Barriers beefed up on Turret Road trial

The plastic barriers have had to be filled with water to stop people moving them around. Photo: Andrew Campbell

Plastic barriers blocking vehicle access between 14th Ave and Turret Road have been filled with water to prevent people moving them.

But that is not enough, says Tauranga City Council transportation manager Martin Parkes.

'The barriers have been moved several times despite being filled with water to make them heavier, so we're probably going to put in concrete barriers.”

Access was blocked on Monday to see if it would free up peak hour traffic flows on 15th Ave/Turret Road.

But since the trial was initiated on Monday, people have moved barriers and even driven around the ends of them through the bushes, says a nearby resident.

The lane is popular with drivers trying to avoid traffic on 15th Ave and slip onto Turret road at evening peak hour.

It creates a ‘stuttering effect', interrupting the flow of traffic all the way back along 15th Avenue, as cars stop to let these vehicles in, says Martin.

'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.

'The trial is giving us important data that will help us design improvements for the whole area between 11th Avenue and 17th Avenue. We need this data, so the trial will continue for the full 6 weeks as planned.

'It's confirming for us that we'll need to look at using traffic lights to control the Burrows/15th intersection. More people are taking Burrows street, which we anticipated.

'The queue back along 15th and Devonport Road has increased by around 300m, but the traffic flow past the closed road has improved. If people stop trying to use Burrows, traffic will flow better along the length of 15th Ave and everyone will get home a bit quicker.”

So many people have been arriving at the Fraser/15th intersection, that the traffic lights can't cope, so vehicles are not getting through the green light, says Martin.

'To help address that, we'll need to find ways to stagger the inflow of traffic from as far as 11th Avenue and 17th Avenue. We're working on a longer term project to achieve this, which will include signalising the Burrows intersection.

'In the shorter term we have a project going into next year's budget to widen 15th Avenue between Grace Road and Burrows Street. That's an interim fix to help ease the pressure on the Fraser/15th intersection.”

A lot of local journeys through the area have nothing to do with Welcome Bay and Maungatapu traffic, says Martin.

'If we can create conditions that encourage just a 10% shift to other modes of travel, like public transport or biking, it will help make the whole corridor more efficient for everyone to move through. This is at the forefront of our thinking.”

The council will be seeking community feedback on 15th Avenue/Turret Road in February.

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9 comments

Typical..............

Posted on 27-10-2017 07:50 | By The Hobbit

arrogant Kiwi drivers. I'm guessing the people responsible for moving the barriers are the ones who persist and think it is acceptable to queue jump. It's because of such people why we have jams like this all over the region...............Te Puna Station Road/SH2 being another example of such behaviour. Just suck it up people and accept the change!!!


Come on

Posted on 27-10-2017 08:37 | By thebrad

Cars do not stop Martin they slow down I don't think it makes any difference on the flow these cars have to go that way anyway. You need to double lane all of 15th Ave and double lane the bridge. That's all im going to say about that you will not like what I really have to say.


Brad

Posted on 27-10-2017 12:19 | By overit

Got to agree with the Brad re 'stuttering effect'.


Council have lots to do

Posted on 27-10-2017 13:11 | By Kancho

This is hardly news to drivers that people will try and short cut and create problems at it happens everywhere the road allows. In Greerton Cornwall street through to Argyll is used in the same way and traffic slows to a halt from Greerton to Barkes corner. Can take twenty minutes at rush hour. Could walk quicker. Perhaps using route K would be better form town to the lakes but seems being in a queue is better than paying a toll?!! I wonder if another entry point to route K would help mid Cameron road?


hang on a minute

Posted on 27-10-2017 15:34 | By old trucker

maybe Winnie will take away the TOLLS and take it to AUCKLAND TUNNEL that would help pay for all their problems,it seems SILLY to TOLL us and Auckland gets a free $billion tunnel its unfair, really is it not,Martin can block off streets if he wants eh,but not from other people, Turret rd has always been there and makes NO difference to close it, agree with the brad, you are right on,my thoughts only on this, I could solve a lot of TRAFFIC PROBLEMS HERE if ONLY someone (Martin) would listen, me TINKS NOT though,as i have a BRAIN,but i DONOT think this would help, (AS) those people who we pay and will not listen DO NOT have one.Thankyou No1,10-4 out, phew.


Data a decoy @Martin Parkes

Posted on 27-10-2017 17:05 | By Incendiary

Data collection is only the pre cursor to the enevitable closure of turret road. The Burrows street intersection is now hindering the traffic more the the turret road merging traffic ever did. Try making the route k tolls free at peak times and see what that does.


easy traffic

Posted on 27-10-2017 17:37 | By Delboy

it is getting just as bad as Auckland ,the only way to ease it is to 4 lane the roads instead of moaning about it.they seem to have enough money to spend on council and library buildings,help the ones [workers] who are paying rates


Everyone is just using Burrows street now...

Posted on 28-10-2017 13:01 | By Shaun Belcher

Hope im not giving TCC ideas here, but its blatantly obvious everyone is just turning off Burrows Street instead, I was down there yesterday and there was a very fast moving flow of traffic turning off Burrows street onto 15th Ave, and I may add that plenty of drivers were giving way to all this traffic also.


@ Shaun Belcher

Posted on 07-11-2017 21:50 | By MISS ADVENTURE

The next move by TCC will be to place a toll on it, not close it. All traffic decisions made are about creating queues for miles, mor eis better is the motto of TCC traffic muppets. They alter all to suiit that one paln and one aim. All to self justify the need to exist.


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