Tauranga transport projects moving forward

Stage two of Cameron Road is one of the two projects council is now looking into. Photo: Daniel Hines/SunLive/File.

Two crucial corridors in Tauranga's transport network will be the focus of new business case studies.

Tauranga City Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency are embarking on two projects to help plan for the future of the city's transport system.

TCC commission chair Anne Tolley says while a lot of residents want existing roads to be widened so they can carry more cars, this is not a long-term solution for the city.

'We want to ensure we have a range of ways people can use our transport system, which means providing for public transport and other active transport modes, as well as building better connected roads.

'It's essential that we have a balanced approach which takes all community needs into consideration.”

These latest projects are business cases which focus on two crucial corridors in Tauranga's transport network: Cameron Road Stage Two (from 17th Avenue to Pyes Pa, excluding Barkes Corner) and 15th Avenue to Welcome Bay out to Ranginui Road. A further business case is getting underway for the SH2/Hewletts Road corridor.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency regional manager system design Jess Andrew says for Tauranga to thrive, people need to be able to move around easily and have a range of choices about how they get to work, connect with family and friends and access services.

'We need to build a modern transport system with a mix of reliable transport options that help keep people and products moving safely.”

Tauranga City Council's transport director Brendan Bisley explains these projects (part of the Western Bay Transport System programme) are an important next step to support growth in the Te Papa peninsula, the planned growth and transport improvements in Tauriko, and improve public transport reliability for people travelling from Welcome Bay.

'A priority is to reduce the need for people to use single occupancy vehicles and make it easier and safer to travel by bus, walking or cycling.

'This work will also build on the construction now underway along Cameron Road.

'The Urban Form and Transport Initiative gave the Western Bay partners a vision, the Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan has given us the 10 to 30-year programme, and it's really pleasing to see these planning steps get underway so we can start to deliver improvements that people are wanting to see across our networks.”

Over the next six months, council will be asking partners, mana whenua, stakeholders and people living in Te Papa (including Greerton, Gate Pa, Merivale and the Avenues), Pyes Pa, Welcome Bay and Maungatapu what they think about future transport options, to help build a clear picture of the best solutions and discuss what impact those solutions could have on their sense of community.

Once the business cases are completed, they will be used to help seek funding from central Government, and, if successful, council can progress with detailed design, in close collaboration with mana whenua, partners, stakeholders and the community.

For more information about these projects, or how to get involved, contact:
Cameron Road (17th Avenue to Pyes Pa) – www.tauranga.govt.nz/cameronroad
Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay – www.tauranga.govt.nz/welcomebay

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13 comments

Business case lol

Posted on 06-04-2022 10:29 | By Slim Shady

As per their own words it’s all about buses and bicycles. Making easier for the very few who use those. They throw in the “safer” obviously, no policy can get off the ground without the obligatory cotton wool. But please stop calling it a “business case”. It completely ignores car drivers and is all about making it more difficult for the majority which flies in the face of economics and business. It’s not a business case, it’s a political movement.


WHEN will they start

Posted on 06-04-2022 10:37 | By Wigan

What is so VERY concerning here is words like "business case study" and "need to build a ..." and "important next step" We are in one of the fastest growing cities in NZ and we do NOT have a viable plan for ANY of our major congested intersections. These studies should have been done years ago as part of the initial growth spurt and the likes of Hewletts Rd and Barkes Corner would probably be near completion by now


No Democracy

Posted on 06-04-2022 11:45 | By Avman

The commission admits that they know what people want, better roads for those that are paying the bill, but the commission will make darn sure the people will not ever get what they want, they will get what they are given and they will damn well like it. By the way Ms Tolley, wider roads are indeed the best flexible all round solution, because they also carry your empty buses as well as cars. Bus-lanes do not provide any flexibility of use like general traffic lanes do.


Moving traffic to alternate roads

Posted on 06-04-2022 12:17 | By waiknot

Removing the toll on route K would elevate a lot of the congestion on Cameron Rd as more motorists would move onto the expressway


Are they for real??

Posted on 06-04-2022 12:19 | By tia

Certainly agree with 'Wigan'. Business cases and any studies should have been done years ago. But what about the congestion on SH29 through the Cambridge Road area? This has been talked about for many many years and still no progress. Oh, perhaps they are still designing the cycle/bus lanes.


Business case.

Posted on 06-04-2022 12:21 | By morepork

It sounds SO professional but it is flawed from the start. The Buffalo buses are totally unsuited for a city like Tauranga. We should have smaller, more agile, responsive, environmentally friendly buses, that can be scheduled to meet demand as it rises. Hong Kong is a perfect example... But the "Business Case" will not even look at this; existing buses are a given. Perhaps they can make a Transport Business Case for steam trains while they're at it... "“We need to build a modern transport system with a mix of reliable transport options that help keep people and products moving safely.” But we don't want any new-fangled ideas that may be difficult for our Engineers and Planners to grasp...


AGREED

Posted on 06-04-2022 13:46 | By Blasta

Totally agree with Wigan and Slim Shady's comments.


Transport

Posted on 06-04-2022 14:12 | By peanuts9

I'm glad to see and hope that public transport gets more consideration this time. Buses are often crowded, do not cover the whole city, start too late, finish too early and do not keep to the timetables. Even before the staff shortages caused by Covid, buses did not always arrive. The planet needs less cars not more of them.


Business case is different to planning

Posted on 06-04-2022 14:31 | By Informed

Usual complaints, even though the people complaining don't understand the process. Planning occurs before a business case must be made for funding from NZTA. Prior business cases have to be resubmitted with NZTA policy changes.


God help us

Posted on 06-04-2022 20:19 | By Informed

As the planet burns, angry Sunlive readers shake their fists as they drive down the road. Not understanding why the planet was coming to an end and still very angry at cyclists (even though the cyclists actually reduced traffic). The lack of understanding and selfishness never fails to leave me speechless.


Informed... Really?

Posted on 07-04-2022 07:47 | By Wigan

It's all very well saying we need a plan before a business case or a cart before a horse! (seems that is what we will be reduced to) What we have here is the classic catch 22! Even if someone comes up with a plan or a business case, never fear - They can just have a policy change to put a stop to it


Burning lol

Posted on 07-04-2022 07:58 | By Slim Shady

There is a political movement that wants everyone to go back to leading a simple, structured, State controlled life. They have managed to convince some gullible souls, particularly the younger generation, that the planet is “burning” and “coming to an end”. Fear politics. It’s the oldest trick in the book. It’s staggering how people fall for this.


Let me decide

Posted on 09-04-2022 21:22 | By Waylor

-Lift Hewletts Road, create on/off ramps and have a zero traffic light corridor from the Eastern Link to Bethlehem -Build an overpass for Elizabeth St onto Takatimu Dr -Bridge on Elizabeth St rail bridge to Matapihi. (PS, I wish Matapihi could be our Central Park) -4 Lane Hairini Bridge -Papamoa East Interchange onto Eastern Link (asap) -Northern Link (without toll) I think we could have lived with the way Cameron Road was for a few years (surely the pipes would have lasted?) and instead, had that energy put on the current major projects to get them out of the way quicker...


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