Links Ave closure times cut, safety concerns remain in Mount Maunganui

The restricted hours for Links Ave will be reduced. Photo / John Borren

The controversial closure of Mount Maunganui’s Links Ave will remain but its closure times will be reduced.

At a city delivery committee meeting on Monday, Tauranga city councillors voted to reduce the times people can be penalised for using the street incorrectly.

Councillors discussed at length what the best hours would be for the safety of children at Mount Maunganui Intermediate, which has an entrance on the street.

One councillor wanted more community engagement to reach a long-term solution because the Links Ave closure led to “low trust” in the council.

The eastern end of Links Ave in Mount Maunganui has been closed with numerous different restrictions on its use imposed by council since March 2022.

The closure was in response to concerns about the safety of children travelling to school and was originally going to be a four-month trial.

Initially, it was closed at all times, then just peak hours.

The new restricted hours are 7.30am-9am and 2.30pm-4pm.

People who don't follow the rules for Links Ave will face a $150 fine. Photo / John Borren

Now people can enter and leave Links Ave from the same end of the street any time, or drive through in restricted hours as long as there are more than 15 minutes between entry and exit.

The cul-de-sac is formed by two bus lanes between Solway Place and Concord Ave.

Motorists who break the rules face a $150 fine.

Council staff recommended leaving the restricted hours at 7am-10am and 2pm-4pm.

If restrictions were not in place, there were concerns the street would be a popular alternative to Maunganui Rd and become a “rat-run”, according to safety and sustainability acting manager Karen Hay’s report to council.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale. Photo / David Hall

Mayor Mahé Drysdale said he heard a lot of feedback from the community since the council discussed it in September.

This included that it was working well and people needed consistency, he said.

The new restricted hours he suggested created “a pretty good balance” as well as being the “least restrictive as possible”.

“It’s actually quite quiet for most of the morning then between 8am and 8.45, it’s absolutely crazy with buses and kids and all sorts.”

Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular said she had tried to bike down the street during those times and could vouch for the “chaotic-ness”.

“We’ve got to a stage where the people I’m talking to are talking very positively about the increased safety.”

After the September meeting, the council received 49 feedback submissions from people living on or near Links Ave, with 48 in favour of keeping the restrictions and one opposed.

Councillor Glen Crowther wants more community engagement. Photo / Alisha Evans

Councillor Glen Crowther supported the continued closure but wanted more community engagement to find a long-term solution for the street.

The recent engagement was from people who had “proactively reached out to council”, which is how the closure was implemented initially, he said.

The council needed to look at the “big picture” which included public transport, who used the road, safety of children and alignment with other areas of the city.

He said it was “the single biggest issue that led to low trust” in the Tauranga City Council.

“There are people across the city who are fired up about this still.”

There were protests and petitions to “Liberate Links Ave”, widespread confusion and frustration about the fines since the road was closed.

Councillor Rick Curach and Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular. Photo / David Hall

Councillor Rick Curach said the council wouldn’t be doing the issue justice without double checking with the wider community as well.

Scoular said she disagreed that the engagement hadn’t happened.

“We are consulting, we are going out there.”

Crowther attempted to include a resolution to carry out low-cost community engagement, a public meeting and ask the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which ran the buses, to participate.

He was voted down, with only two of the nine councillors in favour.

The new hours will be implemented within the next month.

7th Ave in Tauranga was turned into a cul-de-sac as part of Tauranga City Council's Cameron Rd Stage one project. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

Another controversial cul-de-sac at 7th Ave will stay until the council gets more information.

In October, a business owner approached the council asking it to reopen the road after it was closed as part of the Cameron Rd Stage One upgrade project.

The council asked staff to consult with the community and provide them with options, which were presented at Monday’s meeting.

Staff did face-to-face surveys or left letters with 72 nearby properties and received 52 responses.

Responses were split evenly, with 17 people each either happy it was there, had no strong view or wanting it removed.

Crowther said the closure had a “far greater” impact on businesses and the report didn’t provide enough information to make a “good decision”.

The council voted by majority to let the report lie on the table and requested staff provide them with more options.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.