Hamish Germann said that there had been five crashes over the last three years.
Hamish Germann said that there had been five crashes over the last three years.
Questions are being asked about the safety of a rural road which is involved in a cycleway planned from Te Awamutu to Pirongia.
Paterangi Road resident Hamish Germann says the road has become increasingly dangerous.
“When we were kids, we would ride up and down this road but now even with a cycleway put in I don’t think it would help the safety in the area and I wouldn’t even let my three children ride on it in this area,” he said.
The proposed route for the track is to cross pass Paterangi Road near the Mackay Access Road intersection. Germann says there have been five crashes in the area in three years.
A recent crash a couple of weeks ago resulted in a power pole being replaced for the second time in two years. Germann said three other crashes ended with vehicles crashing through his fence and onto a paddock.
He is not confident in the council deliberation phase and says that they have prioritised building the track over finding the safest route.
Waipā District Council says there have been overtaking and “loss of control” crashes on this road, which are typical of busier rural roads.
At present, they are in the early planning stages of the Ngā Roto – Te Awamutu Section of the cycleway.
Engineering solutions to address safety concerns and safe zones for cyclists would be considered during the design phase, the council says.
The council is still working to acquire land for the project. The track and design are expected to cost more than $4 million.
Germann said that options such as limiting the speed and building an underpass for cyclists could work – but he fears that will be too expensive.
