No detail yet on effects of oneway changes

THE public will not know how changes to Dunedin’s central city oneway system could affect traffic flows through the city until after public engagement on the project ends next week.

A multiagency group, including the NZ Transport Agency and Dunedin City and Otago Regional Councils, is consulting on whether to overhaul the way traffic moves through the central city, as preparations are made to build a new hospital.

Joint client lead and city council transport strategy manager Nick Sargent said yesterday he would be able to release the information the group had on how the changes to Dunedin streets might affect travel times through the city, or which intersections might get traffic buildup due to the proposed changes, only ‘‘at the postengagement stage’’.

On June 19, a spokeswoman for the group confirmed the group had the information but said it was not ready for public review.

‘‘We have only just received the city centre traffic modelling information you asked for and need to review it before releasing it,’’ she said.

Earlier this week, the Otago Daily Times reported twothirds of responses so far to a survey on changes to the central city oneway system wanted it to remain as it is.

At the time Mr Sargent said the project group had ‘‘a pretty good idea’’ which junctions would come under more strain if changes did cause congestion, but the ‘‘initial traffic analysis’’ was preliminary and required work to refine it.

A lack of detail on ‘‘how the proposed traffic flows on the alternative two singlelane roads . . . will cope with current and future anticipated traffic’’ was among the top concerns listed by the group in an update on its engagement process at the start of this month.