Public transport up for strategy review
Traffic congestion is clogging some Christchurch streets to the point that vehicles are regularly being brought to a standstill at peak times. As well as being frustrating for motorists, this congestion is increasing travelling times on many bus routes, according to transport planners at Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury (ECan).
This issue along with others affecting the popularity and use of our public transport system is likely to be up for discussion during the planned review of the Christchurch Public Passenger Transport Strategy, which is expected to kick off with community consultation early next year.
“The joint ECan/ Council strategy has been incredibly successful but we are now ready to look at what public transport improvements the metro system needs and the community would like in the next ten years,” Christchurch City Council transport planner Robert Woods said.
“As well as inviting the general public to have their say, we plan to consult again with the community advisory group that helped put together the current strategy back in 2003,” he said. “The success of the current strategy in getting more people onto the system is a testament to the public submissions and the work of the advisory group - they really told us what needed to be done.”
Among the improvements that have been made to Christchurch’s Metro system since the development of the very first Strategy in 1997 are:
- The opening of the Bus Exchange in 2000, with real time information
- More than 100 new low-floor buses, improving access for the elderly, children and people with impairments
- The launch of the award-winning Orbiter in 1999 - the system’s most popular service
- Metrocard, the high- tech easy-to-use travel card that gives discounted travel, launched in 2003
- The Metrostar launched in 2004 which connects people from Halswell to New Brighton.
- The ongoing development of bus priority facilities to improve speed and reliability along bus routes
- The ongoing development of suburban bus interchanges, including the soon to be completed metro interchange at Hornby
One of the Strategy’s goals was also to double patronage by 2008 and with patronage growing by more than 7 per cent on average per annum, the target is looking to be highly achievable.
“A significant part of the Strategy review would be thinking about what improvements could be made to ensure patronage continues to grow,” Mr Woods said. “The system has come a long way but we can’t afford to relax-congestion continues to grow. With that comes the constant challenge to deliver a fast, reliable, convenient and attractive metro system that gives people a real alternative to increasingly expensive and congested car journeys.”
Among the improvements identified by the community last time were bus priority measures to get buses through congestion, more passenger shelters, seats and real time information at bus stops, suburban bus interchanges at key destinations and new cross-town bus services to meet demand.
- To read the Public Passenger Transport Strategy visit www.ecan.govt.nz. Consultation on the Strategy is set to open in mid January and run until late February 2006. People interested in this issue should also keep an eye on the CCC website www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay
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