Racecourse Road likely first bite at traffic fix

REMOVING some of the heavy traffic using Alexandra Street onto Tawhiao Street/Racecourse Road appears as Council’s likely first step in tackling the issue of main street traffic problems identified in recent community surveys. File photo

New costing of $42M will put desired Western Arterial at least 20 years away

By Grant Johnston

Removing heavy traffic from Te Awamutu’s CBD is going to be like creating a great cheese - it’s going to take time!

It’s also likely to start with a small bite - the promotion of Racecourse Road as a preferred route for heavy traffic heading to or from the north and east.

Before expressing a desire to satisfy a much larger appetite for traffic removal, check out the menu - the Western Arterial has a recently re-calculated cost estimate of $42 Million (up from an estimate in 2004 of $16 Million). This is set out in a report by Opus Consultants heading to Waipa District Council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday.
A telephone survey of 300 people indicated that 70% wanted something done to reduce heavy traffic in Alexandra Street within five years and 20% were extremely concerned about trucks in the town centre. Responses from a written survey were consistent with the phone survey.

An Alexandra Street Heavy Traffic Options Study concluded that none of the options explored would be immediate or completely effective, and that the Western Arterial is the alignment that would best achieve the proposed aims. All of the options, other than the Western Arterial, were less attractive to traffic than using Alexandra Street.

Councillors took part in a workshop last month along with Community Board members and Chamber of Commerce representatives. The combination of actions that had the most support was for Council to:

• Promote Racecourse Road as a preferred heavy traffic route using signs, information to HCV operators and residents (and possibly a bylaw) - cost estimated at $50,000.
• Investigate upgrading part of the town centre at or close to Market Street as a separate project, including linkages across Mahoe Street.
• Invest the remainder of the $3.8 Million set aside in the Long Term Plan into the Western Arterial project, so it can be constructed as soon as possible.

The enhancement of Market Street has a cost estimate of $1.5 Million and is aimed at achieving some of the other aims identified in the surveys - pedestrian safety and amenity, good off-street parking and pedestrian links between important community facilities (including the Events Centre, Rose Garden and possible new museum).

The consultants have indicated that the changes to Racecourse Road, if approved, could be carried out in the next 6 to 12 months.

The removal of heavy traffic from the main street would be minor - the Western Arterial would remove heavy traffic heading from and to Te Awamutu from Cambridge, Pokuru and Kihikihi.

The report concedes that an adverse reaction is likely from Racecourse Road and Tawhiao Street residents (to having more heavy traffic) and from sections of the community who think Council is not doing enough to address the concerns about heavy traffic in Alexandra Street.

But unless Council wants to hit up ratepayers for $42 Million (the Western Arterial currently does not have a high enough benefit/cost score to attract Transit subsidy) or shift the problem sideways to streets not designed for heavy traffic, options are limited.