Thursday 2 April 2015

Committee recommends consultation begins on Central City transport projects

Christchurch City Council will meet on Thursday 16 April 2015 to consider the Council’s Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee’s recommendation to begin consultation on three further Central City transport projects.

Committee Chair, Councillor Phil Clearwater says, “These proposed transport projects focus on three groups of streets within the Central City: sections of Hagley Avenue, St Asaph, Tuam, Antigua and Montreal streets near Christchurch Hospital; and sections of Durham Street / Cambridge Terrace and Manchester Street.

“This is the third group of transport projects needed to meet the challenge of creating a compact, pedestrian, bus and cycle-friendly core – a key component of the First Phase programme of An Accessible City transport projects.

“These proposed works are designed to integrate with Council-approved transport projects already underway in the Central City, all of which pave the way for the new Bus Interchange due to open in the winter of 2015, as well as other early anchor projects including the Christchurch Hospital redevelopment, the new Health Precinct and works within Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct,” Mr Clearwater says.

A shared path for pedestrians and cyclists is proposed to connect Antigua Street, St Asaph Street and Hagley Avenue – providing improved, safer access to Hagley Avenue, the proposed Metro Sports Facility and Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct. A bus super stop is proposed for both sides of a widened Tuam Street near the Hospital, with bus lanes between Hagley Avenue and Antigua Street.

The scheme for Manchester Street seeks to establish a widened tree-lined boulevard, with priority for buses, wider paths, a 30 km/h slow core zone and a staggered bus super stop either side of Worcester Street. The Manchester Street scheme complements the upcoming East Frame residential development. Works proposed for Durham Street / Cambridge Terrace are intended to complement Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct with a slower speed environment, additional landscaping and a new shared pedestrian and cycle pathway along the river side of the road.

Transport and Research Unit Manager Richard Osborne says, “Improving the network for all kinds of travel and providing high quality facilities and public spaces that connect people and places are key features of these proposed schemes.

“Design proposals include shared paths, new crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, footpath upgrades, high quality bus super stops, new landscaping and where possible rain gardens to treat stormwater run-off. If Council approves these schemes for consultation we would expect to be talking to the community about the details of all three schemes from late April through the first half of May.”

Christchurch Central Development Unit acting Director Don Miskell says, “People’s feedback through the 2011 ‘Share An Idea’ campaign was that they wanted a greener, more accessible Central City with safer access routes for cyclists and pedestrians, and free-flowing traffic.

“We listened and now we’re delivering on what the people of Christchurch said they wanted to see in their rejuvenated city.

“This recommendation by the committee is another step to keep momentum in these important works,” Mr Miskell says.

To read the report as an agenda item, click here.

Further information about An Accessible City is available online at www.ccc.govt.nz/AACtransportprojects

General information about the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan and An Accessible City can be found at www.ccdu.govt.nz/the-plan

Background

These transport projects, jointly led by the Council and CERA, feature in the amended First Phase programme of An Accessible City transport projects. An Accessible City is the transport chapter of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan gazetted in October 2013. An Accessible City was prepared by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) in partnership with the Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury (ECan) and the NZ Transport Agency.

The First Phase programme includes priority projects required to support key anchor projects such as the Bus Interchange and Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct. The Council has approved five of the eight transport projects and work on these is underway: Consultation One included two projects (Hagley / Moorhouse Corner and Hospital Corner) and Consultation Two was made of up of a further three projects (Colombo, Lichfield and Tuam streets).

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