The ‘golden years’ might be a slower paced time of life for some, but for Mount Maunganui RSA village residents Tup Cox and Eddie Pinkerton, there’s no slowing down, with both regularly out and about, walking to the Mount, and cycling or bussing across the city.

Helping to make their journey safer, a new signalised pedestrian crossing has been installed directly outside the Mount RSA village, along with new bus stops and improved pathways, part of the recent upgrades to Maunganui Road between Tweed and Tui Street.

Both avid cyclists, Tup and Eddie love exploring the city’s cycleways around the Mount, across Tauranga and travel as far as The Lakes and Paengaroa.

“Now we have the pedestrian crossing it’s so much safer. It’s making our life easier, 100%. Previously, we had to be really careful when crossing Maunganui Road, as there was no island in the middle,” says Eddie.

Tup agrees, “no matter where we’re going or how we’re getting there, it’s so much safer to get around now.

“With the new crossing and new bus stops I’m sure that more people in the (RSA’s residential) village will be more likely to use the buses. Before, they were a bit worried about getting across the road - especially people with mobility scooters, but now they can cross safely. I’m trying to encourage them all to try it out!”

Tauranga City Council’s Service Transformation Lead, James Jacobs, said the purpose of the upgrades is to improve connectivity, safety and provide viable multi-modal options for the area.

“Whether you bus or bike, walk, scoot or skate, we’re keen to make the area safer for everyone who lives, works, goes to school and travels in and around Maunganui Road,” says James.

“We held a number of workshops and community open days as part of the design process for this last stage of Maunganui Road upgrade. What we heard from RSA residents was that crossing this stretch of Maunganui Road to the bus stop was unsafe and people didn’t like to do it.”

Manager of the Mount Maunganui RSA, Craig Bentley, says the new bus stop - located outside the RSA - will help improve safer access to the club, which includes over 3000 members, including over 50 residents who live at the onsite village.

“We support and welcome the new crossing and other upgrades. It gives us peace of mind knowing our members, our villages and our local community are a lot safer on a busy road.”

These latest upgrades connect with other safety improvements completed this year including new traffic lights and signalised crossings near the Tweed Street intersection and a new shared path along Maunganui Road around the Destination skatepark. It’s anticipated the final portion of the Maunganui Road upgrades will be completed before the Christmas break.

Council is continuing to work with local stakeholders to understand and improve safety options along Maunganui Road.

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