What we’ve heard to date
We are at the early stages of understanding people’s views for this project. We have analysed previous feedback on transport heard through surveys and research to give us a baseline to understand people’s thoughts, and will be building on this over time. We have also started to engage with businesses and organisations in the area including the Port of Tauranga, KiwiRail, Tauranga Airport, Priority One, Sustainability BOP, the Heavy Haulage Association and more.
Overall, feedback has been positive and people agree that there is need to improve transport in the area. There is broad support for improving road safety and reliability, as well as improving public transport and facilities for people walking and cycling.
We’ve identified four key themes drawn from the feedback received to date.
Improving safety
We heard that people are concerned about safety on the roads, including the volume of heavy vehicles moving through the area, and safety for cyclists.
People also have poor perceptions of reliability and safety of the bus network, which can be a barrier to usage.1
How feedback is being used
We are looking at ways to improve safety in the area, particularly for people walking, cycling or using a motorbike who are more vulnerable to crashes in the area.
This includes looking at better crossing points and more protected cycle lanes, as well as reviewing turning movements where conflicts can occur. We are also looking at safer speeds to address the risk of crashes in the area. We are working with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Tauranga City Council to improve bus services and infrastructure in the area, which will include the provision of safe and convenient bus stops on key routes.
Improving reliability
Reliable travel times are a key concern for both local residents and businesses. We heard that people are frustrated with heavy traffic, delays and unreliable journeys. While the sub-region’s traffic delays are modest compared with other main New Zealand cities, continued growth has resulted in increased demand for travel.2 People would like the transport network to deliver more reliable journeys, particularly during the peak periods, including through changes to roading infrastructure.
With Tauranga having one of the highest private vehicle use rates in the country, this presents an opportunity to make public transport and active modes more attractive and competitive.3
Many local businesses would like to see delays reduced for freight and commercial journeys, particularly along SH2/Hewletts Road and Totara Street.
How feedback is being used
We are investigating a range of options to improve reliability and movement through the project area.
This includes looking at improving access routes on local roads, improving reliability for essential trips like freight, and improving bus services to move people through the area more efficiently.
Evidence shows that building more roads or widening existing roads can lead to more congestion and pollution rather than improving travel time and easing congestion.4 We are investigating options to make better use of the existing road space to improve reliable movement for people and goods, which includes adjustments to traffic signals and intersections.
More travel options
We heard that people tend to rely on their cars to travel through the area, which can worsen the problems, particularly in the peak periods. More than half of people feel that the car is their only option for travel in the morning.5
People are open to changing to bus or bike if the alternatives are improved, which in turn will help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. If congestion worsened, 35% indicated they would very likely or likely use an alternative mode: taking the bus, travel less or cycle.6
Both people cycling and people not cycling perceive safety as a key barrier, due to how other people drive, not feeling safe cycling in the dark and the speed of other users.
Barriers to walking include not feeling safe walking in the dark and it taking too long.
How feedback is being used
We are looking how we can increase the attractiveness of public transport, including improving bus stops and more bus lanes. We are working together with Bay of Plenty Regional Council as they plan for increasing frequency and directness, as well as improving reliability of bus services.
We are also investigating how to make it safer and more convenient for people to travel by bike, by providing more safe and direct cycle lanes through the area. For those walking in the area, we are investigating where we can provide safer crossings and whether providing more street trees or greening can help make the area a more pleasant place to walk in.
Long term solutions and quick wins
We heard that people want to see a solution for the area that will deal with the issues we face now, but also to futureproof to ensure any improvements can stand the test of time as our city and region grows. We also heard that people are concerned about the cleanliness of the water being pumped into the harbour and about the quality of air in the area.
People also want to see some improvements made quickly and feel frustrated at the lack of progress made addressing issues in recent years.
How feedback is being used
This project forms part of a wider regional approach to transport, housing and development, established through the Urban Form and Transport Initiative. We are working on a 30-year planning horizon for the project which takes into account expected growth rates. Once we’ve identified the best solution, we will work on how improvements can be phased to deliver the more smaller scale elements in the shorter term, while progressing with the more complex elements in the longer term.
This may include changes to signals and intersections in the short-term to help people and goods move through the area more efficiently.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, mana whenua, Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council are working together to look at how transport and spatial planning solutions can jointly address the issues in the area. The Mount Maunganui Spatial Plan is being led by Tauranga City Council and will address a range of wider issues relating to land use and environmental impacts.
Footnotes
1 Quality of Life survey, 2020
2 TomTom Traffic Index, 2022
3 Arataki, Waka Kotahi, 2020
4 Transport Policy Journal, Volume 76, April 2019
5 Managing Travel Demand in Tauranga survey, Nexus 2019 (commissioned by Waka Kotahi)
6 Nexus Research for the Connecting Mount Maunganui project, 2022 (commissioned by NZTA)
