Cambridge and Kihikihi have undergone a transformation in recent years.
Promoted as being for the benefit of our "growing" communities, Waipa District Council has closed roads, installed speed bumps and removed car parks, all done to increase safety for - well, everyone apparently!
Congestion happened immediately. And I seriously mean immediately!
With the usual alternative routes (also known as feeder roads) out of the equation, drivers had no choice but to join the ever growing queue of vehicles trying to navigate the only accessible roads still linking our streets together.
Push back was instantaneous - so quick in fact, that WDC restricted or disabled comments on their facebook page.
More people are leaving these two towns to go shopping. That is bad news for our local economy.
More people are moving away. That is bad news for every part of what makes our district amazing.
More people are suffering from the financial cost of driving over the myriad of speed bumps. Traffic calming it isn't!
Speaking of traffic calming - ostensibly to keep the cyclists safe (who now have their own multi million dollar separated cycleways) - how does ‘speed up, slow down, speed up, STOP!! calm anyone down?
Questions continue to be asked about traffic management/control and why it's been implemented.
Here's the excuses (reasons) so far…
Safety (raised courtesy crossings on blind corners), environment (removal of trees and foliage, plus the extra travel everyone has to do), growth (WDC already admitted it isn't happening), climate (those emissions aren't going down with extra travel times and the stalled traffic), free money (tax payers paid for the whole lot!), community asked for it (less than 1% of the district bothered to submit. That means even less asked for it).
Control…
It has left our first responders in a dreadful position as they battle to get through more traffic with less space and no escape routes.
Some of our elderly residents have retreated inside their houses for fear of getting caught up in the chaos.
None of this needed to happen. Cambridge welcomed Oaklands, St Kilda, Twin Willows,and Norfolk Downs (none of them have speed bumps, raised courtesy crossings or cycleways), without having to change the interior of the town.
Kihikihi is a village, not a metropolitan city.
Instigating a social experiment for our rural service centres has caused nothing but chaos for these communities.
And there is more to come - How much more can you take Waipa?
