The Transport Minister says parents will still be able to drop their children off near school under the Government's new roading proposals.
Under the Reshaping Streets plan sent out for consultation this week, the Government is proposing to give local authorities new powers to change street layouts. The intention is to make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.
One idea is to make it easier for road controlling authorities (RCAs) to establish what are called School Streets, which "restrict motorised traffic outside schools during school drop-off and pick-up times". These may also be extended to other nearby areas "so that children have a clear, safe route to walk, cycle or ride a device to school".
The Reshaping Streets consultation document says these have been used overseas to make walking and cycling to school more appealing, improve air quality around schools and reduce accidents.
But there's currently no clear process to allow School Streets, which the Government hopes to change. New signs would also be developed to alert motorists to the special stretch of road.
Transport Minister Michael Wood was asked on AM on Friday morning whether this might restrict parents from dropping their children off at school.
"Not necessarily. What we're talking about here is giving councils the ability to make it safe for kids to be able to get to school, whatever the mode," he replied.
"What we know at the moment is that far fewer kids now walk or cycle to school as they used to when we were all kids. That's because many parents do not feel safe about that. You sometimes see the chaos around local schools that pick up or drop off time."
He expects that "parents who do need to drop their kids off, have a safe and appropriate way of doing that as well".
National's Erica Stanford, appearing alongside Wood on AM, said her children are dropped off at school as they live semi-rurally, meaning there are no footpaths or bus service.
However, she also said she wouldn't want her children walking to school due to concerns about crime.
"You've got crime problems, you've got gang members, you've got people out there with mental health issues who haven't been helped by the mental health system, who are committing crime as well," she said.
"There's a safety aspect to all of this as well. So would you want your child to walk to school? I think the answer is nothing to do with the traffic, more to do with just the fact that you don't feel safe with them walking to school. Many parents say that to me."
But Wood said the biggest risk to children out and about "is in fact traffic risk".
The Government proposes that RCAs could pilot the street changes for up to two years, but wouldn't be required to consult with the local community before this "as the pilot is meant to be used as a method for consultation".The public and emergency services would need to be given a two-week heads-up of any changes.
Among the other proposals in the Reshaping Streets consultation document is making it easier for RCAs to install 'modal filters' like bollards to limit vehicle movement, establish Community Streets where vehicle movement is restricted to make the road safe to meet and play on for certain times, and close streets for functions and events.
The proposals have been branded "radical" by National transport spokesperson Simeon Brown.
"Under this proposal, Road Controlling Authorities around New Zealand will have significantly heightened powers to carve up streets at their own discretion," he said.
"This means less consultation with communities when it comes to creating cycleways, removing on-street car parks, installing speed bumps and reducing speed limits.
"These proposals mean that road users are effectively taken out of the picture. Consultation will instead take place while 'pilots' are already underway."
Wood said in a statement that the proposed changes would help get "the balance right between ensuring we can move people and goods effectively, while making our streets safe for all users".
"These changes will also help New Zealand meet our emissions reduction targets, reduce deaths and serious injuries from transport, and improve health and wellbeing," Wood said.
Consultation on the proposals is underway and lasts until September 19.
