Making high-use roads in the northern part of Mount Maunganui safer and more user-friendly is the aim of a new Tauranga City Council community consultation project.
Its goal is to ensure people of all ages and abilities feel welcome and confident travelling around the streets of one of New Zealand's most iconic visitor destinations.
The project seeks feedback from people who live at the Mount, work there or visit, and will include the formation of a community design group to help develop ideas that the council can trial.
Streets for consideration include Marine Parade between Adams Avenue and Tay Street, Pilot Bay, Banks Avenue and Salisbury Avenue.
Says Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell: "The aim is to create a more balanced traffic system that can accommodate all types of users. Together with the community, we want to develop a plan to trial some temporary changes to streets, while retaining flexibility to fine-tune elements such as their effects on traffic and parking."
Many thousands of people visit the Mount every year and over 3200 also live and work there. This makes it a busy area with a high intensity of people in cars, on bikes, on foot, on mobility scooters and other modes of transport, all sharing limited space.
The COVID-19 lockdown showed a huge suppressed demand for activities such as biking and scootering that was realised when traffic volumes decreased and people felt safer on the streets.
The council now needs to know how easy and safe people feel moving around the Mount and which routes into the area should be included in any trial. Council is also keen to hear from the community what they feel should be changed and what should be kept.
Parts of the approximately $1 million trial, which will be funded by Waka Kotahi Transport Agency (90 per cent) and the council, could include separating different modes of travel or slowing traffic, by the use of chicanes, narrowing the carriageway, street decorations, signage and altering parking layouts.
Making the area more attractive could be achieved by using different surfacing and by adding seating and play opportunities.
Provide your feedback via an online form at www.tauranga.govt.nz/innovatingstreets. Alternatively, visit the Mount Manganui Beachside Holiday Park, Mount Maunganui Library, Mount Hot Pools or Baywave to pick up a print copy of the form, or phone the council and you will be sent a copy. Until September 7, council representatives will also be walking the streets to hear your views.
While some have confused this project with a controversial one-way street trial that took place in the area in 2017-2018, the project has a different approach where there is earlier engagement with the public.
The design group of around 20 community members, excluding council staff and consultant designers, will gather the views and ideas of a balanced mix of people who are for and who are reluctant to any change. It will discuss the implications of any proposed solutions and how to alleviate them.
"This is a great example of how a council should work with the community," says Powell.