Road no place to walk safely | Auckland News | Local News in Auckland

This Piha mum is taking the lead to ensure her kids arrive at their destination in one piece, writes Joanna Davies

Sara Carbery wants to walk to her neighbour's house without worrying about being hit by a car.

She doesn't allow her two children to walk to their friends' houses by themselves because the roads through Piha are too dangerous, and the only place for pedestrians to walk is on the road.

``There is more traffic now than there was even five years ago, and it is so dangerous for people to be walking along the roads,' says Ms Carbery.

She's not just taking it. She has started a Walk Safe in Piha scheme with a group of residents and will ask Waitakere City Council for a solution.

``There's just been an amazing amount of support from the community for more walkways. Some places around Piha are quite isolated and the only way to get to the village is by walking on the road.

``We want to get something in place before an accident does happen.'

She says near-misses occur too often, with cyclists and mothers with prams being clipped by cars.

``A young mum and her baby were knocked off her bike recently and, luckily, neither were hurt, but it really shows how dangerous it is for people to move around the village.

``We don't want to build lots of white concrete and kerb footpaths, but maybe some walking tracks or boardwalks along the edge of the road where people can walk safely, and it would be great to link them with some of the bush walks.'

In Waitakere City Council's Piha Reserve Management Plan, the council states that providing more pedestrian access should be encouraged.

But Ms Carbery points out that the plan was adopted in 2000, when the traffic wasn't as bad as it is now.

``On summer weekends we have 6000 visitors in 2000 cars, which is much more than five years ago.'

Ms Carbery is lodging a submission with the council's long-term council community plan to raise funds for the walkways.

Waitakere City councillor Paul Mitchell says her plea is likely to attract council support.

``The Waitakere ward doesn't really get a fair share of the funding for things like footpaths, and it's an area with some of the most dangerous roads,' he says.

``The community has given this project a lot of thought and it has the community board's support.'

For now, though, Ms Carbery will follow her kids ``like a mother duck' down the road until it becomes a safer place to walk. 23 04 2009