It’s on in our city centre!

More parking and safer intersections are among improvements that will be made to Tauranga city centre streets in response to community feedback.

More parking and safer intersections are among improvements that will be made to Tauranga city centre streets in response to community feedback.

The changes come after a survey of more than 1300 people found they want a more vibrant city centre that is easier to move around.

The survey also identified concerns about the one-way traffic system being trailed in the city centre – including confusion, parking and reports of people feeling unsafe at key intersections.

Many people said they wanted Grey Street and The Strand to remain two-way streets for traffic.

Balancing this feedback, the City Future Committee meeting yesterday heard that making the trial one-way street system permanent had many benefits.

It would serve the city centre’s new art gallery, library and community hub by offering wider footpaths and space for taxis, bus shelters and large passenger vehicles.

The committee resolved to make the one-way pilot system permanent while addressing community concerns by:

• adding an estimated eight to 11 angled parking spaces on Wharf and Willow streets, partly by replacing the Willow Street cycle lane
• where possible, making other improvements to parking and loading bays on Wharf, Spring and southern Willow streets
• retaining Grey Street and The Strand as two-way streets in response to feedback from businesses and other city centre users
• making Willow Street more pedestrian-friendly to link the new civic centre with Masonic Park and the waterfront, with vehicles still able to share the space with pedestrians
• making safety improvements to intersections in the existing one-way system.

“Staff have picked out the issues that made the one-way system unpopular and are looking to address them,” said Te Papa Ward Councillor and committee deputy chair Rod Taylor.

“These changes are necessary and grounded in a wider vision for the city centre – it demands that we have one-way streets in certain areas.”

The council’s general manager of operations and infrastructure, Reneke van Soest, said there were no easy answers with road changes.

“It’s often a balance between providing different modes of transport while meeting the needs of a diverse range of people in our community,” she said.

“These changes will make our city centre more pedestrian-friendly while freeing up space for all types of transport around the new civic precinct, Te Manawataki o Te Papa.”

She thanked the public for sharing their views on city centre streets.

Improvements to the one-way system are expected to be made within existing budgets.