Letters to the editor: Differing opinions on Pilot Bay one-way proposal

An artist's impression of how one-way traffic and a bike/scooter cruiseway could look at Pilot Bay. Image / Supplied

Re Kerry Gibson's letter (June 30). In 2017-18, Tauranga City Council consulted on the proposed one-way traffic system and cycleway on Pilot Bay.

Seventy per cent of submissions favoured the proposal (BOP Times, June 12, 2018) and despite that, the council canned the idea.

A protest took place the Sunday following the decision not to go ahead, led by Heidi Hughes and attended by several hundred people – including some of my children, grandchildren and myself.

I do not agree with Gibson's comment that most Mount residents are against the proposal. I don't know any and I've been here for 20 years.

Lockdown showed how many people enjoyed safe cycling, walking, skateboarding and scooter-riding on Pilot Bay and Marine Parade without heavy vehicle traffic and how much we now need a safe cycleway here rather than have cyclists continue to use the boardwalk.

I do not accept there will be significant disruption for the boat ramp users. I have been a regular user for many years and have no problem exiting on to Adams Ave and Marine Parade.

You just have to drive slowly over the speed humps, which is exactly their purpose.

Let's get on with it.

(Abridged)
John Douglas
Mount Maunganui

It won't work

So once again, Tauranga City Council is revisiting old decisions.

I am referring to the proposed cruiseways in Pilot Bay and Marine Parade with the loss of 125 car parks on Marine Parade and an undisclosed number on Pilot Bay.

Don't councillors realise that with a narrowing peninsula as we travel north, the demand for car parking is at a premium?

So it's only a trial with 90 per cent of the $1 million funded by NZTA. If NZTA has money to burn why doesn't it simply pay $900,000 to the council to help with the Bayfair accessway debacle? Also, the council does not have $100,000 to throw around.

The risks of the Pilot Bay one-way trial that were identified included a 55 to 90 per cent increase in southbound traffic on Maunganui Rd through Mount Mainstreet in peak hours, and 30 to 40 per cent on Marine Parade.

You don't need a trial to know it won't work. Those areas are already congested.

I note the council is also revising its Code of Conduct.

In my view, the Number 1 change should be that all councillors, senior staff and planners, when travelling to or from council or on council business, must either use public transport or a bike, then extend that rule to apply to them when travelling in the Mount for their own private purposes from Tay Street north.

Bill Capamagian
Tauranga

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