Hamilton City Council cancels 10 transport projects

Hamilton City Council has voted to remove 10 projects from its 2023-24 transport programme, including four projects intended to improve safety at crossings near schools.

The decision, made at the Infrastructure and Transport Committee meeting on Tuesday, requested council staff cease work on raised safety platforms at existing signalised crossings near St Joseph’s School, Fairfield Intermediate and Primary Schools and Hamilton Christian School.

Construction of a signalised crossing on River Rd near Waikato Diocesan School for Girls was also cancelled.

“Naturally, we are disappointed to have plans halted to install a raised safety platform outside our school,” St Joseph’s Primary School principal Grant Stuart told the Waikato Herald.

“A number of our students use the crossing on a daily basis. The crossing in its current state has become a safety risk due to poor driver behaviour and vehicles speeding down Clarkin Road.”

Stuart said the school would try to work with the council to ensure the project could be completed.

Other projects halted by the council’s decision included the installation of a new roundabout and raised safety platforms at the intersection of Grey St and Beale St, new signalised pedestrian crossings and relocated bus stops at the intersection of Ulster St and Abbotsford St and on Anglesea St between Bryce and London St.

Funding for a 1.3km footpath on the western side of River Rd between Wairere Dr and Comries Rd was reallocated to reconfiguring an intersection and other improvements at Hayes Paddock on Jellico Dr.

Hamilton deputy mayor Angela O’Leary said public feedback and the release of the Government’s policy statement on land transport prompted the council to “relook” at its strategy.

“The new Government has a shift in focus; their funding mechanism is around growth, housing and roads,” O’Leary said.

Hamilton deputy mayor Angela O’Leary said public feedback prompted the council to "relook" at its transport strategy.

“And given our transport projects are funded up to 51 per cent from the Government, we also need to change direction to meet the priorities which come with those funding conditions.

“That is going to at least turn the ship and change the direction for us, as the Government funding comes with those priorities.”

O’Leary said there was “keen interest” in transport.

“Our transport activity has moved faster than before and this has prompted some strong reactions from some people in our community.”

Cancelled transport projects:

• Grey St-Beale St - a new roundabout and raised safety platforms and off-road paths for people on bikes.
• Ulster St-Abbotsford St - a new signalised pedestrian crossing, raised safety platform and relocation of bus stops to become an in-lane bus stop.
• Anglesea St (Bryce St to London St) - new signalised pedestrian crossing, raised safety platform, and the relocation of the bus stop on the eastern side of Anglesea Street to use the proposed new pedestrian crossing.
• River Rd - involved constructing a 1.3km footpath on the western side of River Rd between Wairere Drive and Comries Rd, and two raised safety platforms.
• Silverdale Rd shops - raised safety platform at existing signalised crossing near shops.
• Higgins Rd and Kahikatea Drive - raised intersection.
• River Rd - signalised crossing near Waikato Diocesan School for Girls.

Raised safety platforms at existing signalised crossings were cancelled for:

• Clarkin Rd, near St Joseph’s School.
• Clarkin Rd, near Fairfield Intermediate and Primary Schools.
• Borman Rd, Hamilton Christian School.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering live news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.

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