Hairini bus lane opens tomorrow

This is one way to improve bus travel times.

A new dedicated city-bound bus lane from Hairini Street onto the Hairini causeway will be operational from tomorrow morning.

The new bus lane will allow buses to take an uninterrupted trip from Hairini Street onto the causeway toward the Hairini bridge and Turret Road.

Martin Parkes, Tauranga City Council's transportation manager, says its one way to improve bus travel times.

'This is the first bus lane on our local road network, one of several opportunities that we've been looking at to help improve bus travel times in the city. It's a significant first step.”

The bus stop on Hairini Street will reopen for people to use. Walking and biking access down Hairini Street remains open.

Access through Hairini Street will stay closed to general traffic for the foreseeable future.The end of Hairini Street was closed for public safety reasons on June 25.

NZ Transport Agency and Tauranga City Council will continue to monitor traffic conditions as part of the Maungatapu underpass project.

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3 comments

Just a few sandwiches short

Posted on 05-07-2018 20:18 | By backofthequeue

According to the current Baybus schedule this dedicated bus lane will service 2 routes and a total of 4 buses per hour. Such is the unrealistic ideology of Tauranga Councils' transportation department we now have a new bus lane that could just as easily serve as a potential harbourside picnic site. There is something seriously wrong with this "penalise the majority" mentality at work here.


Another great idea!

Posted on 05-07-2018 22:31 | By whoswho

Another fantastic idea by some skilled up university desk jockey! Maybe they want to attempt getting out of Ohauiti at 6:30 in the morning and see how much of a balls up closing hairini rd is. Millions of dollars and no one I talk to has seen an improvement on traffic flows to welcome bay or Ohauiti. I'm sure their studies will show otherwise though!


Why?

Posted on 06-07-2018 09:01 | By WestieMum

Why a dedicated bus lane that runs such a short distance - like that's going to make such a HUGE difference to the travel time, for a couple of buses an hour! REALLY? If Hairini is going to be closed to through traffic, then make the left lane coming out of welcome bay a left, straight AND RIGHT turn, making the right hand lane a RIGHT TURN ONLY. At least the Ohauiti traffic can then use both lanes to get around the roundabout, which may help them exit Ohauiti Road a bit better. But of course then the right laners will want to merge to the left to head into the city, so that will cause a bottleneck. Perhaps the intersection at Ohauiti/WBay Rds need to be changed so that Ohauiti folk can right turn to come down to use the underpass...???


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