He kōrero mā ngā hāpori – community engagement

General

Desire to see faster progress than previous projects on the Southern Motorway

The importance of meeting project delivery timeframes

Desire for disruption to residents and road users to be minimised

Positive response to route protection

Growth

Support for infrastructure being future proofed for growth

Stormwater

Support for the treatment of stormwater from the highway

Positive response to using swales and wetlands for treatment and flood mitigation

Walking and cycling

Support for the walking and cycling path and improved local connections

Concern about how people on foot and people on wheels interact on a shared pathway

Growth story

Concern whether plans will be sufficient for growth.

Desire for more certainty around decisions and timing.

Strategic connections

Desire for connections to schools, rail, jobs and Pukekohe West growers.

Concern about Drury as both a pinch point and safety hazard.

Consider truck – train interchange and park and ride facilities.

Mixed feedback on using the additional capacity lanes for special vehicles versus general traffic.

Concern over dedicated bus lanes duplicating the existing rail network.

Mill Road southern section

Protection of sites and connections with Pukekohe and SH22.

Desire for disruption to existing residents to be minimised.

Split preference for trucks and traffic to be located away from existing homes versus those wanting a direct route close to those homes.

Walking and cycling

Strong support for increased walking and cycling networks and capacity.

Cycle lanes need to be separated from cars for safety, noise and fumes.

Personal safety and safety between modes was cited as a concern.

Desire for links into communities and connections to public transport (PT).

Public transport

High level of agreement that more frequent services and better journey times would encourage them to use PT.

Key issues were ensuring a reliable and genuine express service, with a need for quality connections and ease of access to the network.

General

Concern about severance to Drury caused by planned interchange.

Desire to see faster progress than the SH1 Southern Corridor Improvements project.

Questions about extending the first phase south from Drury to Ramarama.

Project objectives

The proposed improvements improve access for a growing population

It’s important that infrastructure keeps pace with growth

People need more encouragement to use public transport

Ensure the roads are built to last and resilient to the impact of climate change

Walking and cycling

A shared path would provide health benefits and increase local transport choices

The path should connect to residential areas and be protected from the noise of the motorway

Some participants questioned the utilisation of shared paths in the area

An additional northbound and southbound lane

Support for an additional northbound and southbound lane

Participants suggested longer merge lanes and lanes for slow vehicles and buses

New or upgraded interchanges

Support for the interchanges at Papakura, Drury, Ramarama and Bombay to be upgraded

Intelligent transport systems

Mixed feedback on variable speed limits

Support for ITS to manage traffic flow and capacity

New local road connections

Support for Mill Road Extension and Pukekohe Expressway

Further comments

Suggested transport improvements within the local area, including a train station at Drury and extra lanes along Great South Road

Improve local amenity at Drury, including reducing traffic and easing congestion

Reserve a lane for trucks, to improve traffic flow Fast-track the project