Lane proposal aimed at speeding up bus travel
Peak hour bus lanes could be installed on Lincoln Road
and Moorhouse Avenue in a bid to cut travel times for public
transport users.
Christchurch City Council is seeking public feedback on its proposal to introduce bus priority measures on the two busy thoroughfares.
A bus travelling
on Lincoln Road.
Bus priority improvements are being
proposed along Lincoln Rd.
“The southwest of Christchurch is growing fast and we expect 35,000 people to move into that area over the next 30 years. Unless we can make travelling by public transport faster and more reliable, that is likely to result in many more cars on the road and congestion problems,’’ says Council Transport Planning and Delivery Manager Lynette Ellis.
“The bus priority measures we are proposing on Lincoln Road and Moorhouse Avenue will make it significantly quicker for people to travel by bus between Halswell and the central city,’’ Ms Ellis says.
"This proposal is just a conversation starter though. We want to hear your feedback.''
Under the Council’s proposal, 24-hour bus
lanes will be installed on the south side of Moorhouse
Avenue, between Selwyn Street and Lincoln Road.
The bus
lanes will continue along both sides of Lincoln Road, but
only during peak hours, through until Whiteleigh
Avenue.
The bus lane on the north-west side of Lincoln Road (traveling into the city centre) will operate between 7 and 9am weekdays. The lane on the opposite side of the road will operate between 4 and 6pm weekdays.
Outside of those hours, the lanes will be available for parking.
“The bus lanes should lead to an average time saving for bus passengers in the evening of about six-and-a-half minutes while in the morning they should shorten journey times by an average of four-and-a-half minutes,’’ Ms Ellis says.
“To put that into perspective, that’s a 48 per cent quicker travel time in the evenings than currently and a 34 per cent quicker travel time in the mornings.’’
As part of the road improvements, the Council is also proposing to:
Reduce the speed limit on
Lincoln Road between Moorhouse and Whiteleigh avenues to
30km an hour.
Install a signalised pedestrian crossing
outside 334 Lincoln Road.
Change some parking on side
streets to P60 so there is plenty of parking available for
short-term use when the bus lanes are
operational.
Drop-in sessions where residents can come
along and talk to Council staff about the proposed changes
are being held at the following times:
Tuesday 30 October,
6pm at the Addington Coffee Co-op, 297 Lincoln
Road
Thursday 1 November, 6pm at the Addington Coffee
Co-op, 297 Lincoln Road
Wednesday 7 November 11am-1pm at
St Mary’s Church in Church Square
Consultation on the
proposed changes close on 26
November.
ends