22 May 2014

Transport projects given the go-ahead

Christchurch City Council today approved, and gave the go-ahead to start public consultation on a range of transport projects needed to support the recovery of the Central City including Anchor Projects.

Consultation on the first two transport projects, Hospital Corner - early works and Hagley / Moorhouse Corner is scheduled to begin in early June 2014.

Transport and Research Unit Manager Richard Osborne says people initially shared their ideas and viewpoints about transport through the Council's 2012 'Share an Idea' campaign, more feedback came when CERA consulted on the Draft Transport Chapter of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan (which became An Accessible City) before the transport plan was finalised in 2013.

"Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) and the Council have now developed this feedback into transport projects that focus on changes to traffic flow in the Central City and want to check back with the community on the design concepts for these projects."

Deputy Mayor Vicki Buck says making smart decisions about transport in the Central City and across the wider transport network is a further catalyst to the redevelopment of central Christchurch.

"Access to the heart of any large city is challenging. And, unlike most cities, Christchurch is in the unique position of being able to redevelop its Central City and take a fresh look at how the inner city can be great for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

"We will have a very different looking Central City from the one we had pre-earthquake, and as we get more and more development happening we have to look at how people access the city. We need to get the views of the local community, businesses and organisations in these areas around the finer detail in these transport projects. We have a unique opportunity to create a city that is exciting and welcoming," she says.

The Council approved amendments to the 'First Phase Projects' in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan (CCRP) to bring forward four new transport projects from Phase Two. These are required to support the new Bus Interchange scheduled to open in April 2015. They include:
• Tuam Street from Durham to Madras streets
• Lichfield Street from Manchester to Oxford streets
• Colombo Street from Hereford to St Asaph streets
• Establishing a 30 kilometres per hour speed limit environment.

The Council decided one project from the first phase - Fitzgerald / Moorhouse avenue intersection - would be deferred.

Deputy Director Christchurch Central Development Unit Baden Ewart says today's decision is an important step forward for the central city transport system. "This boosts the momentum of the An Accessible City plan, which ultimately is about sharing the streets differently and to make it easier for more people to get to and move around the central city. It also brings more certainty for the wide range of people planning to be a part of the central city's future."

The indicative cost of this first phase, including the four projects brought forward, is $72 million, which is within the original cost-sharing agreement between the Council and the Crown, with an additional $4 million for bus super stops that will be funded separately.

Additional early 'enabling' works on Salisbury Street was also approved, at an estimated cost of $100,000. These works are needed in order to meet community expectations for the area and align with the SCIRT repair programme, thus minimising the need for any re-work. To view the list of projects, visit the website by clicking here.

Full streetscape and two-way traffic conversion to Kilmore and Sailsbury streets is viewed by the Council as a priority in future Crown and Council funding discussions on the implementation of the entire An Accessible City programme.

ENDS

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