Time to tackle congestion problems

No matter where you stand, the long-awaited report on the Southern Link made for interesting reading.

The investigation from the New Zealand Transport Agency recommended the next steps for addressing Nelson’s traffic problems. It found that while a new route at a cost of between $45m to $300m was needed, it might not be warranted until the early 2030s.

Factors such as new technology, the speed of regional growth and the success of interim steps to tackle congestion might push this timeframe out further.

The investigation found Nelson’s key arterial routes had ‘‘longer than acceptable travel times’’ in peak times; delays of between two and eight minutes on SH6 Rocks Rd and 1 to 14 minutes on Waimea Rd.

While those figures may sound insignificant on a national or international scale – the city does have a congestion problem and the need to take steps to improve traffic flow was a key theme of the report.

It recommends introducing clearways, improving intersections, enhancing public transport, and re-instating two south-bound lanes at the Tahunanui traffic lights.

It also suggests changing behaviour by getting people to cycle, walk or take public transport at peak times.

Nelson MPNick Smith and Mayor Rachel Reese do not support clearways and say the city needs to build the link it has talked about since the 1960s.

However, Waimea and Rocks Rds will remain main roads even if the link is built, and it seems hard to argue against improving traffic flow and safety on them.

Building a road through any community is not a decision that should be taken lightly.

The need for hard changes is a price the region has to pay for growth. Other cities operate with clearways, and businesses on busy arterial routes are already disrupted to some extent.

The region also needs a resilient main route, one that can stay open during storms and predicted sea level rise.

Ownership of the problem also needs to happen at regional, community and individual levels. Congestion drops off in school holidays – so can schools change their drop off times to earlier or later? Can commuters stagger start times, carpool, bike or take public transport?

Frustration at the lack of a solution to congestion woes is understandable – but the question remains whether a new road is the right solution for 2017 or even 2030. What is needed most of all is brave decisions made on critical thinking and hard data – not decisions based on emotion, politics or post codes.