Letters to the editor: One-way system a 'half baked' idea

An artist's impression of how one-way traffic and a bike/scooter cruiseway could look at Pilot Bay. Graphic / Supplied

There is something not quite right about the half-baked idea that the council is going ahead with trialling a one-way system for Pilot Bay despite being rejected by Mount residents in 2018.

It appears they have already made up their minds that it will go ahead one way or another, obviously after further pressure from Bike Mount with help from councillor Heidi Hughes.

Firstly, councillor Steve Morris pushed for public consultation with Mount residents but was voted down. Secondly, Mount Mainstreet was not consulted. There are far more cons than pros in this proposal.

To have cars on the harbourside of the road with a cycle lane between them and the beach is downright dangerous. Children getting out of cars and running towards the beach without checking for cyclists is a recipe for disaster.

The other main concern will be from boat owners towing boats out of the boat ramp who will have to go onto Marine Parade or Maunganui Rd, both with several speed humps. To also consider extending this system further along Marine Parade, losing 125 car parks is totally ludicrous.

The mayor states that he was anxious to avoid another Greerton or Phoenix Park. If this system goes ahead that is exactly what he is going to get.

(Abridged)

Kerry Gibson
Bayfair Estate

Accommodation

If Housing Minister Megan Woods needs additional accommodation for returning New Zealanders, maybe she should build some accommodation for them.

Oops, I forgot she tried that and failed.

Chris Pattison
Pāpāmoa

No sense

It is with absolute surprise that the council has again gone against the wish of the majority of the people.

Why don't the councillors get out of their chairs and see just how important those 125 car parks are, even at 5am in the summer it's almost impossible to get a park anywhere closer than 2 or 3km from the base of the Mount track which, even at 80 years of age, I still go up more than 200 times a year, as do many others.

They want us to enjoy and spend at the Mount yet take the car parks away - that doesn't make sense.

A Fensom
Tauranga

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