Council gives the go-ahead for consultation on three Central City transport projects

Christchurch City Council today gave the go-ahead to start public consultation on three concept designs for further transport projects needed to support key anchor projects in the Central City.

The concept designs focus on three groups of streets within the Central City:

Hospital Corner Stage 2 (final layout) – including sections of Hagley Avenue, St Asaph Street, Tuam Street, Antigua Street and Montreal Street.

Durham Street / Cambridge Terrace – from Kilmore Street to Tuam Street.

Manchester Street – from Kilmore Street to Lichfield Street.

Consultation is scheduled to begin Tuesday 28 April and will continue to Tuesday 26 May 2015. Consultation material and information about how to make a submission will be available through the Council’s website: www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay

Jointly led by the Council and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), this is the third group of Central City transport projects in the First Phase programme to deliver An Accessible City. This is the transport chapter of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan developed under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011. An Accessible City was prepared by CERA in partnership with the Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and the NZ Transport Agency.

Councillor Phil Clearwater, Chair of the Council’s Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee, says, “All of the individual transport projects that make up An Accessible City are dependent on each other to function as an integrated whole.

“These proposed works support the roll-out of the new Central City travel network with improved traffic flow, a slower speed limit in the city’s Core and better bus routes to the new Bus Interchange, due to open shortly. These schemes also importantly offer improved pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly facilities, and will provide access for everyone to new developments and anchor projects as they come online,” Cr Clearwater says.

Christchurch Central Development Unit acting Director Baden Ewart says the consultation process allows residents to continue to have a say and influence the Central City’s travel network and public spaces.

“Feedback received from the Council’s 2011 Share an Idea engagement was that people wanted safer travel routes, more travel options, and less traffic congestion.

“Having already focused on the bigger picture, we’re now looking to fine-tune the detail of the transport chapter,” Mr Ewart says.

Key proposed changes include:

• A bus super stop for both sides of a widened Tuam Street near the Hospital, with bus lanes between Hagley Avenue and Antigua Street.

• A new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists on St Asaph Street to connect Antigua Street and Hagley Avenue and new separated cycle lanes on Tuam Street between Antigua Street and Durham Street.

• A slower speed environment, additional landscaping and a new shared pedestrian and cycle pathway along the river side of Durham Street / Cambridge Terrace to complement Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct.

• A widened tree-lined boulevard for Manchester Street between Armagh and Lichfield streets, with priority for buses to and from the new Bus Interchange, a staggered bus super stop either side of Worcester Street and wider footpaths, within a 30 km/h slow speed environment.

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

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