Fewer cars but Tauranga traffic returns to pre-lockdown Covid-19 levels

Turret Rd is one of Tauranga's busiest arterial routes, some of which are running close to maximum capacity at peak-times. Photo / File

The number of cars on Tauranga's roads has dropped by 65,256 - but it has barely made a dent in the city's notorious traffic congestion.

Data obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times revealed a drop in the number of vehicles at some of the city's busiest intersections comparing the first week of March, pre-lockdown, and the last week of June, post-lockdown.

The figures come as transport experts confirm Tauranga's main arterial routes have virtually returned to maximum capacity levels as peak-times.

Tauranga City Council recorded the annual average daily count of vehicles travelling through intersections at 15th Ave and Fraser St; Hewletts Rd and Totara St; 15th Ave and Cameron Rd; plus Hewletts Rd and Jean Batten Drive in the first week of each March in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2020.

Turret Rd is one of Tauranga's busiest arterial routes, some of which are running close to maximum capacity at peak-times. Photo / File

In the first week of March this year, the council recorded 1,510,882 vehicles on average at those intersections. In the last week of June, it recorded 1,445,626 vehicles, a drop of 65,256 vehicles, which equalled a 4 per cent reduction.

The figures also reveal the city has, on average, experienced an increase in traffic volume of 22 per cent since 2016.

Tauranga City Council director of transport Brendan Bisley said the figures reinforced the need to work towards multi-modal, or alternative transport, options.

"The arterial routes are now often running at capacity in the peak hours so the whole system is very sensitive to any increase in vehicle numbers. A single lane can move a maximum of approximately 1000 vehicles per hour if there are no delays in the traffic flow," he said.

"Once traffic is above that volume, queues form and get longer as people try to bring more vehicles onto the same road at the same time. Most commuter trips in Tauranga are made with one person per vehicle.

"The city had a temporary reprieve from congestion over the lockdown but traffic volumes have returned to similar to the pre-Covid volumes. We need to keep working towards multi-modal solutions as the city grows."

At a Bay of Plenty Regional Council meeting this week, Western Bay of
Plenty Transport System Plan programme director Neil Mason also referred to the influence of lockdown on the city's traffic levels.

"It's fair to say there has been no impact on congestion with people working from home. We need to be really particular that for some of us, it just doesn't work," he said.

"There may be more people working from home on Mondays or Fridays but there will still be more vehicles."