Have Your Say on Buses, Roads, Speeds, Cycling and Walking

Your feedback will help us with planning and delivering transport throughout Taranaki now and into the future.  It will help us to draft proposals over the next few months that we will then bring back to you later in the year.

Have your say today on the future of transport in Taranaki. Head here(external link) to fill out the survey or make a comment on the interactive map. 

The survey includes sections on your vision for transport, your views on road safety and managing speeds, cycling, walking and public transport. You can comment on the same topics on the map plus anything else you want to tell us about. 

You can take part between 15 March to 30 April and there is one $200 Prezzy Card up for grabs for one lucky participant. 

The road ahead:

• March-April 2023: Feedback sought on public transport, cycling and walking, the long-term vision for transport and road safety and speed management.
• October-December 2023: Public consultation on district councils’ speed management plans and Better Travel Choices for Taranaki strategy.
• January-March 2024: Public consultation on Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP).
• March 2024: Hearings to finalise RLTP.
• April 2024: RLTP submitted for approval by Waka Kotahi.
• 1 July 2024: RLTP comes into effect.

Better Travel Choices for Taranaki
This new strategy is being developed by the Taranaki Regional Council. It will incorporate walking, cycling and public transport and replaces two out-of-date documents (the Regional Walkways and Cycleways Strategy and the Taranaki Regional Public Transport Plan). An important part of this document will be to guide the region’s public transport network and development plans for the next 10 years. Feedback received during March and April will shape the drafting of this document before the public has an opportunity to have their say on the draft strategy in October to December 2023. 

Speed Management Plans
A speed management plan is a state highway, regional or local (territorial authority) plan that outlines a 10-year vision and a three-year implementation plan for a whole of network approach to speed management. It should address safe and appropriate speed limits, infrastructure and speed cameras. For our region's local roads, they are put together by New Plymouth District Council, Stratford District Council and South Taranaki District Council. Feedback on road safety - including speed - between March to April will be used to shape these plans as well as consultations by the councils on their interim speed management plans. The public will be consulted on the speed management plans between October and December 2023.  

Regional Land Transport Plan
All of the above plans will feed into the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). This is prepared by the Taranaki Regional Council and is a strategic document that provides direction to land transport in the region and sets out how the region proposes to invest to achieve its objectives. The public will be consulted about the RLTP between January to March 2024 before we hold hearings on the plan in March 2024. An important role of this document is asking for co-investment from Government for land transport activities in the region - such as public transport, road maintenance, and cycling facilities. This document needs to be submitted to Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency and comes into effect on 1 July 2024. 

In Taranaki, as in much of Aotearoa, we rely heavily on private motor vehicles to get around. We now know how bad this is for the environment’s health, and the long-reaching impacts that climate change will have. This car-centric lifestyle has evolved over many decades, and will take time to change. 

Where we can, we need to either reduce how much we travel or change how we travel – most likely a combination of both for each of us.  Generally, it is more feasible for people in urban areas than those in rural areas who live further from services and amenities.

A shift to low emission transport options is essential to reduce carbon emissions. Rethinking how we travel and developing a network that makes it safe, convenient, and attractive to walk, cycle and take a bus for day-to-day trips is vital to making that change.

We don’t expect everyone to walk, cycle or bus every trip, but it we can enable enough people to change from their private vehicle for more trips, transport generated emissions will be reduced. We also need to improve the road safety for all residents, regardless of how they choose to get around our region.

Clearly, funding is not limitless, so it is impossible to have bus routes and walking/cycling paths everywhere we may want them throughout the region, so councils will need to prioritise what to do, and when, based on community desire/need. 

Climate change is posing an urgent challenge to the resilience of our communities, and recent events are a clear reminder that we must maintain our focus not only on the immediate needs of rebuilding, but also on our increasingly urgent response to reducing emissions and building healthier and safer communities.

TRC transport planning documents: link

South Taranaki District Council: Road Speed Review(external link)

Stratford District Council: Roads and Transport(external link)

New Plymouth District Council: Transportation(external link)