Thousands of people visit Waiheke Island every year for a chance to get off the beaten track, but now there’s a plan in the works to keep locals and tourists on the right path.
The island has seen an increase in the number of visiting pedestrians and cyclists recently, prompting an examination of the condition of the island's transport infrastructure.
"[The increase in visitors and pedestrians] is a good thing, but many of our roads and pathways are not designed to accommodate them," says Waiheke Local Board Chair Cath Handley.
"The Waiheke Pathways Plan is a 10-year plan to improve our footpaths, roads and trails so it’s safe for people to walk, bike or ride to where they want to go."
Ms Handley says parents with school-age children have made it clear the island’s roads are not safe enough for their children to be able to cycle and walk to school.
"We want the way forward to protect residents and add value to the lives they lead."
The proposed improvements will give more people the choice to walk and cycle whenever and wherever they want.
"We need your feedback, especially around the plan as a whole, the solutions for each type of road we have, and anywhere where we might have it wrong, or have missed something," Ms Handley says.
You can read the plan here, and you can have your say from Monday 26 November until 4pm Friday 14 December here.
