The one-way exit lane from 14th Avenue onto Turret Road is closing for six weeks as Tauranga City Council tries to find a solution to the congestion in the area.
The exit lane is currently used by large volumes of traffic looking to avoid 15th Avenue and slip onto Turret Road at peak travel times.
TCC considers these vehicles to be creating a ‘stuttering effect', interrupting the flow of traffic all the way back along 15th Avenue, as cars stop to let these vehicles in.
TCC transport manager Martin Parkes says the trial will be an information-gathering exercise.
'We've been looking at several options for 15th Avenue and Turret Road. We've got plenty of data about traffic movements in the area, but now we want to find out what impact the closure could have on the transport network in that area.
'It will effectively turn that lane into a cul-de-sac. I think some of the residents will welcome the closure, as they won't have cars driving past their front doors.”
He believes people will still use 14th Avenue as a shortcut, but they will have to transfer onto either Grace Road or Burrows Street in order to then join the flow of traffic leaving the city.
'We want to know what volume of traffic will do that, compared to those who will use 15th Avenue. The trial will give us a huge amount of data we can then feed into the planning for any future upgrade we do of 15th Avenue.”
In February, the council will be asking the community for their feedback on what they think should happen with 15th Avenue/Turret Road. At the moment, however, the council is focusing on making the city cycle- and bus-friendly.
'We want people to think about the time they travel and the mode they do. We're currently the most car-dependent city in New Zealand – 97 per cent of all journeys around the city are made by private motor vehicles. If people don't change their behaviour, they'll continue to sit in traffic on congested roads.
'We want to understand why people won't get out of their cars and cycle to work or school. It's becoming clear though the engagement process that the facilities aren't yet available to encourage them to change their behaviour.”
The exit-lane from 14th Avenue onto Turret Road will be closed from Monday October 16. For more information visit the council website.
14 comments
More confused thinking.
Posted on 13-10-2017 07:08 | By Cynical Me
Fix the bridge and the rest will look after itself.Stop repeating ad nauseum the rubbish about people and their cars because that is not going to change. After all, buses have the same problem, are less convenient and cost people more. Stop building monuments to stupidity in the CBD and push the office blocks out to the outer area's. Its only status the requires offices to be in town. Stop allowing the building of Tower blocks with NO parking as is currently being done.The world has been sucking at these problems for 100 years and stupid people in charge continue to repeat the same failed behavoir. Silo mentality.
No action
Posted on 13-10-2017 08:46 | By rosbo
Studies and studies, reports and reports! Why all this vast expense and time wasting on the fine details? Look at the broad picture, pick the best and get on with it. There is never a perfect solution anyway
Bollocks
Posted on 13-10-2017 09:04 | By overit
So wont the same thing happen at Burrows and Grace Rd. The bottom of 14th Ave is not a problem.
interesting move.........
Posted on 13-10-2017 09:33 | By Angel74
it will only make the road more congested because there are no options, its use 15th ave and turret road or nothing.
Easy answer
Posted on 13-10-2017 11:04 | By MISS ADVENTURE
Can the huge costly over priced Ivory tower planned for Willow Street as well as all the unnecessary other crap beign contemplated and instead with a bit of the change 4-lane Turret/Casueway that will resolve the congession for sure.
Same old
Posted on 13-10-2017 13:24 | By rastus
The plans for 15th Ave and turret road have been in existence for several years and one can only wonder at how council procrastination has stretched out a sensible decision for so long - then one gets an idea of why sensible development is curbed by those with other misguided unrealistic greenie agendas quote: "At the moment, however, the council is focusing on making the city cycle- and bus-friendly." Get real - people of Welcome bay and beyond are not going to start cycling to and from work and bus services just don't work for the bulk of residents out that way!
Paid
Posted on 13-10-2017 14:03 | By Hunterway
Do these guys actually get paid?too much traffic so lets close a road. DUUUUUUUH!!!Lets not build roads for ever increasing numbers lets just do a just do a study.money for nothing over simple mathmatics.The only stutter goin on is in their heads.Noel
Agree
Posted on 13-10-2017 17:41 | By overit
with all the comments - I hope they aren't using Consultants for this as well. Did you read it cost $10million in consultants fees, and still we get nowhere.
What a comedy, TCC brains trust strikes again!
Posted on 14-10-2017 00:31 | By CC8
The problem will just move back up the hill, ..........silly drivers will stop the traffic behind them to let somebody into the line instead of making them wait for the proper flow...GIVE WAY or STOP until the traffic from your right is clear! As long as some let them in, the pushy impatient people will go down 13th and 14th Avenues to "gain some perceived advantage"....whatever that is.... IS IT A RACE HOME?
Complicated responses
Posted on 14-10-2017 08:40 | By LizSignal
There needs to be a bus from Pyes Pa/Welcome Bay to Bayfair.
Shocker
Posted on 31-10-2017 09:44 | By MISS ADVENTURE
It is almost got teh look of deliberate about it, jsut like other roading decisions out of TCC. It is not about best for Tauranga ratepayers it is about what suits some hidden and warped agenda. To create caos and so a related desire to self create a place to be needed in a sick and obsessive type of manner somehow.
Best answer?
Posted on 02-11-2017 21:53 | By MISS ADVENTURE
4-lane it, build the causeway, can the Ivory towers in the CBD.
Cycling and busing HAHAHAHA
Posted on 05-11-2017 22:23 | By Captain Hottie
Do any of those TCC clowns actually live in Welcome Bay?? It's full of hills! It's not flat like Papamoa or the Mount. There's only one road out which can't be widened to put in bus lanes. Here's my solution:1. Widen Turret Road to four lanes. Also put in a proper footpath because it's very unsafe walking along there next to traffic doing 80km/h and cycle hogs. 2. Make 15th Ave into 3 lanes: 2 into town in the morning and 2 out of town in the evenings. Have lane signals. The problem is when traffic has to merge from 2 lanes to 1 all the way up to Cameron Road.3. Keep 14th Ave closed but put lights at Burrows St.
@ Captain Hottie
Posted on 07-11-2017 02:41 | By MISS ADVENTURE
Yes that is about it. Certainly a mess and NZTA have abandonded Tauranga by only doing half the job ... the walk away ...
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