Buses and cyclists are expected to be well catered for in major works to upgrade Cameron Rd. Photo / George Novak
A business owner fears disruption caused by a $45m upgrade of one of the city's busiest arterial routes could be the death knell for his cafe.
In August 2020, the council successfully bid for Government funding to upgrade Cameron Rd's commuting corridor, with improvements expected to help the longer-term development of the Te Papa peninsula.
The improvements would include a separated cycleway, peak commute time bus clearways, intersection improvements and new footpaths. The project would also replace and upgrade underground services, some of which were more than 100 years old.
However, a stipulation that no existing traffic lanes be lost as a result of the project has sparked fears from some business owners that footpath space or car parks could be removed to make way for the improvements.
Rexxa Bakehouse owner Phirun Mao feared he could lose car parks and outdoor seating outside his cafe.
"I"m not happy at all about the work, that's going to affect my businesses," Mao said.
"I think maybe, in the end, I may have to close my business down."
Mao said he was yet to provide feedback to the council but said that in his view, "they don't seem to care about my business at all".
"They care about buses that might have one or two people on them.
"I'm very upset about these things. It's going to destroy my business."
Talk of India owner Pradeep Patel said he believed businesses up and down Cameron Rd would hurt due to the proposed works.
The potential loss of car parks was his main concern.
Patel was doubtful of the need for peak commute time bus clearways because he did not see many people using buses, he said.
Council director of transport Brendan Bisley said it was disappointing a business owner felt they didn't care "as we've been working with those along the stretch of Cameron Rd since 2018".
"We fully support local business and the critical role they play in our communities.
"Cameron Rd is one of our city's busiest roads, connecting people in Tauranga's southern suburbs to the city centre. In keeping with our desire to support live, work and play communities, we have the opportunity to enhance Cameron Rd's mix of retail, residential, commercial and industrial strip into a vibrant space that is teeming with life."
Whether there would be any loss of footpath space was "yet to be finalised", he said.
The project aims to meet the demands of expected population growth and reduce car dependency and focuses on the 3km stretch of Cameron Rd that runs from 17th Ave and the CBD in its first stage.
Funding for the project will come from the Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) economic stimulus that prioritises "shovel-ready" projects - for which physical works must start by June 2021.
In an update report on the project, council general manager for infrastructure Nic Johansson said the technical design of the project was now under way, with consultant Aurecon the project lead. However, there were challenges.
Contractors mapping underground utilities under Cameron Rd have found about 30 per cent more services than they expected – and they're only halfway through their job.
In addition to this, in July 2019 the city council imposed a condition that no traffic lanes be lost in the short-term to accommodate any high occupancy vehicle or dedicated bus lanes. This was due to concerns that doing so would increase congestion for general traffic.
"This condition, in addition to those set by CIP, is making the development of the design very challenging," Johansson said, in the report.
The project team was now collaborating with project partners and technical experts "to ensure a truly multimodal solution can be delivered, which meets the objectives and is within budget".
However, this meant the loss of some existing exotic trees along the central median; public transport priority at some intersections to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety; plus road closures and intersection restrictions to improve safety for all road users.
It is understood the trees will be replaced with natives where possible.
When asked how much footpath space could be lost in the upgrade and where this loss was likely to be, Johansson told the Bay of Plenty Times this was still worked through.
A detailed design was not expected to be complete before July, following consultation with the community this month and works expected to begin in late April.
"... The goal of the project is to give people more choice around whether to walk, cycle, scooter, catch a bus or drive, while also making the corridor safer and more attractive."
Johansson said a key component of the project was also replacing and upgrading underground services.
"Like many of our projects, we're trying to achieve as much as we can for the community, in the limited space available - which is always challenging."
Johansson said community feedback received as part of the council's 30-year plan for Te Papa highlighted people wanted safe open spaces, tree-lined streets, safe and healthy communities, walkable neighbourhoods, pedestrian-friendly area, more housing and transport choice. All of these have been incorporated into the Cameron Rd project "but as a result have created concerns for local businesses".
Johansson said the council was working with a community liaison group and stakeholder group because "we want to capture their input in this preliminary design, and will continue to work alongside them during the detailed design phase".
"The way we use Cameron Rd today won't be the same as we use it in future. This progressive project will help meet the city's growth needs and reduce car dependency by enabling more ways to move," Johansson said.
According to the latest Infometrics Report commissioned by Priority One, there were now 195,000 people enrolled with primary healthcare providers in the Western Bay.
Johansson said Tauranga's population was expected to increase by nearly 80,000 by 2062 "so we need to act now to meet future needs".
The council will begin four weeks of public consultation this month with another two weeks expected to allow the council to consider all submissions and potential changes.
The project is expected to be completed in October 2023.
BIT BY BIT
The Futureproofing Cameron Rd project is in the first stage of a two-stage transformative project and should not be viewed in isolation. The long-term plan is to transform the length of Cameron Rd from Harrington St to Barkes Corner/SH29A, with the potential to create a link to Tauriko.
Stage one
- is from Harington St to 17th Ave. Planning and construction for this has been funded by central Government.
Stage two
- is from 17th Ave to Barkes Corner/SH29A. The funding for developing a business case and design was included in the grant from central Government. People will be asked for their input later this year.
Stage three
- a long-term goal, pending funding, will create a connection from Barkes Corner/SH29A to Tauranga Crossing in Tauriko.
Tauranga City Council is cutting 98 jobs to save $12.3 million and reduce rates.