Transport Choices
Update January 2024 – Red-light for Stratford's Transport Choices project
Stratford District Council’s (SDC) Transport Choices project to create safe, climate friendly, and alternative travel options for local schools and community members will not be moving ahead.
In October 2023, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi paused making commitments for the Transport Choices programme until they received clear direction of the new government’s transport investment priorities.
In December, the Minister of Transport advised councils that no further funding for the Transport Choices programme will be approved. This includes projects, like Stratford’s, which were put on hold in October.
About Transport Choices
Waka Kotahi is investing millions across Aotearoa through their Transport Choices programme to create easy, safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly ways for us to travel around our communities.
Through Transport Choices, Waka Kotahi is working with local councils to support a low-emissions future for New Zealand. Think cycling networks, walkable neighbourhoods, reliable public transport, and safe school travel.
Improving our travel options in Stratford
Stratford District Council has been successful in receiving Transport Choices funding for our Stratford School Safety Improvement Project. The funding will cover 80% of the project, with a 20% co-funding contribution from the Council. The total value of this project is $7.8M.
This is an exciting development for Stratford. The project will connect our schools through new cycleways and walking paths and will give our kids safe ways to get to some of the great facilities, parks, and playgrounds Stratford has to offer.
Waka Kotahi’s final programme of Transport Choices projects will be confirmed in early December. If Stratford's project is included, physical works will start in late-2023 and we anticipate they'll end in 2024.
The Ministers of Finance and Transport have granted a 12-month extension to all initiatives within the programme to be completed by June 2025.
We’ll deliver the project in two phases:
Phase 1 – Creating safe, healthy, alternative travel options for tamariki and whānau between schools on the west side of Stratford.
- Developing safe walking and cycling paths between the three primary schools and key destinations, including connections between schools, Wai o Rua – Stratford Aquatic Centre, TET Multisports Stadium, and State Highway 3.
- Installing better signage, designated crossing points, and traffic calming measures to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety around Avon School, Stratford Primary School and St Joseph's School.
Phase 2 – Providing safe and accessible crossing points on State Highway 3 and better access between Stratford’s key destinations to the east of Stratford.
- Installing crossings on State Highway 3 to make safe connections between the west and east sides of Stratford.
- Developing safe walking and cycling paths to improve connections from key residential areas to Stratford High School and destinations like the Stratford Bike Park and Whakaahurangi Marae.
Scope of work confirmed by Stratford district councillors
Stratford District Council Elected Members have cleared the path for the town’s Transport Choices School Safety Improvement project to move forward, after the scope of work was confirmed at their latest council meeting on 10 October.
Detailed designs to create safe, healthy, and climate-friendly travel options for Stratford’s future will now head to Waka Kotahi at the end of the month for their consideration and approval. Waka Kotahi’s final programme of Transport Choices projects will be confirmed in early December.
Approved scope of work
In addition to the following plans, Elected Members have asked our Transport Choices team to investigate solutions to improve connectivity where there are gaps in the network.
For more information about our recommendations to council, please read our Transport Choices Decision Report in the October meeting agenda.
Phase 1
Regan Street – Stratford Primary School
Our recommended design was approved by council.
In response to community feedback, our recommended street plan for this area included the following changes to our original proposed designs.
- Added a dual walking and cycling crossing at the Brecon Road / Regan Street intersection
- Added a courtesy crossing near Oswald Place
- Removed the raised platform across Oswald Place
- Added an on-road cycleway from Hamlet St to Portia Street
Regan Street – Hamlet Street to State Highway 3 Broadway
Our recommended design was approved by council.
We recommended our original design for this area. For more information, please read our Decision Report to Council.
Download plan: Regan Street – Hamlet Street to State Highway 3 Broadway
Portia Street - Regan Street to Fenton Street
Our recommended design was approved by council.
In response to community feedback, our recommended street plans for this area included some changes to our original proposed designs.
- Removed the on-road cycleway on the western side of the street (Wai o Rua – Stratford Aquatic Centre, TET MultiSports Centre, Hockey turf side)
- Widened the existing footpath to a shared use walking and cycling path on the eastern side of the street
- Retained the existing angled parking on the western side of the street
- Added two dual crossings at both ends of the street
- Added two courtesy crossings – one outside Wai o Rua, and the other outside the TET MultiSports Centre
- Provided a shared use pathway by the Malone Gates
Download plan: Portia Street – Regan Street to Fenton Street – Drawing 1
Download plan: Portia Street – Regan Street to Fenton Street – Drawing 2
Download plan: Portia Street – Regan Street to Fenton Street – Drawing 3
Download plan: Portia Street – Regan Street to Fenton Street – Drawing 4
Miranda Street – St Joseph’s Primary School
Council approved Option 2 on page 75 of our Decision Report to Council. This option involves converting the existing footpath into a shared-use walking and cycling path.
The below plan, which was our recommended option, does not yet reflect the design approved.
In response to community feedback, our recommended street plan for this area included some changes to our original proposed designs.
- Upgraded existing bus stop to provide parallel parks outside the school
Hamlet Street - Romeo Street to Warwick Road
Councillors have asked for our team to connect Avon School to the Transport Choices network through shared-use paths, instead of continuing with our recommended plans for:
Phase 2
Regan Street (SH43) – SH3 Broadway to Cordelia Street
Our recommended design was approved by council.
We recommended our original design for this area with the change of angle parks to parallel parks. For more information, please read our Decision Report to Council.
Download plan: Regan Street (SH43) – State Highway 3 Broadway to Cordelia Street - Drawing 1
Download plan: Regan Street (SH43) – State Highway 3 Broadway to Cordelia Street - Drawing 2
Fenton Street – SH3 (Broadway) to Cordelia Street
Our recommended design was approved by council.
In our recommendation, we proposed the addition of a raised crossing at Cordelia Street to link to the shared pathway on the street, but this has not been updated in the design plan.
Download plan: Fenton Street – State Highway 3 (Broadway) to Cordelia Street - Drawing 1
Download plan: Fenton Street – State Highway 3 (Broadway) to Cordelia Street - Drawing 2
Juliet Street – Fenton Street to Patea River Bridge
Our recommended design was approved by council.
We recommended our original design for this area. For more information, please read our Decision Report to Council.
Download plan: Juliet Street – Fenton Street to Patea River Bridge
Juliet Street – Patea River Bridge to Celia Street
Our recommended design was approved by council.
We recommended our original design for this area. For more information, please read our Decision Report to Council.
Download plan: Juliet Street – Patea River Bridge to Celia Street
Celia Street – Juliet Street to Swansea Road
Our recommended design was approved by council, with a request for our team to look at whether it’s possible to continue the shared-use path on the east side of the Orlando / Celia Street intersection through the berm, instead of on-road as the following plans show.
We recommended our original design for this area. For more information, please read our Decision Report to Council.
Download plan: Celia Street – Juliet Street to Swansea Road - Drawing 1
Download plan: Celia Street – Juliet Street to Swansea Road - Drawing 2
Not included in the scope of work
Elected Members have chosen not to continue with our proposed plan for Hamlet Street – Regan Street to Pembroke Road and this area will no longer be included in our Transport Choices project.
- Hamlet Street – Regan Street to Pembroke Road - Drawing 1
- Hamlet Street – Regan Street to Pembroke Road - Drawing 2
Elected Members did not approve the following street designs, instead they have requested that our team design a shared-use path on Hamlet Street from Romeo Street to Warwick Road to connect Avon School to the Transport Choices network.
- Celia Street – Miranda Street to Hamlet Street
- Hamlet Street – Celia Street to Romeo Street
- Hamlet Street – Avon Primary School
Due to changes elsewhere in our project, we’ve removed our recommendation to proceed with the following designs. We will instead encourage use of the existing shared pathway on Cordelia to link with the high school:
- Regan Street (SH43) – Cordelia Street to Swansea Rd
- Swansea Road – Regan Street (SH43) to Fenton Street
Got any questions?
Please check out our FAQs. If your question hasn't been answered there, get in touch with our Transport Choices team.
Email TransportChoices@Stratford.govt.nz or call us on 06 765 6099.
