Petition against ‘crazy’ motorway
Christchurch residents have called on city authorities to put people first not cars, when considering roading changes that will funnel thousands more vehicles into their suburb.
The $240 million Christchurch Northern Motorway project, largely funded by the Government, will come out on Cranford St, in St Albans when completed in mid-2020. It is expected to increase traffic volume by more than 30 per cent.
The Christchurch City Council has come up with proposed measures to ensure a smooth transition for vehicles from the motorway into the central city, but St Albans residents say the plans will divide their suburb and make the road unsafe for the community.
The council was proposing to ban parking during peak hours to create an extra lane along Cranford St from Innes Rd to Berwick St and upgrade intersections at Westminster/Cranford streets and Berwick/Cranford streets. Traffic lights would also be added at intersections at Forfar/Warrington streets and Barbadoes/Warrington streets. Cranford St would be four-lanes from the motorway to Innes Rd.
Mark Wilson and Jason Harvey presented a petition to the council yesterday signed by 2512 people opposed to the proposed changes in Cranford St and surrounding areas. They demanded other options be explored.
Wilson, who was supported by a number of residents in the public gallery, told the council it had taken an outdated approach by focusing on moving cars and not people.
‘‘How can a project such as this one not have public transport at its core?’’
Wilson said the council needed to implement measures to reduce the volume of traffic, not make way for more.
‘‘If Christchurch isn’t ready for the traffic, don’t open the motorway.’’
Council transport head Richard Osborne said the council was involved in work with New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to dedicate one motorway lane to vehicles with more than one person onboard. It was also working with Waimakariri District Council on the possibility of park and ride facilities and with Environment Canterbury on the possibility of a rapid bus service.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she was opposed to the idea of building motorways to bring cars into the city and it was unlikely the motorway would have been approved if the existing Government had been in charge.
‘‘I think it’s a crazy, crazy decision. I never supported the roads of national significance when I was a member of parliament and I don’t support them now.’’
Dalziel said the motorway had been a fait accompli since 2012 and now the motorway was being built the council needed to mitigate against its downstream effects and the public needed to be consulted.
The council decided to put the recommendations out to public consultation.
Councillor Mike Davidson said he did not support the northern corridor and never had.
‘‘It’s old school transport thinking that does not give a damn about about the communities it will destroy, all in an effort to make it easier for cars to get in and out of Christchurch.’’
He said millions of dollars of ratepayers’ money was being spent on a road that divided a community and was unsafe for that community, only to reduce the travelling time for Waimakariri residents.
‘‘The last time I looked they were not paying rates to us.’’
Council traffic data from Cranford St, near Berwick St, from August 2017 shows an average of 21,000 vehicles use Cranford St daily.
NZTA estimates 42,000 vehicles a day will use the new motorway by 2026.
‘‘How can a project such as this one not have public transport at its core?’’ Mark Wilson