Mount Maunganui's reintroduced Links Ave cul-de-sac trial labelled as 'sledgehammer'

Links Avenue resident Teri Logie is frustrated by a lack of consultation about the Links Ave-cul-de-sac. Photo / John Borren

The reintroduction of a cul-de-sac trial on one of Mount Maunganui's through-roads is being described as taking a "sledgehammer" to the problem.

Arataki residents have raised safety concerns about children and cyclists using Links Ave during the morning peak for more than two years.

They have lobbied to have the northwest-bound morning peak bus lane removed and a lower speed limit of 30km/h put in place.

Tauranga City Council commissioners have approved these changes and have contentiously reinstated a cul-de-sac on the road, as part of a minimum four-month trial.

Links Ave runs parallel to Maunganui Rd/State Highway 2 and Oceanbeach Rd, two main arterial routes in Mount Maunganui.

It connects Golf Rd to Concord Ave and according to council data has an average of 7000 vehicle movements a day.

Links Ave is a travel corridor for three schools, Mount Maunganui College, Omanu School and Mount Maunganui intermediate, which has its bus entrance on the street.

The schools have a combined roll of around 2500 students.

In November 2021 a five-week trial blocked the road to through traffic from Ascot Rd preventing anyone living east of the cul-de-sac easy access to Mount Maunganui.

Tauranga City Council director of transport Brendan Bisley said public feedback received during and after the trial was that the primary direction residents travelled was towards Mount Maunganui.

"From a public perspective the trial wasn't hugely popular," he said.

The new trial will move the cul-de-sac further down the road between Solway Place and Concord Ave.

All directly affected residents will have access to Golf Rd, however only buses, bicycles, service vehicles and motorbikes will be able to enter or exit Links Ave from Concord Ave.

Arataki father-of-three, Michael Dance said locals were pleased with the changes to improve safety but were frustrated as to why these changes were contingent on having a cul-de-sac.

"The community doesn't want it and even the safety system report the council commissioned, said it was something only to consider for the peak morning commute time," said Dance.

"It feels like using a 24-hour sledgehammer to crack a 90-minute nut."

In June 2021, the council commissioned the Links Avenue School Travel Safety report, an independent safe system review.

It recommended the safety risk would be addressed if the road reverted to two-lane traffic.

The cul-de-sac during the first trial. Photo / John Borren

The report said a temporary trial of bus-only access for northwestern-bound traffic during the morning peak, as part of reverting Links Ave to two lanes, had merit.

Dance said, "A cul-de-sac isn't a long-term solution for a narrow isthmus like the Mount where it shuts down one of only three traffic corridors in one of the fastest-growing areas of New Zealand."

Bisley said: "With the cul-de-sac in place, we can remove the existing bus lane without negatively impacting the bus service that over 6000 people use every month.

"Simply removing the bus lanes will leave high volumes of traffic that is continuing to grow.

"As a result, the road will remain unsafe for school children and users of the shared path," said Bisley.

Bisley and the council's commissioners reiterated that it was a trial and community consultation would continue during the trial.

But the community was sceptical about the consultation.

Teri Logie lived on Links Ave and said she was frustrated by the lack and type of consultation around the initial trial.

Prior to the trial, there was no consultation with the community, despite the council saying in June 2021, there would be, she said.

Bisley said original plans on engaging with the community prior to the trial were disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions.

An online survey was also conducted during the trial and there were two meetings for directly affected residents held with commissioners on Thursday, February 3.

Logie said the survey didn't ask residents whether they wanted a cul-de-sac or not just where on the street they wanted it.

Bisley disputed this, and said later on the survey people could indicate their preference.
"The survey did allow for that," he said.

"It's just that we asked a very specific question, which was: 'If we put a cul-de-sac in, is there a preferred location?'.

"A lot of people did indicate they preferred having no restriction," said Bisley.

Logie is one of those people. "I think the cul-de-sac is unnecessary," she said.

"We want a street, we want a community, we don't want to be shut off."

Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said the trial was just one piece of work around the city's roading infrastructure and commissioners were not in any position to make a decision about a permanent solution for Links Ave.

"We're starting to have a look at those wider networks because we can't wait until the Baypark to Bayfair link is finished, that's at least another two years away," said Tolley.

The Baypark to Bayfair link is a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project on state highways 2 and 29A aiming to improve safety by creating a flyover that will separate local traffic from highway traffic.

It began in 2015 and had a projected completion date of December 2023 with an estimated cost of $262 million.

The Links Ave trial will begin in March for a minimum of four months and council staff will report to the commissioners in August.