Letters: Build bus lane across rail bridge to battle congestion

Could a bus lane be incorporated on the Matapihi Rail Bridge? Photo / File

Bridge solution

Increasing congestion on the bridge to the Mount and Hewletts Rd indicates that this route is likely to be gridlocked at peak times within five years. This will be compounded even further with the projected 60 per cent increase in export volumes (and truck movements) through the port by 2025. So my suggestion to the council is to provide a dedicated two-lane busway from Bayfair to the central city via Matapihi that I believe would help avert this. This could be done relatively cheaply by following the existing road/rail corridor, widening the causeway and building a two-lane bridge alongside the rail bridge, continuing alongside the existing railway line into a new purpose-built bus terminal that becomes a transport hub that also serves all the other bus routes throughout the city. For this proposal to work, the council would be a need to also build a series of park and ride carparks, including secure cycle parks, along the route from eastern Papamoa to Bayfair. This proposal would encourage Papamoa commuters to take a bus to the city on a route that is not hindered by congestion-caused delays. This would do a lot to free up east/west traffic movements across our city.
Norman Sutton
Bethlehem

Cycleway vs museum

One week we read of the council scrapping plans for a museum in Tauranga at a cost to ratepayers of $20 million. The next week, the council allocates $100m to build more cycleways around the city. The logic in these two decisions escapes me. Shame on these councillors who voted down the museum in order to be re-elected. Their responsibility is to act in the best interest of the city. Shame also on those ratepayers that put their own self-interest ahead of our joint duty to educate our children and also future generations. Did any of these people take into account the huge cost we already incur in storing away all of our treasures? Or the fact a properly set up and run museum would not only make money but would become a major tourist attraction? Tauranga is now the only city in NZ without some sort of museum. In fact, most towns half our size recognise their heritage in some form or another. Now our rich and varied history, with our many stories yet to be told, are to be locked away again, this time probably forever. This is indeed a sad and shameful day for all of us.
Barry Hill
Otumoetai

Self responsibility

In regards to personal responsibility, cars and school safety. Shock and horror – bad driver behaviour putting school pupil safety at risk (News, June 1). In partial agreement with those articles, the impact of schools on traffic flow should not be underestimated as evidenced by a significantly improved traffic flow along Cameron Rd during school holidays. Yes, there is no doubt a problem: traffic density, U-turns, speed and children making mistakes all make a potential mix for disaster. The usual trite responses of speed, inconsiderate parking, whatever "active transport" means, heavy transport vehicles, four lanes outside schools, merging traffic are all promoted as the car driver being at fault. Really? How about some self-responsibility? In Australia, many schools have a drive in – drive out car management system with carparking exclusively within the school boundary. More so, they have no parking zones adjacent to the school, giving a clear view of the school. In a single wave of the magic wand, the issues mentioned earlier are negated. Locally, Aquinas College manages such a within-school car management system. Surely the schools along Cameron Rd could and should do the same, and be a transport model for the wider school community.
Richard Cross
Pyes Pa

Could a bus lane be incorporated on the Matapihi Rail Bridge? Photo/file