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Whakahou haumarutanga ki Links Avenue

Links Avenue Safety Improvements

We are making changes to Links Avenue to create a more welcoming and safer environment for the community.

Improving safety for students travelling along Links Avenue has been our priority for some time.

On our journey to make Links Avenue safer, we have implemented several initiatives, including constructing pedestrian crossings at Golf Road and Ascot Road, which is currently underway.

Further investigations, including feedback from the Links Avenue panel, identified additional safety improvements along Links Avenue.

Based on the findings, we have developed a transitional design. A transitional approach is temporary and allows for feedback from the community and school students before implementing permanent changes.

We are planning to implement the following safety improvements by the end of April 2024, subject to weather conditions:

  • Calming pockets to reduce speeding and protect the existing cycle lane (between Golf Road and Spur Avenue) with planter boxes.
  • Convert the two temporary speed tables on either side of Ascot Road to permanent asphalt, enhancing safety for people crossing the road.
  • Widening the path outside the school to provide more space for users.
  • Reduce the hours the cul-de-sac bus lanes are enforced to weekdays from 7 am to 10 am and 2 pm to 4 pm. The new hours will be implemented prior to the 2023 Christmas holidays.
  • Relocating the bus stop at the Golf Road intersection into the road lane. This creates a cycle lane inside, protecting cyclists and slowing down traffic. The number of bus stops will be reduced subject to approval from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

We value your input and encourage your feedback on the proposed plans. Your feedback will help us review the design before seeking approval from the Council in February 2024 for implementation. Please email us your feedback regarding the proposed improvement at linksavenue@tauranga.govt.nz by 15 December 2023.

You can download the proposed plans below.

Links Avenue Streetscape Concept Stage 1 (5mb pdf)

We are confident these improvements will create a safer and more welcoming environment.

Stay informed

To keep up to date, you can visit this web page for the latest news, or please sign up for the Tauranga City Councils Weekly Bulletin for news on Links Avenue and other projects.

If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please email us at linksavenue@tauranga.govt.nz.

FAQ's

We are working towards creating a safer street that enables people and children to have the option to move independently and safely on bikes, on foot, on scooters or catching the bus.

For buses to be an attractive and viable option for transportation, the design of bus stop spacing should consider passenger demand. Research has shown that bus stops are needed more frequently in residential areas, and the distance between stops should be no less than 250m but no more than 400m. The placement of crossings is determined by the natural flow of traffic and the demand for pedestrians to cross at certain points. Moving some bus stops is also needed to improve visibility between approaching traffic and people crossing at the new pedestrian crossings.

Pedestrian crossings are placed in places that make it safer and easier for children, adults or people using mobility scooters or wheelchairs to cross the road.

We value the feedback from the community and postponed the upgrades, except those needed for the new pedestrian crossings.

Currently, there are time restrictions in place for Links Avenue for only a minimal number of hours. The avenue is accessible on weekends with a speed limit of 30km/h, while weekday restrictions apply.

From 15 December 2023, weekday access will change to 7am to 10am and 2pm to 4pm. Emergency vehicles, buses, bikes, and motorbikes can use this area anytime.

A cul-de-sac was implemented due to significant safety concerns for school students. The safety issues were confirmed as part of an independent, safe system audit of Links Avenue undertaken by specialist road safety experts. The safety report confirmed that Links Avenue had an unsafe road layout for young people, especially with high volumes of traffic using Links Avenue. Due to these safety concerns, the council decided to make a change.

Reducing the impact for directly affected residents living on Links Avenue or a connecting street such as between Golf Road and Concord Avenue has continually been explored. Unfortunately, all the potential solutions ran into operational or regulatory constraints.

A recent development has provided a glimmer of hope. The Ministry of Transport has passed new legislation called “Reshaping Streets” that can potentially eliminate some of the regulatory obstacles that may come with some of the possible solutions. We are reviewing the legal and technical options and plan to share them with you in the coming year or earlier.

Key information

Project type
Transport and movement
Community

Status
Underway

Neighbourhood
Mount Maunganui/Arataki

Key dates

  • The cul-de-sac is implemented

    March 2022
  • Bus lanes removed along Links Avenue

    March 2022—December 2022
  • Links Avenue opens on weekends

    From June 2023
  • Spur Avenue — T Intersection

    October — November 2023
  • New time restriction implemented - weekdays 7am to 10am and 2pm to 4pm

    December 2023
  • Pedestrian Crossings

    October — December 2023
  • Overall transitional safety Improvements

    March — April 2024

Who's listening

Transportation Team
Tauranga City Council

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

Other ways to get involved

Tauranga is your city. We’re working to make it even better.

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