The final Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 has now been released.
The Government has released its draft Setting of Speed Limits Rule, which rolls back many of the changes made under the previous Government that were designed to make our roads safer for everyone by reducing vehicle speeds.
A Backward Step For Everyone Who Walks
With all the damage oversize vehicles, such as SUVs and double-cab utes, cause, should they be banned altogether? That was the provocative question a journalist asked us recently for her article The case to ban SUVs. And the new End Urban SUVs campaign is also focused on this issue.
Living Streets Aotearoa is calling on the Government to develop a New Zealand Walking Strategy. We are faced with many global and local issues that would be improved if more people walked more often and yet there is no coordinated action to increase walk mode share or maintain the current conditions for pedestrians. Living Streets wants to see Government step up in a coordinated cross-agency way to improve walking and the place of pedestrians in policy, plans and action to benefit society and the places we live. We urgently need a future focused Aotearoa New Zealand Walking Strategy.
Seven walking advocates, activists, practitioners, planners and academics have been working together on the important issue of how New Zealand can reverse the national decline in walking to school. We’ve come up with 24 recommendations that we’ve sent to the Associate Minister of Transport, Ms Julie Anne Genter. We’ve also copied in Ministers of related portfolios such as health, education, sport and recreation.
3 April 2018
Government walks the talk in its new GPS
Walking advocacy group Living Streets Aotearoa welcomes the Government’s new transport and funding priorities set out in the Government Policy Statement on Transport.
This Government has heard Living Streets Aotearoa by putting money where everybody’s shoes go. The funding burden for footpath maintenance will now be shared between local and central government under the local roads maintenance class. The walking and cycling activity class has seen a 248% increase which it desperately needed.
Kia ora Minister
Congratulations on your new role and wishing you every success as we move towards a sustainable climate-friendly future.
Walking has many benefits that will help us on this journey, including:
Living Streets Aotearoa submission on the Government Policy Statement on Transport asks for some significant changes to the Policy that determines the funding for the New Zealand land transport system. The proposed GPS continues years of non-funding for walking and pedestrian activity with a heavy bias towards state highway funding. Our submission recommends the focus for the New Zealand transport system must be people-centred to support a healthy life and sustainable activity for all.
Living Streets Aotearoa is the New Zealand organisation for people on foot, promoting walking-friendly communities. We are a nationwide organisation with local branches and affiliates throughout New Zealand.
We want more people walking and enjoying public spaces be they young or old, fast or slow, whether walking, sitting, commuting, shopping, between appointments, or out on the streets for exercise, for leisure or for pleasure.
