Have your say on Cambridge’s transport future
Waipā residents have until 5pm on Sunday, November 22 to help set Cambridge’s transport priorities for the next 30 years, including whether the town should plan for a third river crossing.
The draft Cambridge Connections Transport Plan is open for feedback today. It presents a range of choices - safer walking and cycling routes, improved bus services, parking changes, road upgrades and a possible third river crossing - and asks the community which should come first.
There is plenty on the menu, but Council and ratepayers cannot afford to order everything.
Growth, Strategy and Planning Director Katie Mayes says the choices people make now will help determine which get prioritised.
“We can't build every transport improvement at once. We want to understand which changes would make the greatest difference to the way people travel.”
Cambridge is growing, and its existing roads and river crossings are under pressure. The plan sets the direction and mix of investment choices - it doesn’t commit to delivering everything but will help determine what gets looked at first.
If a third bridge goes ahead, the Mayor and Councillors have identified a mid-west corridor as the preferred option to test with the community.
The possible corridor would connect the Cambridge West growth area with the eastern side of the Waikato River.
No decision has been made to build a third bridge, and the consultation covers the entire draft Transport Plan, including how Cambridge should prioritise other transport improvements.
Have your say by 5pm, Sunday, November 22
- Online: Read the draft plan and summary at waipadc.govt.nz/cc-feedback.
- Email:cambridgeconnections@waipadc.govt.nz
- In person: Attend a community event in Cambridge, Leamington or the surrounding rural areas. Find details at letstalk.waipadc.govt.nz/cambridge-connections/whats-on
- On paper: Pick up or return a feedback form at the Council office or Cambridge Library, 23 Wilson Street. Forms will also be available at community events.
Elected Members will consider what they have heard in December, before deciding whether to adopt the final plan on Wednesday, December 16, 2026.
Adopting the plan will not approve or fund individual projects - funding decisions will be made separately through the 10-Year Plan process where the community can have another say alongside all the other Council activities and priorities.
