Palmerston North City Council is proposing to install bus stops on either side of Roberts Line to serve the rapidly expanding Freedom Drive subdivision. Photo / Judith Lacy
Palmerston North City Council is proposing to install bus stops on either side of Roberts Line to serve the rapidly expanding Freedom Drive subdivision. Photo / Judith Lacy
Palmerston North City Council is seeking feedback about proposed locations for new bus stops and shelters.
Horizons Regional Council, which manages the operation of buses in Palmerston North, is changing the bus routes so there will be more buses more often. From February, electric buses will operate through the city rather than meandering around the suburbs.
There will be fewer bus stops but they will be in more prime locations.
Horizons’ website has the details of the new bus routes. The map shows what streets will now have stops, and the streets where stops are being removed because the bus won’t go past there anymore.
Streets to be added to the bus routes include Keith St, Haydon St, Apollo Parade and Pioneer Highway.
Streets buses will no longer go down include McLeavey Drive, Vogel St except for the short section between Hadyon and Featherston Sts, Clyde Cres, Havelock Ave, Amberley Ave, Park Rd, Rugby St, Rangiora Ave, Broadway Ave and Cuba St.
The city council owns the bus stops and shelters as these sit on road reserve or berms. For Horizons to start the new routes, the council needs to either remove, move or install new stops and shelters.
The city council will continue to manage the day-to-day maintenance of the shelters once they are built.
Transport manager Hamish Featonby says staff have looked at the wider impact stops might have on the transport network, the ability for people to safely cross the road, and what type of stop or shelter and other things (like signs, seats, bins etc) are needed at each location.
Staff have been to every stop in the city to factor in localised considerations when choosing the stops, including avoiding or removing as few on-street car parks as possible, avoiding the removal of trees, and considering privacy.
There will be 350 stops in the city, half of which will remain where they are. The other half are changing due to the new routes or because the council is proposing to move them closer to a busy side street or place of interest.
Palmerston North City Council is proposing to remove this bus stop in Hillcrest Drive, Kelvin Grove. Photo / Judith Lacy
Featonby says the process for stops that have shelters is a little different.
“Between 80-100 stops will have shelters and under the Local Government Act we need to consult directly with the landowner and occupier. They’ll have an opportunity to provide feedback as part of a formal process which allows them to also speak to any concerns they may have. "
He says there will be three types of shelters with a range of facilities such as seats, leaners and real-time timetables based on how busy that stop is.
Landowners, occupiers and neighbours will be informed of the proposed shelters.
Featonby says while the law has this process in place for people with shelters in front of their properties, the council believes it is fair to also seek general feedback on the location of stops.
“We’ve taken into account a wide range of different criteria for each location, but at the end of the day the people that live on these streets have a lot of local knowledge that may mean there are better locations.”
The Ashhurst route is not changing and the council is proposing to remove two bus stops in the town and add one.
The work to upgrade the bus stops and shelters is fully funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency through its $348 million Transport Choices programme.
