NELSUST Media Release
29 September 2010

Arterial Study Unnecessary

NELSUST believes a lack of knowledge on transport issues in Nelson influenced the Council’s request for an Arterial Traffic Study into where roading expansion should occur.

NELSUST convenor Peter Olorenshaw says sitting councillors are not well briefed on fundamental transport issues affecting the region, and this became apparent at a recent Mayoral Forum held to discuss the subject.

“ We put the question to the candidates, ‘Traffic into Nelson has been trending up for several years, true or false?’ and all but one candidate gave the wrong answer,” says Mr Olorenshaw. “It’s disturbing councillors are not aware of the Nelson City councils own figures which show traffic volumes peaked in 2005, well before the current recession, and have been declining ever since.”

Mr Olorenshaw says if the council had been better informed they might not have requested the study.

NELSUST says traffic numbers are going down, even before a good commuter bus service is in place, and before significant travel demand management measures have been implemented, and while there are few alternatives to on road cycleways.

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