Thursday 3 December 2015

Riccarton Road bus lounge opens 6am Monday 14 December

The new Riccarton Road bus lounge awaits some final touches before opening on Monday 14 December

The Riccarton Road bus lounge on the corner of Division Street will open its doors to the public at 6am Monday 14 December.

Chair of the Council Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee, Cr Phil Clearwater says, "This is a key milestone in our longer term aim of cutting traffic congestion and making the roads safer for pedestrians.

"Riccarton Road is our busiest bus route and we are pleased that passengers now have a safe, attractive bus lounge to wait while making their connections."

As soon as the bus lounge opens its doors at 6am Monday 14 December, buses will start picking up and letting off passengers at the three new bus stops outside, and the new bus priority traffic lights at the corner of Matipo Street will be turned on.

At the same time, the existing bus stops outside Westfield and Rotherham Street will close.

Three bus stops have also been installed on the north side of Riccarton Road, and bus lanes and sections of bicycle lanes have been painted in the area.

Although 25 car parks have been removed to make way for the new bus stops, parking is available on Rimu Street behind the shops on the north side of Riccarton Road.

The bus lounge opening marks the end of the first stage in bus priority measures for Riccarton Road. The next stage, which starts in 2016, will be installing lights and reconfiguring the Deans Avenue/Riccarton Road roundabout intersection.

Environment Canterbury’s commissioner with responsibility for public transport Rex Williams says currently more than 3000 people are boarding buses at the central Riccarton stops daily making them the busiest suburban stops in Christchurch.

“It’s great that everyone who uses these stops will now have a warm, safe and convenient place to wait for their bus.”

Williams said the lounge, as well as the bus priority measures, would help the whole network flow more effectively by reducing congestion and improving traffic flow ultimately leading to more reliable travel times.

Riccarton Road bus lounge opening hours

Mondays - Saturdays 6am - 9pm
Sundays 9am - 9pm

The lounge features seating for about 50 people, one outdoor and two indoor screens with real-time information on bus arrivals and departures, three toilets, and standing room for about 200.

ends

© Scoop Media