Fort Street Parking
Waipā District Council has recently approved a plan to formalise parking on Fort Street in Cambridge to help clear the way for ambulances to respond swiftly and safely. The initiative, led by ambulance services provider Hato Hone St John, aims to address long-standing access issues caused by informal parking on the narrow street.
The work includes the following changes:
- Formalising the parking through line markings for approximately 40 marked parking spaces.
- Alternative yellow no-stopping lines on sections of the street where parking will be prohibited, to ensure a clear traffic flow.
- Installation of a marked centre line to improve safety and traffic flow.
- Two P30 time-restricted parks outside the Cambridge Early Learning Centre, and one P120 outside 27 Fort Street (currently occupied by Audika Hearing Clinic) to enable short-term parking.
Background
Hato Hone St John raised concerns over the current informal parking along both sides of the narrow street, which is causing delays in ambulance response times and obstructing swift passage to Victoria Street.
The help address those concerns, council staff came up with a proposal to formalise approximately 40 parking spaces, both parallel and angled, along Fort Street.
The plan aimed to find a solution that ensures ambulances can respond quickly and safely to emergencies while maintaining parking for residents and visitors.
In March, Council consulted with the immediate residents of Fort Street neighbourhood, local businesses and emergency services. The feedback was analysed in April.
Most of the feedback supported the proposal and recognised that though the solution isn’t perfect for everyone, it was important to make it easier for emergency vehicles to get through the street. The community feedback helped further refine and shape the plan.
In May, Council adopted the plan, with the work scheduled to take place early spring.
Watch the livestream and view the full report and plan here.
