Traffic on Totara St involves heavy commercial vehicles, commuters and cyclists. Photo / FIle
Traffic on Totara St involves heavy commercial vehicles, commuters and cyclists. Photo / FIle
Tauranga leaders who were told their failure to deliver on cycle plans in recent years is "shameful" have now approved plans to overhaul Totara St to make it safer.
But not everyone is on board.
Tauranga City Council met yesterday to decide whether to go ahead with a $8.4 million safety upgrade that will create an off-road 3m shared cyclist and pedestrian path, with several crossings, from Rata St to Hewletts Rd.
The decision followed an impassioned plea from Bike Tauranga chairman Kevin Kerr to elected members to approve the plans.
"In the four years I've been a cycling advocate, this is the third time I've been in front of council. That's a sad indictment on where we are as a city," he said.
Bike Tauranga's Kevin Kerr has told city councillors inaction in recent years towards safer cycling is "shameful". Photo / File
Totara St is a popular commuter route for people travelling between Mount Maunganui and Tauranga. It also serves as an arterial route for heavy vehicles accessing the Port of Tauranga.
On May 28, cyclist Graeme Shallcrass, 62, died in a crash with a truck at the intersection of Totara and Maui Sts. Two years earlier, Kevin Akroyd, 74, died in a crash between his scooter and a truck near Waimarie St.
Kerr said that it was "shameful" that in the past four years the council had only achieved one designated cycleway which was at Ngatai Rd.
"We are a joke, nationally. We have beautiful beaches and beautiful weather but everyone says 'don't take your bike to Tauranga because it's unsafe'," Kerr said.
"I want to focus on the future and I believe Totara St is a part of this."
Cycling advocates have called for the council to fix Totara St for six years. Funding for a plan was signed off in 2018 but the work has been repeatedly delayed.
"The paralysis by analysis, we could sit here and debate and debate and go back and have more information coming and still be here in five years' time, debating what needs to happen at Totara St," Kerr said.
"Some brave decisions will need to be made."
Sustainable Bay of Plenty's Glen Crowther said there were mixed views for how best to make Totara St safer.
"Something needs to happen here. It's incredibly dangerous."
The Totara Street Safety Improvement project will cost ratepayers $4.1m, with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi expected to fund the rest. The project is subject to the agency's approval.
Construction is expected to begin in April 2021 and take about six months.
Mayor Tenby Powell said it was "pretty obvious" the changes needed to be made.
"Tauranga should be the cycling centre of New Zealand. We have a beautiful climate, it's mostly flat... we have an incredible opportunity to effectively link Waihi Beach to Rotoiti. Why not?"
Councillor Heidi Hughes said it was great to start a process of "less hui, more doey".
"Hopefully we will get this done and it will be amazing for the city."
In 2018, Kevin Akroyd, 74, died in a crash between his scooter and a truck near Waimarie St.
Councillor Andrew Hollis said he agreed with making things safer he was concerned the council was forcing people to change their habits. He was also worried at the potential impact of a 1.7-minute traffic delay, predicted in traffic modelling.
Councillor John Robson said the council should not be trying to impose preferred cycling routes on people, saying the council lacked vision.
Councillor Dawn Kiddie she was not sure Totara St was the right place to be encouraging new or young cyclists.
"I would like to see this done properly. I feel this will be a plaster type solution. We need to think further afield."
Councillor Larry Baldock said Totara St was a difficult road "and we will never get it right".
"But we do have a good team here. It [the project] may not be optimum but this is not the only thing we are doing. Totara St needs a lot of work, not just for cycling issues but for port issues and the way these businesses have access."
General manager of infrastructure Nic Johansson said the project was not just for cyclists but also for truckies "who have very limited visibility from their cockpits and are extremely vulnerable from the trauma involved [of potential crashes].
Powell and councillors Tina Salisbury, Kelvin Clout, Steve Morris, Bill Grainger, Baldock, Hughes, voted in favour of the upgrade.
