Letters: Who's responsible for roading woes?

In response to the letter to the editor about traffic woes affecting our prosperity (January 18), I wholeheartedly agree with the author. Although as usual, she seems to pin all the ills of the world on our mayor.

Infrastructure is also a central government issue and her letter should also be directed at our local MPs, of which there are three, of which two are 'at the table'. So, Todd, Te Ururoa and Fletcher, what are you doing about the traffic madness on Te Ngae Rd and the Lynmore roundabout? Is the money on its way?

TAMATI COFFEY
Kawaha Point

Roading solutions

Rotorua Lakes Council and NZTA are collaborating on roading solutions for the city and both are aware long-term solutions are needed as soon as possible.

Work on a $24 million NZTA roading package for our eastern and central roading corridors, including Te Ngae Rd, is scheduled to start next year and NZTA will continue working with the council to identify further improvements needed on our roads.

Paddi Hodgkiss (January 18) asks why the Eastern Arterial and Victoria bypass were dropped. As the council and NZTA have previously reported, NZTA's decision to allow the Eastern Arterial designation to lapse followed investigations showing projected growth could be managed by upgrading existing roads.

Continued commitment to the arterial would have meant little or no spending on Te Ngae Rd and no action on constructing the arterial until a significant change in demand occurred so it would still be 30 plus years away.

The Victoria Arterial was also deemed no longer required by NZTA and the council could not fund the project alone. That bypass was intended to manage an estimated increase in traffic through the CBD but investigations showed most vehicles travel to, not through, the CBD.

Te Ngae Rd traffic was from different origins going to different destinations and new traffic forecasts are less than previously estimated.

The council and NZTA are developing better, cost-efficient ways to improve CBD access, links and safety. Details about current NZTA plans for our roads are in the November 2016 Connect Rotorua newsletter at www.nzta.nz.

STAVROS MICHAEL
Rotorua Lakes Council director transport and waste solutions