Things getting worse for motorists
TENSION between motorists and cyclists has been in news of late. It’s a subject that has been well traversed, and not one I propose to say much about here.
However, there is another side to the current everyday lot of motorists that is leading to shorter tempers and a loss of patience.
Thanks to economic growth, traffic volumes have been on the rise over the past few years and, with this, increasing levels of congestion. OK, we’re not talking Auckland or even Christchurch proportions, but enough to slow journey times.
For those living in and around Queenstown, there have been improvements to try to ease the situation, although growth still seems to outstrip the ability of the roads to cope.
In Dunedin, the small number of changes that may have improved things for cars and commercial vehicles are outnumbered by those that do not.
The roll out of cycleways is a prime example: traffic disruptions and an end result that — through narrower lanes, changes to intersection and light phasing — will likely make the motorist’s and commercial driver’s lot less convenient and, arguably, more dangerous.
But that’s not the only example: the introduction of Barnes Dance crossings on George and Princes streets, new traffic lights in half a dozen locations and the closure of part of Great King St for months are all impeding traffic flows in significant ways. Among the major arterial routes that have been subject to road works in recent months are the oneway system north and south, Portsmouth Dr, Anzac Ave and Hillside Rd.
No wonder motorists are a little short on patience right now — they are being subject to significant disruption for projects that, by and large, will make their motoring worse once completed.