Papanui-Innes Community Board Recommends Bus Priority Plan Change

A desire to meet the needs of as many people as possible while still delivering an effective bus corridor, is behind a change recommended to the Christchurch City Council regarding bus lanes in Papanui.

Bus Priority Lane plans aimed at helping buses travel more quickly along the Main North Road, have been amended by the Waipapa / Papanui-Innes Community Board to include more parking for local businesses between Harewood Road and Winston Avenue. An additional short stay car park has also been added on Winston Avenue.

The plans will go to Council for a decision on Thursday 4 October.

Late last year the Christchurch City Council asked the public for feedback on a package of proposed changes aimed at giving buses priority on Main North Rd and improving traffic flows. After public consultation which included four verbal submissions heard by the board and a number of written submissions, the Papanui Innes Community Board has recommended that there be no bus priority lane on Main North Road, from the corner of Harewood Road to the north side of Winston Avenue.

Board Chair, Ali Jones, says this was something the majority of the board saw as a good compromise.

“Along this stretch there are a couple of businesses with little parking available behind them, unlike the post office, for example further up, so although there will be a slowing of the buses on this stretch by a little over 20 seconds as a result, the majority of us felt this was still acceptable,” she says. “This will ensure there are nine car parks available for customers.”

Among the recommendations made to council are:

• The main intersection improvement is to the Grassmere Street/Main North Road intersection which is recommended to become signalised and maintain full turning movements.
• The Sawyers Arms intersection sees no significant change to current movement however there will be new bus priority measures at the Main North Road/Sawyers Arms Road intersection.
• Extending the operating times of the part-time bus lane to the city between Mary Street and Horner Street so it operates in the afternoon as well.
• Installing new larger bus stops.
• A new left turn lane from Langdons Road onto Main North Road.
• Replacing the give-way for left-turning traffic existing Northlands Shopping Centre with traffic lights.
• A new signal-controlled pedestrian crossing on the Westpac side of the Main North Road intersection with Langdons Road and Mary Street.
• New landscaping on the Mary Street corner and additional cycle parking and seating on the intersection of Winston Avenue and Main North Road.

You can find full details of the draft minutes outlining the board’s recommendation HERE – go to item 8, page 5 of the draft minutes of the last board meeting.

Ali Jones says as part of the changes the board has emphasised the need to improve the signage to direct drivers to off-street parking, which will also be looked at to ensure there is adequate parking for shoppers in the area.

ENDS

Note: Board Member John Stringer voted against the entire proposal and amendment regarding the bus lanes from Harewood Road to Winston Ave; Councillor Cotter voted against the amendment but voted for the whole proposal once that amendment passed.