What's happening
The new movement pilot was introduced to parts of Harington, Hamilton, Wharf, Spring and Willow streets during March 2024, and will remain in place for at least two years as a pilot during the city centre transformation.
The pilot is expected to bring several benefits, including:
- safer streets by slowing down vehicles, reducing the number of intersections, and improving visibility
- more space for wider footpaths, planter boxes, street art and other opportunities to make the city centre more attractive and accessible, and
- fewer road closures for the many building projects ramping up in our city centre, because space can be provided beside the street for construction activities when needed.
Willow Street will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists in both directions.
In short, this project will help support walking, cycling, and safer motoring for people of all ages and abilities during a busy period of construction and development.
Download map
City centre movement pilot map (79kb pdf)
Timeframes
Most of the project was completed during a few weeks in March 2024. Some additional work – such as planting – will occur later with minimal disruption expected.
The changes will be monitored and reviewed as a pilot to see if they should be retained, altered, or extended through other parts of the city centre.
A small section of Willow Street (between Wharf Street and Hamilton Street) will be permanently closed at some point to allow for the construction of the new civic precinct, Te Manawataki o Te Papa. There is no set date for this, but the surrounding one-way system will be retained when the closure does occur.
Context
Collectively, the proposed changes are among many initiatives aimed at making the city centre a great place to live, work, learn, and play.
You can find out more about the vision for the future of Tauranga city centre in the Council’s City Centre Action and Investment Plan 2022-32.