If we want Tauranga to remain an attractive city where it’s easy to get around, we need to make it easier for people to travel without relying on their cars.
A key principle of the Tauranga Transport Strategy is that we should make the most of the existing road networks before we invest in high cost infrastructure. This includes:
- Improving planning to reduce transport demand;
- Encouraging uptake of walking, cycling and public transport;
- Encouraging alternatives to travel; and
- Better managing the use of the existing network.
There are no quick fix solutions to the current traffic challenges facing the city. The City’s transport partners, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the NZ Transport Agency, and ourselves, realise the importance of the private motor car to the transport system, and over the last 25 years, significant investment in a car-based transport network has occurred in Tauranga. Investment in other modes has lagged behind.
The current Government has given clear direction that transport projects with a mainly car-based focus will not be looked upon favourably for funding. The focus for the Government and Councils across New Zealand, including Tauranga City, is investing more in public transport, encouraging more walking and cycling, and reducing the impacts of transport on the environment. These priorities are reflected in the type of projects included in the Long Term Plan.
Where appropriate, council and the NZ Transport Agency will still invest in new roads but this investment will aim to deliver a balanced multi-modal transport network providing people with a range of transport choices to help them move as easily as possible around the city.
The council's transportation team are responsible for implementing projects that support the goals in the Tauranga Transport Strategy. Subsidised funding from NZ Transport Agency is secured for these works.
Tauranga Transport Strategy (2.4mb pdf)