Media Release
Transit New Zealand
Christchurch Regional Office
Media Release
10 October 2007
Transit seeks public feedback on bus priority measures for Main South Road
Transit New Zealand is asking residents living alongside Main South Road for feedback on planned bus priority measures designed to encourage the use of buses serving southern Christchurch.
Main South Road is the southern gateway to Christchurch for buses to and from the Selwyn District. In the last five years traffic flows have increased by 15 percent, with resulting congestion adversely affecting the reliability of bus services.
Transit senior transportation planner, Mike Tottman says, "With the district expected to grow by around 10,000 people in the next ten years, congestion is only going to get worse unless changes are made now. If Christchurch traffic also continues to grow at its current rate, in ten years' time there will be 12,500 vehicles a day sitting in congested traffic."
"That has serious implications not just for transportation but also for the environment. One full bus is equal to 40 fewer cars on the road. However, to encourage people to use the bus, we have to provide a reliable service, and bus priority measures would help achieve this," says Mike Tottman.
Transit's plan is detailed in a flyer that was delivered to residents this week. It envisages bus lanes, either permanent or operating only at peak times of the day along Main South Road. This would mean reduced street parking where bus lanes are proposed.
"The lanes will make the bus service more reliable by allowing buses to bypass lines of congested traffic, which is especially important in the early morning and late afternoon," says Mike Tottman. When they are not in operation, the bus lanes could be used for parking.
Other proposed measures would see amended junction layouts, special bus traffic signals called bus gates and better spacing of bus stops.
The bus priority measures proposed by Transit form part of a city-wide proposal for bus priority measures being considered by Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury.
The project is at the early stage of investigations and Transit is seeking public feedback. More information on this project will be available at Transit's public open day at Sockburn School on Tuesday October 16 from 3-7pm.
An exhibition about the proposed measures will also be on display at The Hub, Hornby Mall from 21-24 October.
Information on this project and how to provide feedback can also be viewed at Transit website at www.transit.govt.nz/planning/buspriority.jsp. Interested parties have until 5 November 2007 to provide feedback on the proposals.
For more information please contact:Mike Tottman
Senior Transportation Planner
Transit New Zealand
Tel 03 372 1832
Mob 021 298 3157