Have your say on proposed Links Ave road closure trial. Starts 8 November.
from BOP Times article
“Tauranga City Council proposes closing one of Tauranga’s most popular thoroughfares to through traffic as part of a trial to make the area safer. But Links Ave residents and parents say the move has ignored their concerns and will do nothing to address the real danger to their schoolchildren - buses.
The Bay of Plenty Times Weekend can reveal Tauranga City Council is pushing ahead with plans to create a cul-de-sac near the centre of Links Ave in a bid to reduce traffic created by rat-runners. However, buses will still be allowed access.
The move is a four- to five-week trial expected to start within the next two weeks. A temporary cul-de-sac will be placed near the western entrance to Ascot Ave.”
In April 2021, the residents were promised consultation before any changes took place. Again no consultation and TCC is again ignoring the residents and just presenting a bad solution as a trial.
An independent safety review, commissioned by the council, confirmed there was "tangible risk" to pedestrians and cyclists as students using the shared path often overflowed onto the road, which had very little buffer space between the path edge and traffic lane. Links Ave had an "unacceptable margin for error", the Mackie Research and Colin Brodie review stated.
"There have been reports of cyclists having near-misses with buses and on our site visits we witnessed behaviour that could be very risky if a bus or other vehicle happened to be passing," the review stated.
The review recommended the council consider reverting Links Ave to two-lane traffic despite acknowledging this would disadvantage general or bus traffic, but "safe active school travel should be prioritised".
Director of transport from Tauranga City Council Brendan Bisley justified the trial, saying reducing traffic on Links Ave was "significantly the best option to improve safety".
From BOP Times report 14 April 2021
“Commissioner Tolley told council staff she was particularly concerned about the swift speed at which buses travelled along the bus lane. "They whip down that lane ... right next to young people on scooters, doing all sorts of things young people do."
The solution is probably very simple and can be multi-layered if required.
1. Reduce bus speeds to 15km/hr (or even 10km/hr) through Links Ave. Negligible effect on travel times. Much less chance of a wayward incident.
2. Build wider footpaths and cycle lanes on the eastern side of Links Ave.
3. Fence both sides of the road along the kerb line.
These solutions will provide the best safe scenario for Links Ave.
There is no need to cul de sac Links Ave, go through an expensive trial and heap difficulty on the local residents and the commuters of Papamoa and Mt Maunganui.
We need your views on this debacle. Sign the online petition below..
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