult Road.
We anticipate receiving $2.2 million of funding from NZTA in this option.
| Benefits | Costs |
|---|---|
| Lower level of rates and debt. | Limited or no enhancement to safety for cyclists and pedestrians. |
| Limited or no further reduction of cars on the road and no congestion benefits from mode shift to walking and cycling. |
|
| Implementation of the Speed Management Plan would be limited to schools, with no expansion to other areas. |
|
| Limited greenways to provide safer streets and improved urban environment around intended areas of growing residential intensification. |
Compared with Option A – Rates revenue reduction (all types of rates) by:
Year 1: $0
Year 2: $0
Year 3: $0
Years 4 – 10: $2.0 million
This is equivalent to an average rates decrease of $2 (incl GST) per household/business per annum from 2024/2025 compared with Option A.
Impact on debt: $4.5 million reduction compared with Option A
