15th Ave widening approved

Terry Leaming, proved right after ten years. File photo.

Terry Leaming's suggestion for widening 15th Ave to reduce the evening congestion is being supported by the city council Transport Committee.

Terry's, also known as Hori BOP, suggestion that 15th Ave be widened to four lanes past the Grace Road intersection has been taken up the committee and is recommended to the council for approval.

Speaking in the meeting's public forum Terry says he totally agrees with everything the consultant says in the report.

'He's right because I'm right,” says Terry.

'I've been saying it for the last ten years. He's basically said exactly what I have said for the last ten years, almost in entirety.

'It'll cost us $100,000, but we have got it. I could have done it for a couple of pies and a cup of coffee, but nevermind.”

The only thing he disagrees with is the lack of a need for four laning between 13th Ave and 15th Ave on Fraser Street.

'I disagree with that. I think it's a real pinch point and that needs to be addressed.”

Stage 1 from Fraser St to Burrows St - seeks to improve traffic flows for vehicles heading towards Welcome Bay. This solution will help reduce the regularity and intensity of congestion in the evening peak. Stage 1 is low risk and could be delivered during 2018/19 at a preliminary estimated cost of $2.5m.

Stage 2 from Cameron Rd to Fraser St - complements Stage 1 and widens this section of 15th Avenue from two-lanes to four-lanes. It is anticipated that the additional city bound lane will be a bus/high occupancy vehicle lane. Stage 2 also includes improved pedestrian and cycling facilities and includes restrictions on the use of side roads.

It's considered a medium risk project that will cost approximately $10m. Construction could start after the completion of the NZTA's Bay Park to Bayfair (B2B) project.

Current timetable is for the projects to be included in the Draft Long Term Plan to be adopted by Council in November. The final LTP will be adopted in mid-2018, with construction of stage 1 starting mid-2019.

Evening peak hour congestion where two lanes merge between Fraser Street and Grace Ave creates a choke point that traffic studies show is influencing the whole performance of the city's roadworks in the area including Cameron Road.

The reported crash history in this area is also high. There have been a number of pedestrian and cyclist crashes in the area which, as well as having a high social cost, indicates the network is not safe enough to encourage more walking and cycling.

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12 comments

Ratepayers won't object to this.

Posted on 16-08-2017 08:27 | By Papamoaner

More congestion space for their toys.


HEAD IN SAND COUNCIL

Posted on 16-08-2017 08:35 | By tabatha

Our TCC seems to run on a head in the sand attitude, let us build big buildings and have our name associated with it, however they are quite content to let traffic jams slow the flow of traffic. As far as 15th Avenue goes the first fix needs to be the two lanes that run from around about Devonport Rd towards Cameron Road need to be fixed urgently as cars go from a two lane heading Northwards to one and then back to three. Crazy.


Pointless

Posted on 16-08-2017 10:32 | By Chris

Until Council puts the Turret St bridge into the 10 year plan, all of this spending is completely pointless. Stop sucking your sour grapes over Govt taking away this project, it's GONE. Council need to step up and fund this critical infrastructure.


AND what happens?

Posted on 16-08-2017 11:06 | By The Caveman

When the TWO lanes from Fraser Street get to Burrows Street ! ONE lane. All the two lanes (Fraser Street to Burrows Street) will do is provide two lanes of afternoon peak hour "parking" for vehicles , while they wait to filter into one lane from Burrows Street to Turret Road, across a ONE lane bridge and up to Welcome Bay. The same applies the other way in the morning one lane across the bridge and Turret Rd to Burrows Street followed by two lanes of "parking" awaiting to get through the 15th Ave / Fraser Street intersection. Solution - two lanes ALL the way, both ways Fraser Street to Welcome Bay.


Real Deal

Posted on 16-08-2017 11:23 | By MISS ADVENTURE

NZTA were to pay for all of this, as promised by PM Key in 2008, dont know why TCC is involved in all of this, its all NZTA as part of the completion of teh Welcome Bay Tunnel job. Typical TCC ends up paying for something overdue to be done and that someone else shoudl be paying for.


Oh the logic!

Posted on 16-08-2017 11:24 | By penguin

So we widen the road from Fraser to Burrows which will have the effect of simply moving the pinch point closer to the causeway - a structure limited to 2 lanes. Imagine the chaos then!


1 hour a day

Posted on 16-08-2017 12:25 | By just do it

What is the big problem??? 1 hour a day people have to wait for some traffic.People need to go over to Europe or the USA if they want to see traffic.15th ave traffic is like a Sunday afternoon drive in a lot of places in the world


@ The Caveman, penguin

Posted on 16-08-2017 16:00 | By MISS ADVENTURE

Hey guys to are really aiming way to high for the Councillors to keep up with that level of thinking. all they want is the pile of traffic banked up to be shifted over their horizon (very small) and out of sight over the hill so dont "have to see it" so dont have to think about it. This is all part of the short-sighted issue that the majority suffer from. Of course the pinch just shifts over the hill and out of sight, of course that is all they are thinking of, nothing more.


@Just do it

Posted on 16-08-2017 16:10 | By Papamoaner

You are quite right. Manila would have to be the worst


How about this??

Posted on 16-08-2017 16:35 | By inthweedz

They need a 4 lane expressway from the Welcome Bay side of the bridge (from where there are two lanes each way) to follow the water's edge, all the way into the rail bridge/Strand area in downtown, with two or three exits along the way onto Devenport..


Just moves traffic congestion to further down the road

Posted on 16-08-2017 17:20 | By Angel74

when all the traffic has to go onto the bridge............does anyone think before they spit out ideas of how to fix gridlock issues i dont think so.......


This

Posted on 18-08-2017 09:47 | By Capt_Kaveman

road is 10 years behind and it also stupid to send the state highway over the bridge as it should have stayed on this route,i hope Terry is in support of leaving the trees behind


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