Alan Dick: Have your say on Bay's transport

Alan Dick

Now is the chance for Hawke's Bay people to influence the future of regional land transport and the region's public transport services with two important strategic plans currently out for public consultation.

The plans have been developed by Hawke's Bay Regional Transport Committee. This is a statutory committee of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and includes representatives from Napier City Council, Hastings, Wairoa and Central Hawke's Bay district councils, the regional council and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). It also has advisory members representing transport sectors such as road, rail and private motorists, as well as police traffic safety and iwi.

The committee's mandate is to plan for the future of land transport in Hawke's Bay and to prioritise spending on major roading projects, which are supported by Government transport funding.

While the prospect of amalgamation is topical, the regional transport committee is a great example of how councils are already working together collaboratively and effectively.

During my term as committee chairman all the decisions have been made by consensus and without dissent, while allocating substantial funds for game-changing projects like the Whakatu Arterial route, which will move freight and people far more effectively across the Heretaunga Plains and to Napier Port.

It is important the committee consults with the public on its major strategic plans, including the regional land transport plan and regional public transport plan.

The regional land transport plan looks at what needs to be built or improved on Hawke's Bay's roads in the next ten years to help the region prosper and to improve road safety. It sets out the funding requests the New Zealand Transport Agency for the next three years.

The plan's main objectives are to achieve a resilient and efficient transport system that supports economic development and social wellbeing while reducing the risk of death or serious injury on Hawke's Bay roads.

Our top priorities for new roading construction include:

-The Whakatu Arterial Link

-The Hawke's Bay Expressway, Pakowhai and Links Road Intersection improvement

-SH2 Napier Road Intersection

-Improvements to State Highway 2 to the north and to the south and on local roads to enable the carriage of high productivity motor vehicles

-Safety improvements to high risk intersections and routes such as SH2-Watchman Rd, Hawke's Bay Airport-SH2, The Expressway between Kennedy Rd and Meeanee, and SH 2 PakiPaki to Waipukurau.

-Cycling improvements in Napier, Hastings and Wairoa to build on the extensive work already undertaken to make Hawke's Bay a top cycling centre.

Meanwhile, the regional public transport plan looks at the future needs of bus passenger services around Napier and Hastings and schemes to ensure the mobility of people who find it difficult to drive or use public transport.

Public transport in Hawke's Bay has been transformed over the last five years. Thanks to increased funding from HBRC and the New Zealand Transport Agency, the region now has services which really meet the transport needs of many of our residents. As a result, more people than ever are using goBay public transport services to travel throughout Napier and Hastings.

This draft plan provides an opportunity to have your say on what will happen in the next three years. While it may be desirable to introduce new services, funding is tight and we believe it is time to consolidate and fine tune what we have by improving the efficiency of our services and using any money saved to make incremental improvements to existing services. We have, however, identified a number of improvements for investigation as and when funds become available. These include improvements to service areas of new residential development, later services, a service to Bay View and Whirinaki and a more direct express service between Napier and Hastings. We would like to know from you which of these you think should be the highest priority should funding become available.

Both plans aim to help deliver better transport options for the region and I encourage you to let us know whether you agree with the strategic focus of both plans and whether our priorities are the right ones.

The plans are available to view on the HBRC website or at the region's libraries. To request a copy simply contact HBRC. You have until January 23 to make a submission on either or both plans.

-Alan Dick is a Hawke's Bay regional councillor and a former mayor of Napier.

-Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions. The views expressed here are the writer's personal opinion. and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz