More ways to move on Grenada Street

Everyone:

This project is all about giving people safe, easy and reliable options to get around in their neighbourhood. Because of current gaps in the network for walking and cycling, many people have not been choosing these options. Dedicated infrastructure like separated cycle lanes and shared paths will encourage more people to walk or cycle with confidence.

Construction will have a temporary impact on people travelling along Grenada Street. Once completed the new road layout will take some getting used to. Overall, the changes will make for a calmer, safer road that will be of benefit to all.

In-lane bus stops will mean that cars will have to wait behind the bus until it departs from the stop. On the other hand, it also means more reliable bus journey times for bus users.

Park users:

We recognise that Arataki Park is a well-used community asset, used all year round by sports teams and the community. To improve access and safety for all users, a shared path will be built through the park, in behind the pump track, connecting to the existing path in front of the community centre, and extending through to Girven Rd.

This will provide improved access to the pump track, community centre, Baywave, Bayfair and playground – for people on bikes, scooters, skateboards and people walking. A wider path from Monowai St leading to the school zebra crossing will also help improve safety for students travelling to/from school.

Residents:

Some on-street car parking will need to be removed to make space for these changes to Grenada Street. Based on what we know about the use of parking in the area, we believe we've been able to keep enough parks to meet current needs.

During construction, there may be some temporary disruption. Please be assured that our contractor’s crew will work with you to make that as smooth as possible.

Once the project is completed, you will also have access to a safe and easy separated cycleway to get to and from your destinations confidently by bike, as well as multiple new and improved pedestrian crossings to make your journey on foot or mobility scooter safer and easier too. These pedestrian crossings will make it much easier and safer to cross Grenada Street and side roads.

Residents living on the south side of Grenada Street will of course need to look both left and right to assess if any people on the footpath or cycleway are approaching.

Changed intersection layouts and more pedestrian crossings will encourage drivers to slow down more often, making it safer for everyone.

Businesses:

At the Girven Road end of Grenada Street the biggest change will be the new morning peak bus lane, proposed to operate from 7am-9am weekdays. This should help your customers reach you and will provide options for how they travel to you. On-street parking on the south side of Grenada Street will be retained outside of the AM peak; the bus lane becomes parking outside that period.

Your local customers will have the option to arrive on foot, bike or (mobility) scooter, keeping carparks free for others.

During construction, there may be some temporary disruption. Our contractor’s crew will work with you to understand priorities and make this period as easy as possible for you and your customers.

Bus users:

The morning peak bus lane towards Bayfair means buses can skip the queue and turn onto Girven Road without delay. This will offer you an improved experience.

We’re also working closely with BOPRC to provide improved bus shelters along Grenada Street.

The separated cycleway will be designed for All Ages and Abilities (AAA). AAA is an internationally recognised design method that ensures a safe, protected cycleway for all users. It focuses on a wider range of people who wish to cycle, irrespective of whether they are confident or learning.

AAA cycle routes also have improved safety at intersections and places to cross so people can feel safe and confident when cycling. Most importantly, it means physically separating people cycling from moving vehicles, preventing dangerous interaction.

Safety for people walking or wanting to catch a bus is another key element of designing for all ages and abilities. In some key locations on Grenada Street, this project will help improve crossings and make it safer for everyone.

Separated cycleways are facilities exclusively for cycling. They involve some form of physical separation from motor traffic and are generally situated on or adjacent to the roadway, usually within the road reserve. The separation may involve horizontal and/or vertical components. There are a range of methods that can be employed to separate and protect cyclists from motor traffic. On Grenada Street we are planning to use barriers similar to the barriers in the photo provided on the web page.
Source: Waka Kotahi.

Grenada Street forms part of the primary cycle route from the Mount to Papamoa. This route was identified as the most suitable as part of research conducted in 2019 - this compared multiple streets, including Gloucester Road, Maranui Street, and Oceanbeach Road to identify which streets were best suited to form a continuous link from the Mount to Papamoa, connecting people biking to key destinations such as schools, shops, and places of work.

The research used over ten different criteria, such as traffic volumes, road widths, loss of parking, constructability, and directness to and from key destinations.

All in all, a two-way cycleway provides a better balance between cycling and community outcomes, such as parking and walking. Cycleways on both sides of the road would remove more on-street parking than the two-way cycle path option.

For the majority, we are using the existing road for the cycleway, which means no changes are necessary to the kerb and footpath. In some sections the footpath will be widened for the shared path, to allow for pedestrians and cyclists.

Once plans have been finetuned based on your feedback, the intention is to start changing the road layout in October 2023.

95% of the project costs will be funded through the Waka Kotahi Transport Choices programme, part of the national Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) programme. 5% will be funded through rates by Tauranga City Council.

With Transport Choices, Waka Kotahi is working with local councils, including Tauranga City Council, to progress strategic cycle networks, create walkable neighbourhoods and safer, greener, and healthier school travel, and make public transport more reliable and easier to use.

It’s about making small, quick, and visible changes to our streets and the way people use them and helping people embrace cycling or walking as a means of travel. Together, we're building a transport system that's sustainable for the next generation.

Transport is a major source of emissions. Transport Choices will help reduce these emissions from transport and create fairer, safer, and healthier environments for people to live, work and play across the country.

It’s just one initiative within the Waka Kotahi Climate Emergency Response Programme (CERF) that will enable people across the country to directly help fight climate change.

More information:

• Transport Choices
• CERF