QLDC Media Advisory - Transport Summary Released

Reducing congestion in downtown Queenstown and leading a “necessary shift away from reliance on private cars” are cornerstones of QLDC’s town centre transport strategy, adopted last year.

Mayor Vanessa van Uden said that high traffic volumes over summer had prompted many people to ask what the Council was doing to improve traffic flows in and around the town, so a summary of the strategy’s key initiatives has been produced.

They include:
• Connect Melbourne and Henry Streets to improve access to future parking and a transport hub to be developed in Ballarat St
• Remove on-street parking in the town centre and instead provide parking at the edge of town.
• Promote the development of a public transport system that supports those willing to use alternatives to private cars
• Develop commuter trails for pedestrians and cyclists

More controls on parking would also be linked to support for and improvements in public transport.

The results should be reduced vehicle movements in the town centre, making it better for pedestrians while also allowing good flow of traffic to and through Queenstown itself, Mayor van Uden said.

Changes could not occur in isolation, with an increase in parking spaces on the edge of town an essential part of reducing parking availability in the CBD.

The future connection between Melbourne and Henry Streets was signalled as part of the “Inner Links” project, which the Council has had on the drawing board for several years. It already owns the properties needed to create the alternative route from Frankton Road into Queenstown, and is likely to include funding to accelerate detailed planning in this year’s Draft Annual Plan, to be released for public consultation next month.

Whatever happens in central Queenstown will also be related to other major projects, including some involving NZTA and the State Highway network. The installation of two sets of traffic signals in Stanley and Shotover Streets will begin within weeks, while improvements at the BP Roundabout in Frankton are also being designed.

A series of interactive maps showing these projects are on the Council’s website, alongside the full transport strategy and the summary.

ENDS

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