2 August 2000

NORTH SHORE BUS LANE PLANS ADVANCE

A Transit New Zealand request to alter a northern motorway designation to provide for a North Shore bus lane will be considered on a non-notified basis by Auckland City’s planning fixtures sub-committee.

Transit wants to widen a small part of the motorway between Westhaven and the motorway along the approaches to Fanshaw Street to give priority to buses in the morning peak and to release some of the pressure for afternoon and evening city-bound traffic.

“This will be of major benefit for morning bus passengers travelling into the city and thousands of other motorists will benefit from the easing of traffic bottlenecks at other peak times,” Cr Yates said.

“The extra lane will encourage more people to use the North Shore bus service and this is consistent with Auckland City’s strategic direction for public transport.

“The project has an extremely high benefit Cost Ratio of 12.7, which further demonstrates the value of the proposed bus lane to the wider community. It has been endorsed by the council’s transport and roading committee.”

The planned widening tapers for 260 metres from its widest point at the Shelley Beach overbridge, where it is three metres wide, to the city side of the City of Sails restaurant building where it stops.
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Transit’s notice of designation is made under Section 181(3) of the Resource Management Act, which allows minor alterations to be made to designations if they meet certain requirements.

“The notice is different from an application for resource consent in that it restricts consultation rights to the owners and occupiers of land directly affected,” Cr Yates said.

“However, the planning and fixtures sub-committee is aware of strong community interest in the proposal so we deferred consideration of the matter to hear the concerns of the Westhaven Community Board.

“As a result, we are requiring Transit to come back to us with an outline plan for the proposed project before any works can start. We will take community views into account when we consider this plan but can only address concerns related directly to the construction such as final design and appearance, landscaping and construction noise.”

Cr Yates says Transit’s Assessment of Environmental Effects concluded the proposed works would have no adverse effects.

The AEE notes that the environment has already been substantially modified by the construction of a motorway in the 1960’s and the proposed works are therefore consistent with the existing landscape.

It states that “the increase in the operational noise environment within this area of the motorway will be largely undetectable”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Cr Juliet Yates
Phone 528 0581 or 025 289 0623

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