Minister of Transport Michael Wood said the money would fund 397 new or upgraded bus stops, 242 kilometres of cycleway and 11 new bus lanes around the country. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
New bus stops, routes and cycleways are on the cards for local councils around the country, as the government announces $350 million in funding for transport projects .
Forty-six local councils have been selected for funding for their transport projects, intended to encourage people out of private cars and onto buses, bikes and footpaths.
The Transport Choices package was first promised in Budget 2022, and Minister of Transport Michael Wood said at the announcement on Sunday it was all about creating alternatives to cars.
Wood said the money would fund 397 new or upgraded bus stops, 242 kilometres of cycleway and 11 new bus lanes around the country, from the major city of Auckland to the rural town of Stratford in the central North Island.
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said their share of the money would go towards new bus routes and finishing cycling connections on the western side of the city.
"If you’re cycling, of course, you want safe connectivity, so that you can get your whole journey in the safest way possible."The funding was an opportunity to push their changes further and faster, she said, and their current transport network was the product of an ageing city."It’s in good shape, but our city is changing so fast," she said."The need to transition from private vehicles to other modes of transport […]
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