Changes will include new part-time bus lanes, a new two-way cycleway, and improvements to make the area more walkable, attractive and community friendly. This includes 30,000 new plantings that reflect the history of the area, attract bird life and create spaces for the community to spend time in. Businesses will have the opportunity to interact with the street and create outdoor dining areas for example. Existing traffic lanes will be retained. Other proposed changes include road layout changes to some of the side-road intersections connecting with Cameron Road, more pedestrian crossings and upgrades to stormwater and wastewater.
Cameron Road - Detailed design drawings for Harington Street to 17th Avenue (24mb pdf)
Talking to the community
We wanted to understand what people thought about the proposed changes and if they had any concerns. Some of the key themes that emerged from the feedback included queries on why the Building our future - Cameron Road, Te Papa project is needed and our ability to deliver. There was good support from the community to improve safety along Cameron Road, make Cameron Road more accessible for those walking or travelling by bike, and improve bus services. There was also concern around economic impacts to local businesses and community impacts due to construction disruption and loss of parking - we’re working to address these through the detailed design plan and construction scheduling
We engaged mana whenua to help us explore and understand the whakapapa of Cameron Road. Our design team have been working under the principles of Ahi Kaa to encourage people to reconnect with the cultural and historical richness of the area. Together we prepared Ahi Kaa, the cultural and urban design framework for the proposed Cameron Road project. This document begins by remembering the past, reflecting on the whakapapa of Cameron Road (“Inamata”), before describing its context today (“Onamata”), and then moving onto the project itself (“Anamata”). We encourage you to take time absorbing the significant cultural and historical context of this project, before progressing to the design outcomes (“Te Ahi”).
Ahi Kaa – Part 1 (Inamata, Onamata and Anamata) (24mb pdf)
Ahi Kaa – Part 2 (Te Ahi) (16mb pdf)
The feedback from the community informed the detailed design plans that will make Cameron Road safer, more attractive, and provide more ways for us all to travel through Te Papa peninsula
What we will see once construction is completed
Places for people - We’re adding more crossings for pedestrians and cyclists and including bike racks, seating and planting to create a place people want to spend time in.
Bus lanes and stops - Part-time bus lanes in both directions during morning and evening peak hours will improve bus network reliability. Off-peak and weekends vehicles can park in the lanes. We’re also improving the bus stops to make journeys better for bus users.
Cycleway - A high quality separate two-way cycleway on the eastern side of the road between Spring Street and 17th Avenue.
Road layout changes - Some road intersections connecting with Cameron Road will be improved to create a safer and more pedestrian and cycle-friendly area.
Environment - Stormwater treatment along the road will be improved.
Utilities - This major upgrade is also futureproofing growth by replacing and upgrading aged and undersized wastewater and drinking water services. Some sewer pipes underneath Cameron Road are made of clay and are over 100 years old – these are currently being replaced. This work is being funded through the City Waters Capital Budget.
Left-in-left-out - Some intersections will be left-in-left-out. There will no longer be a right turn available into the street. The below map shows the intersections the proposed changes will be.
What's being proposed map (79kb pdf)
Trees and plants
Trees and plants are a main feature of the new Cameron Road design. They have many benefits – from creating spaces that people want to spend time in, providing shade, softening footpaths and roads, to connecting people with nature and attracting native bird life. They also reflect the history of the area.
The existing trees along Cameron Road are important to us and our community and will generally remain in place. Of the 260 trees within the construction area we have removed 18 trees for construction and safety reasons (nine in the verge and nine in the median) including tulip trees, jacaranda and one swamp oak. Exact locations of trees impacted can be found within the detailed design plans.
There are a number of existing trees within the construction area which are protected under the Tauranga City Plan. None of these are impacted by the project and we have a special consent to work around them and keep them safe.
Our protected trees include:
- Group of trees outside of Tauranga Boys’ College
- Group of trees within Tauranga Primary School between Fifth Avenue and Arundel Street
- 1 Blue Atlas tree on the corner of Spring Street and Cameron Road
- Norfolk Island Pine – 198 Cameron Road, adjacent to Toi Ohomai campus
- 1 Pohutukawa tree on the east side of Cameron Road and Eleventh Avenue.
New trees and plants include both natives and exotics and are being planted along the sides of Cameron Road in the median strips that separate the footpaths, vehicle lanes, bus clearways and cycleway, and within some areas of retained central median.
Overall, there will be a significant increase in trees and greenery with plans to plant around 90 new canopy trees and 350 sub-canopy trees. This will include large canopy trees such as pohutukawa, puriri and totara, smaller sub-canopy trees such as cabbage trees, nikau and lancewood, and floor planting including taro, turutu and New Zealand daphne which we know will grow well in this area, attract bird life and be around for a long time to come.
Some planting will not be done until the 2024 planting season – May to August - to give the new plants a better chance to thrive.
Why more lanes won’t work
Tauranga is made up of several narrow peninsulas that funnel traffic into key pinch points that cause traffic congestion during busy times of the day. The shape of these peninsulas and the limited space available means building more roads is not a viable solution. Knocking down homes and businesses to build roads is not only costly but also reduces the attractiveness and value of these areas, severs communities, and most of all, doesn’t fix congestion.
We need to find smarter, more space-efficient modes of transport such as public transport, cycling and walking. This is what Building our future - Cameron Road, Te Papa aims to deliver.
Building our future - Cameron Road, Te Papa is not a project specifically geared to ease traffic congestion for people that travel by car. However, a bonus of enabling more ways for people to travel along this route will reduce car dependency which will help improve journeys for those who travel by car.