Gridlock: What Tauranga chokepoint do you hate the most?

(Top, left to right) Nicky Warren, Linda Roach, and Chris Ward-Allen; (bottom, left to right) Terry Prince and Alex Brown. Photos / George Novak

The Bay of Plenty Times has thrown the spotlight on Gridlock - Tauranga's No. 1 issue with a series of stories investigating the impact traffic congestion is having on our lives and on businesses.

The series has provided latest traffic data, profiled families, featured warnings from leaders and provided a platform for opinion.

Today, we reveal the chokepoints that motorists love to hate the most in terms of complaining to the city council.

But what do people on the street think? What's their most hated road or intersection? Scott Yeoman finds out.

What chokepoint do you hate the most? Totara St, Hewletts Rd, 15th Ave, Turret Rd or Cameron Rd?

Alex Brown, 24, Mount Maunganui

"I take Hewletts Rd into work and 15th Ave out … I hate Hewletts Rd, by far. 15th Ave is bad, but Hewletts Rd is about twice as bad. There's no free-flow to it, it's just bumper to bumper. In peak times, it's terrible."

Linda Roach, 66, Pāpāmoa

"Totara St. We go to the Mount, so it's a bit of a pain getting down there sometimes. Probably because it's two lanes, I guess. It's not all the time, it's only certain times of the day."

Chris Ward-Allen, 47, Paengaroa

"Turret Rd. One-lane bridge [each way] is no good; just everything chokes there and stops pretty much. It's mainly the single lane, I think, if you could double that up, then it'll open it all up."

Nicky Warren, 44, Tauriko

"Cameron Rd. It's just so busy and the traffic just crawls the whole way. Never go home that way after 3pm, because it's just chocker all the way."

Terry Prince, 38, Pāpāmoa East

"Hewletts would be the worst, and also Baypark area – it's probably all interlocked with that. It's just that there's one point in, one point out; there isn't really that many options with Hewletts Rd.

"The only other option is probably going via the Mount and then Totara St, but then that's going to be another flashpoint.

"I've actually started cycling now. It takes 45 minutes, driving can take 45 minutes to an hour, so it's actually quicker to cycle 21km."

Tomorrow: Is public transport the answer? As part of our special series on Gridlock – Tauranga's No. 1 issue, we take a look at buses and other ways to get around the city.