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Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay

Projects/Connecting the people. Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay

Tūhono Ngā Tangata – mai Te Papa ki Tikorangi

Connecting the people. Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay

Our city is growing fast. The Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road and Welcome Bay Road route links many communities and provides an alternative to the state highways across and around the harbour.

Connecting the people. Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay consultation

As Tauranga continues to grow, this key route will become even more important. We need to reduce single occupancy vehicle use and make it more attractive to travel by bus, walk, cycle or scooter.

Council has an opportunity to seek funding from Government to reduce traffic congestion and provide more transport choices in this area. We’re working with mana whenua, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and local residents and business communities on a business case to identify what changes need to be made to the route.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts about our proposed improvements to the route.

Community consultation opens on Wednesday, 13 September 2023 and will run until 5pm Friday, 6 October 2023.

Take the survey

What are we proposing?

Based on our technical investigations and community feedback gathered in 2022, we have developed proposed options for improvements on Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road, Hairini Bridge and causeway and Welcome Bay Road.

Below is a map showing an overview of the project area.

Overview map (66kb pdf)

Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road and the Hairini Bridge and causeway between Cameron Road and SH29A Interchange

Zone 1-2 map (100kb pdf)

High-occupancy vehicle or bus priority lanes created on Fifteenth Avenue between Cameron Road and Burrows Street, Turret Road and Hairini Bridge and causeway to help people move around our city faster and more reliably. High occupancy lanes could be for two or more people (T2) or three or more people (T3). This would reduce the existing two general traffic lanes in some sections of the corridor from two to one.
Creating a third lane between Burrows Street and SH29A Interchange (across the bridge and causeway).
- To make space for this additional lane, we would introduce a clip-on shared use path (for people walking, cycling, scootering or using a mobility device).
- We are exploring the viability of this additional lane for ‘tidal flow’.
  - ‘Tidal flow’ means the direction of the traffic lanes can be changed depending on the demand.
  - For example, there could be two lanes into the city in the morning and two lanes out to Welcome Bay in the afternoon, to reduce congestion.
- If a ‘tidal flow’ system isn’t possible (e.g. for safety reasons) the third lane could be a permanent additional ‘citybound’ lane.
  - One of the citybound lanes could be a high-occupancy vehicle or bus priority lane.
Safe places for people to walk and ride bikes including a shared path or on-road cycle facilities that will help connect people to schools, shopping, and other activities.
Two new signalised crossings on Fifteenth Avenue, one at Devonport Road and one at Grace Road to provide safe crossing points for people who walk and ride bikes and scooters.
Safety improvements including 30km speed zones around Tauranga Boys’ College and St Mary’s Catholic School, raised tables on the approaches to some intersections, and centre median barriers on Fifteenth Avenue.
A turnaround bay is proposed for Turret Road near the Hairini Bridge to provide drivers a place to turn safely.

Long-term option

We are also investigating when four lanes between Burrows Street and SH29A Interchange might be needed. We do not believe this will be needed in the short-term and will use further test results on the bridge life expectancy and traffic modelling to understand timing.

A three-lane option across the Hairini Bridge and causeway will cost around $100m, compared to $300m (high-level estimates only) for a continuation of four lanes from Burrows Street to the end of the Hairini causeway. It could also take a long time to plan, consent and build. The additional costs relate to the need to purchase property and build a new bridge. We believe the three-lane option is a good short to medium term option to make the best use of the existing bridge for its remaining life, improve transport choices along the corridor and reduce congestion.

Welcome Bay Road

Zone 3-4 map (99kb pdf)

Two new signalised intersections with bus priority, one at Kaitemako Road and one at James Cook Drive to allow for safer crossings and to improve bus and traffic flow. We’re also investigating the viability of bus lanes along sections of Welcome Bay Road.
A bus priority lane on James Cook Drive between Victory Street and Welcome Bay Road.
Safe places for people to walk and ride bikes including:
- Shared user path on the northern side of Welcome Bay Road between Welcome Bay School and Kaitemako Road.
- On-road cycle lane on the southern side of Welcome Bay Road between Welcome Bay School and Kaitemako Road.
Safety improvements including new and upgraded crossings and raised tables for people walking or using a bike as well as 30kph speed zone around Welcome Bay School and Welcome Bay Village (part of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's Road to Zero strategy).

Waitaha Road roundabout and safety improvements near Welcome Bay School

A new roundabout will be built at the intersection of Welcome Bay Road and Waitaha Road. Raised tables (crossings) will also be added either side of the roundabout on Waitaha Road and Welcome Bay Road (city side of the roundabout) to provide a safe crossing point for people walking or using a bike. The existing pedestrian crossing opposite Welcome Bay Village will also be upgraded to a raised table. Construction of these improvements is expected to get underway in January 2024 and Council will engage with local residents before physical works begin.

As part of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s Road to Zero strategy, a 30km speed zone is proposed around Welcome Bay School and a raised crossing will be added outside the school. Council is engaging with the Welcome Bay School community and construction is due to get underway before the end of 2023.

Notes:
No changes will be made to the Hairini/Maungatapu underpass.
If you would like more explanation of any of the technical terms, see our Glossary of terms below.

Protecting our flora and fauna

The Pōhutukawa trees next to Turret Road are protected as Notable trees under the City Plan. They will not be impacted by changes proposed in any of the options. There may be opportunities to enhance the space around these trees to ensure they are protected and continue to be valued by the community.

The Hairini Bridge is home to a colony of protected white-fronted terns which nest on the historic piers on the western side of the bridge. We are investigating options to ensure a good nesting habitat for the tern population is available before any changes are made to the area.

Tell us what you think

Your feedback will help the project team refine the options proposed. Let us know by taking the survey any time from Wednesday, 13 September to 5pm, Friday, 6 October 2023.

You can also attend an in-person community drop-in session at Welcome Bay Hall, 244 Welcome Bay Road, Welcome Bay (next to Caltex service station) on:

Thursday, 21 September 2023 anytime between 12pm and 2pm
Thursday, 21 September 2023 anytime between 3.30pm and 5.30pm

If you would like to talk to us, please contact the project team on phone 07 577 7000, email connectingwelcomebay@tauranga.govt.nz.

FAQs

Why do we need this investment?

There is a need to invest in transport improvements in the Welcome Bay area.

This is because there is:

High reliance on private vehicles for journeys to work and education
Unappealing walking, cycling and public transport choices
Limited routes across the harbour, and a growing population that is creating more peak time congestion
A need to address the wider housing supply issue for the Bay of Plenty
A need to comply with Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan and targets.

The purpose of this business case is to develop a long-term investment plan to address these issues, improve access and enhance the place, amenity, and cultural values of the route.

What are the issues along this route?

People have identified a wide range of issues that they experience with transport in the area.

Summary of Engagement - July 2022 (57kb pdf)

Moving people and goods – Limited routes across the Tauranga harbour, a growing population and lack of local employment, education, goods, and services has resulted in congestion at peak times. This is causing travel delays and increased carbon emissions.
Transport choice – A lack of priority and poor-quality infrastructure for active and public transport modes has resulted in car-dependent communities. This makes it difficult to achieve carbon emission and mode shift targets.
Severed communities – High traffic volumes and reduced access to and across the corridor has severed communities. This impedes access to key destinations (schools, marae, parks, and shops) and reduces social wellbeing and connectivity.

What are we trying to achieve?

By investing in improvements, we are aiming for:

Efficient access and movement - Increase the number of people in the area who are within 30 minutes of key social and economic opportunities in the morning peak hours.
Improved choices – More people travel to school and work by walking, cycling or public transport.
Improvements in our local environment – Improved quality and amenity of our local environment and reduction in carbon emissions.
Ability to reflect Te Ao Māori and restore and build partnerships with local hapū - Changes would allow the development of Māori land, improve access to the harbour, improve sense of community and recognise cultural links to wāhi tapu.

Learn more about the transport challenges our city faces.

How does this project fit with the Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan (TSP)?

Connecting the people. Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay is one of the key projects in the Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan - a shared transport vision for the region over the next 30 years to make sure transport projects are not done in isolation and that they work for everyone.

The TSP aims to support a projected population of 258,000 residents and 34,000 new homes, resulting in more than one million extra transport movements a day by 2050.

It is focused on generating a shift from cars to public transport, improving safety, providing reliable travel times for freight, and creating better walking and cycle connections. It also aims to increase public transport use, along with cycling and walking to help reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions and improve road safety.

What is a ‘business case’?

A business case is a document that provides the justification for initiating a project and is developed in collaboration with partners, stakeholders and the wider community. Key elements of a business case include clearly defining the problem we’re trying to solve and ensuring a wide range of potential solutions have been considered. It evaluates the benefit, cost and risk of alternative options and provides a rationale for the preferred solutions.

Key information

Project type
Major projects
Planning, design and renewal
Transport and movement

Status
Underway

Neighbourhood
Welcome Bay / Ohauiti / Oropi
City centre
Maungatapu / Matapihi

Key dates

Start work to prepare business case
Early 2022
Engagement with partners, stakeholders and the local community
June to November 2022
Development and assessment of options
June 2022 to mid-2023
Engagement on options
Wednesday 13 September - Friday 6 October
Assuming the Business Case funding is approved, detailed design with engagement will commence, leading to resource consents and physical works
2024 to 2026

Who's listening

Transportation Team
Tauranga City Council

Email: connectingwelcomebay@tauranga.govt.nz
Phone: 07 577 7000

Resources

Document library

Summary of Engagement - July 2022 (981kb pdf)
Engagement Report - July 2022 (57kb pdf)

Latest news

In person drop-in sessions

Thursday, 21 September 2023

Welcome Bay Hall, 244 Welcome Bay Road, Welcome Bay (next to Caltex service station)

anytime between 12pm and 2pm
anytime between 3.30pm and 5.30pm.

Related projects

Connecting the people. Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay is part of Council's wider strategic objectives to support the city's rapid growth.

Te Papa Spatial Plan
Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan
Building our future – Cameron Road, Te Papa
Plan change 33
Welcome Bay parks improvements

Next steps

Along with our technical investigations, your input will help inform which ideas are taken further in the detailed design. Once we have heard what our partners, stakeholders and community think about the proposed improvements, we will be in a position to seek funding from central government to make it happen. Provided the business case is successful, we will look to re-engage with the community on the detailed design before any physical works begin.

Glossary of terms

Below you can find descriptions and examples of some of the features discussed above.

Lane features

High occupancy vehicle lane (HOV)

A high occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) caters for vehicles carrying two passengers (T2) or three passengers (T3) or more. These lanes can also be used by buses, which means that they can avoid being stuck in general traffic, making them a more attractive transport option. HOV lanes encourage more people to carpool and assist in reducing congestion.

Tidal flow lane

Tidal flow lanes use overhead signs and lighting on the road to change the direction of a traffic lane depending on the time of day. Tidal flow lanes can be an effective solution to help reduce congestion without the costly and time-consuming process of building new physical lanes.

Credit: Auckland Transport

Bus priority lane

These are bus only traffic lanes. They can be used at peak times only, or full-time dedicated bus lanes.

Bus ‘jumps’ / priority lights

These are changes to signals at intersections to let buses go before general traffic. Bus jumps speed up bus travel times, making them a more attractive transport option.

Cycling/walking features

On-road cycle lane

Cycle lanes are painted lanes within the road that are suitable for cyclists. Cycle lanes can be located adjacent to parking, next to the kerb (kerbside), and between two traffic lanes (for example, on the approach to an intersection).

Shared path

Shared paths are intended to be used by pedestrians, cyclists, people who scooter and skateboard and people who use mobility devices.

Safety features

Flexible road safety barriers/centre median barriers

Flexible wire rope road safety barriers are installed down the middle of a road to prevent head-on collisions, or along the side of the road to help stop run-off-road crashes. These barriers catch vehicles before they hit something harder, such as a pole, tree or oncoming car. If you hit a flexible barrier, the steel cables flex, slowing down your vehicle and keeping it upright. They absorb the energy of the impact, which means that you and your passengers don’t. When safety barriers are installed, they can reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in crashes by 75 percent.

Credit: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Turnaround bay

Where there are median barriers, you may need to travel a bit further to turn right, or turnaround, to access a road or driveway. Turnaround bays provide drivers a place to turn safely.

Benefits of turnaround bays include:

an easier right-turn out of a side road or driveway, as you won’t need to navigate opposing lanes of traffic
reducing the risk of a rear-end crash from someone driving behind a person turning right
combining accessways and turning points at a safe location on the road
providing an alternative location for people driving to safely stop, such as for maintenance and in an emergency.

Watch this video to see an example of a turnaround bay. Credit: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency