Arterial Traffic Study reports 1 and 2 released to public

The long list of solutions to Nelson’s arterial traffic congestion has been narrowed to four, completing phase two of the Arterial Traffic Study (ATS), currently underway throughout 2010.

The four options are:

• Part time clearways on Rocks Road and Waimea Road
• Creating a southern arterial route over the railway reserve, including consideration of a flyover or a tunnel
• Rocks Road four laning
• Waimea Road / Rutherford Street four laning
• Starting immediately, in the next phase of the Study, each option will undergo detailed analysis including a focus on public transport and travel demand management to aid in maximising the efficiency of the transport systems.

Nelson City Council Chief Executive Keith Marshall says, “Nelson City has been grappling with this issue for a long time. The Arterial Traffic Study is taking a very thorough approach, having looked first at the long list of all options, and narrowing them down to what’s really achievable.”

The ATS will produce four reports during the project. The Stage 1 report, also released today, analysed the existing transport system in Nelson and set a baseline of comparison: what would happen if Council continued on with a ‘business as usual’ approach to 2036? The baseline will be used for comparison after a preferred option is selected in Stage 4. The Stage 1 report was expected to be released in April. It was delayed, so that a sub-report (Stage 1b) could examine differences between the transport model updated in 2009 and the 2006 Nelson to Brightwater model.

The New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) is involved on the study team and signs off on all reports.

Mr Marshall says, “Now that the most viable options have been identified, the next three months will be spent in exhaustive evaluation with the results expected to be publicly released in October. This will include pre-consultation workshops with key stakeholders to make sure all points of view are considered.

“In the meantime, we want to answer questions and address concerns over the Stage 1 and 2 reports. Anyone interested can attend one of two drop-in sessions next week or join in on the forums we’ve created on the Council website around each of these reports to interact with the study team to ask questions or get clarification. We want the public to have all the information they need to be confident that Council is working to achieve the best outcome for the City.”

The Stage 1, 1b, and 2 reports are all available in summary or full on www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/arterial-traffic-study, or pick up a copy from Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, or at any of the Nelson Public Libraries