The New Zealand Transport Agency have admitted to altering traffic light phasing on Hewletts Road in Mount Maunganui following reports that traffic is waiting longer than usual for a green light on Jean Batten Drive and Aerodrome Road.

And one caller to SunLive has owned up to being so frustrated by the wait, he purposely runs red lights in order to avoid delays at the busy intersection.

Traffic light phasing on Hewletts Road have been altered by NZTA. Photos: Bruce Barnard.

'We have been working with Tauranga City Council to improve the flow-efficiency along this major arterial during peak periods by giving Hewletts Road more priority ‘green' time,” says Transport Agency Journey Manager Nigel D'Ath.

'It means vehicles on some of the side roads will have a longer wait to get onto Hewletts Road, but once on the main road travel times should be improved across the board.

'The recent changes are being closely monitored and data collected in order to assess their effect in due course.”

The Transport Agency has been aware for some time that peak traffic volume on Hewletts Road is starting to impact the efficiency of the road, says Nigel. He says Hewletts Road is part of the ‘nationally important' road network.

Ross Darrall works in the affected area, and says it's only streets on the south side of Hewletts Road that are affected.

According to Ross, traffic turning right out of Jean Batten Drive only gets to move only every second phase. Around six vehicles currently make it across before the lights change – provided there isn't a truck and trailer or a tanker in the queue.

Airport traffic going into town has a left turn arrow which operates during every phase.

And at Aerodrome Road on the airport side, about 13 cars get out on every second phase, says Ross.

But it's a different story on the other side of the road, he insists. Traffic leaving Maru Street gets the green light on every phase and there's time for up to 15 vehicles to enter Hewletts Road.

It's the same on the north side of Aerodrome Road. Vehicles can exit on every phase, and some are also short-cutting through Pitt Stop and avoiding the lights altogether.

So far Ross has complained to the mayor and city councillors.

In one of his emails to city hall, Ross says: 'Maybe the council should publicise the change in traffic lights phasing so that residents and commuters can see the council is so good at causing more traffic congestion than there really needs to be.

'If council staff and councillors had to travel out of these roads regularly then I am sure they would be as frustrated as everyone else who uses this intersection.”

Another driver who contacted SunLive, who wishes to remain anonymous, says his frustration has reached the point where if there's nothing coming, he will now jump the red light.

He also says it encourages taking the left turn at Hewletts Road and U-turning at Waimarie Street.

Questions to council's transportation manager, Martin Parkes, were referred to the NZ Transport Agency, who look after the road.

But in an email to Ross he says allocation of green time is based on maximising throughput of traffic for each phase of the lights.

A recent review of the Hewlett's Road corridor highlighted inefficiencies, including too much time being allocated to side roads at certain times of the day.

'Hewlett's Road is one of the most strategically important parts of the city's roading network,” he told Ross, 'and will always receive the highest priority for the most ‘green time'.

'Unfortunately for some drivers, this will be at the expense of side road traffic.

'The recent changes are being closely monitored and data collected via our Traffic Control Centre. Once this information has been analysed, there may be tweaks made to the current signal timings. In the meantime, thanks for contacting us.”

In the council newsletter this week the city council advises:

'Traffic light signalling along Hewletts Road has been adjusted to keep traffic flowing more smoothly during peak hours.

'The new timing only applies from 7am–9am and 4pm–5.45pm when traffic is at its heaviest.

'The trade-off for giving Hewletts Road more ‘green light' time during that period is a longer wait for vehicles that are on the side streets. Council and NZ Transport Agency are monitoring the timing changes and may make further adjustments as needed.”

Questions to NZTA about the resulting unsafe driver behaviour remain unanswered at this stage.

There has also been no response to Ross' question about why it appears only the south side of Hewletts Road has suffered delays.