The Government has proposed new 'Reshaping Streets' legislation to make it easier for councils to transform streets by so that they can be better places for active forms of travel, better support public transport, and enable improved urban spaces.
Minister for Transport Hon Michael Wood said “we need to make it safe, quicker and more attractive for people to walk, ride and take public transport in our towns and cities across Aotearoa New Zealand.”
“People live, shop, and meet with friends and whānau on our streets – but many streets in New Zealand do not allow them to do this safely and easily. Some of the rules for managing streets are fifty years old and outdated. That’s why we’re moving to update them, to reflect people’s needs and give communities new ways to be involved in changes that affect them.”
“These changes will also help New Zealand meet our emissions reduction targets, reduce deaths and serious injuries from transport, and improve health and wellbeing,” Michael Wood said.