$50k on bus interchange options

Not cast in stone - the Durham St bus interchange site may remain as car parking. Photo: Supplied.

Tauranga City Council is widening its scope of the future site of a central city bus interchange and has agreed to spend $50,000 on looking at more options.

The decision to place a new interchange at the Elizabeth Street end of Durham Street was made after considering only on-street options, says transport planning engineer Clare Cassidy's report.

That report considered an area of the City Centre from Cameron Road to The Strand between First Avenue and Harington Street, with a number of locations discounted because of inadequate space to accommodate the required number of buses.

Other locations failed because they didn't meet key environment, customer and operational criteria – mainly there wasn't enough room.

The available street wasn't long enough or wide enough for the number of buses the regional council is indicating it needs according to the new blueprint.

The review identifies two on-street locations for a longer term bus interchange; Durham Street - between Spring Street and Elizabeth Street, and the existing location in Willow Street.

After realising the interchange wouldn't be temporarily relocated for demolition works, staff were directed to consider specific off-street locations under the new Harington Street car park building, or under the proposed Civic Campus.

Internal work to identify potential off-street locations is underway. Abley Transportation Consultants will be engaged to do the strategic work and undertake an assessment of the sites identified to determine preferred options

The investigation is brought forward from the 2018/19 financial year because the future location of the City Centre bus interchange has an impact on a number of Heart of the City projects, including the streetscape projects that are currently in concept or design stages and the new civic administration building.

'Bringing forward additional investigation work on a preferred location and format for the City Centre bus interchange to the 2017/18 financial year ensures the opportunity to combine the interchange with other projects is properly considered before options are closed out,” says Clare.

'Earlier investigation will also ensure that Heart of the City projects can be developed with the routing of buses through the City Centre and the interchange location understood, reducing the risk that costly re-designs or changes to constructed projects will be required.”

The investigation includes sites outside the CBD, but there remains a need for the central city interchange because of the changes of service. It's the connection between the Mount/Papamoa services and Tauranga suburban/CBD buses.

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12 comments

Ok

Posted on 01-02-2018 14:15 | By overit

so they are going to stop traffic in Durham St for the University. Now they want to meddle with Elizabth St. Here's an idea, make Durham St the bus interchange and have foot traffic too. Seriously I can see they want all cars out of the CBD, because it will be shite to drive in. Basically Devonport Rd will be the only feeder. They want vibrancy, design Durham St to be just that.


Consultants

Posted on 01-02-2018 14:54 | By maildrop

Another $50k. Throwing it at consultants like it's confetti.


You are joking me

Posted on 01-02-2018 16:08 | By Told you

Why do we employ staff at the TCC when they are incapable of coming to a decision as to what do down town?,Why do we need high priced consultants?Got me beat.


Harrington Street parking building

Posted on 01-02-2018 17:00 | By MISS ADVENTURE

A good option, gets the buses out of thw conjested Willow Street area. Have the land already and to retian the limited parking already simply add back on the two levels removed in a knee-jerk crazy fashion last year. Great place to do it and shouldnt be much in the way of "stupids" in the way to stop it. Add to that TCC could lease the area to RBOP, add a bit of decent revenue to the place for a change.


Please ....

Posted on 01-02-2018 17:43 | By Kendra

consider the layout & location of Hamilton bus station. We could replicate that somewhere suitable in our own fair city. Why not the entire block opposite Baycourt where there's currently a carpark area.


here we go again

Posted on 01-02-2018 19:43 | By old trucker

Agree with MISS ADVENTURE, Golly gosh TCC going to spend $50,000 to have a look,me tinks that it is probably all signed off, like shed for all the rubbish thats been stored for yrs in a hidden location,costing MEGA BUCKS to store,me tinks there could be a conflict of interest in who owns the building and CREAMING IT, could Sunlive being NO1 for news and winning same ask TCC to have a look where it is, this would be awesome,all these buses running 7 days a week with hardly anybody in them and one big yellow bus with one kid from Town to Matua and come back empty, NO BUSES should run after 6pm,and by the way WHY can they not use 15 seater buses and save $thousands a year on costs running those big over sized yellow rubbish,my pennies worth,Sunlive Thankyou, 10-4 out. phew.


Open your eyes

Posted on 01-02-2018 20:44 | By Sg1nz

These comments always scare me. It's like the people commenting have zero business experience. Why do almost all businesses use consultants or third parties? Because you don't what to pay a specialist all year, when you only need their specific expertise for a week or two each year. Would you rather add another 40/50 staff at a cost of ~$5-6M pa. or spend ~$200k on consultant. Simple business.


@Sg1nz

Posted on 02-02-2018 10:04 | By Told you

Could you please explain why the TCC employs people with no expertise in town planning? And why get 40 to 50 extra staff , cant understand your thinking.


Told you

Posted on 02-02-2018 19:21 | By Sg1nz

I assume that your question was meant as a joke. Because I assume that no one could be as silly as to ask it. That or you are a self appointed town planning expert. If you look at the last release council staff breakdown - 2016 I believe there are less that 2 or 3 town planners. Yet you seem to expect TCC to have a staff of bus experts, when TCC don't even run the bus service. Where is your logic.


@ Sg1nz

Posted on 03-02-2018 18:58 | By Told you

Got me, you are too smart ,I should have known better than to clash with a intellect.


Bus levy

Posted on 03-02-2018 19:28 | By Told you

If as stated that the TCC has nothing to do with Bay bus service how come we pay 2 million in our rates?


A dose of reality for Sg1nz and others

Posted on 03-02-2018 21:44 | By Murray.Guy

Maildrop, you're closer to the truth than Sg1nz. Sept 2017 consultants identified Durham Street as the best location, and now someone in the shadows is manipulating outcomes again. In early 2011 Consultants identified Durham Street as the preferred location, the Staff, Mayor and elected members, by majority, ignored their BECA recommendation and obvious common sense, and chose Willow Street, spending a $million on upgrades. Consultation and feedback was corrupt and manipulated, petitions filled in outside the library entrance citing Willow Street as critical for library users! The who process was a sham (as with most consultation), and NOTHING has changed! Do a bit of google research.


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