NZ In Tranzit

There is great debate in Christchurch at the moment about removing the twin sets of one-way streets that encircle the central city. This system, completed in 1972 has a through route in each direction heading south north, west, east on each side of the city centre, Cathedral Square. The two main argument against these streets appear to be they pull (unnecessarily) suburban traffic through the central area, using the city as a short-cut across the central city block. Secondly they tend to kill streets commercially and appear to be less safe relaxed spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. A major factor is the speed of the onrushing wave of traffic on synchronised lights, also the fact that it is difficult to go back if a parking space is missed or on the other side of two lanes of fast moving traffic. The arguments for removing the one way system to me seem very weak - many of the two-way streets in the city are already clogged, and converting all streets to two-way means more traff...

Last night I attended the public lecture by Dr Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University in Western Australia. He was brought to Christchurch by the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Geographical Society - a big thanks to them. It was an impressive speech and an impressive turn-out for a rare meeting on concepts of public transport. My guess would be be close to 200 present. For years when asked about my interests or "how do you spend your time?" I have said  "public transport is probably my main interest". Silence. Large silence..... followed by a spoken or unspoken "Umm, yes, well...". I see people struggling to respond with an intelligent comment other than "Oh yes, I caught a bus once" (though some try something fairly similar). In that silence hangs the statement "How on earth can anyone be interested in a subject so simple, mundane, colourless." On February 2nd 1970 emigrating to the South Island and Ch...

/ Photo of bike carriage from website of Massachussets Bay Transportation Authority, USA A previous suggestion has been made in several   NZ in Tranzit postings , that the city look at building a major new grade separated western rail corridor between Islington and Redwood. Also suggested - a  loop via Pegasus in North Canterbury and short branch commuter line across from "Styx Junction" to Prestons, linking into major new subdivisions ar Belfast Park, Highfield and Prestons itself with bus connection to Parklands. (Map below) This combination could be be built through mostly open farm land, land that in many cases is already tabbed for multiple new residential and industrial areas, dark green (residential) and light green (industrial) in map above. Building rail before (or simultaneous with) other developments is agreat chance to get top quality infrastructure and best practise roading and facilities integration with rail...

Bus users in the far south of the city will welcome the new bus lanes being built by NZ Transport Agency through Sockburn and Hornby along Main South Road (a.k.a State Highway 1). But hey there - does anyone smell a slight whiff of hypocrisy in the stance of the National Government and that of its transport arm, NZ Transport Agency?? Isn't this the same political/planning machine that two and half years ago, in November 2009, withdrew $4 million of previously agreed funding for Christchurch City Council planned bus bus lanes , as well as reducing cycleway and road safety funding drastically. As a consequence several equally congested areas of the city and inner suburbs have had bus lane programmes pushed back several years. Viewed against the needs of The Orbiter or multiple buses along Riccarton Road, for example,  one would even ask whether bus laning at Hornby is not jumping the bus priority funding queue!! Sad that one of the -  very very few -  infrastr...

Public Notice International sustainability transport expert Professor Peter Newman from Curtin University in Perth will give a public lecture on this topic as the inaugural New Zealand Geographical Society Canterbury Branch Visiting Fellow on 29 March from 7pm-8pm in the Undercroft (bottom of the James Hight Building) at the University of Canterbury. Comment This should be interesting, Professor Newman is one of the major figures of public transport thinking in Australia, often quoted in studies and news media. And few cities and states anywhere have made such an impressive commitment to public transport as Perth and Western Australia. This said it may pay to keep in mind (I hope the professor does) that the population of Western Australian is only half that of New Zealand but the GDP per capita appears to about two and half  times that of our own country.  WA is one of the world's richest political entities. 30% Bus increase Last year the State Transport Minister ...

I often decry the chronic state of public transport and bus services in the USA but there are always exceptions. RedCoach, a state wide service provider in Florida is amongst those redefining the concept and nature of inter city coach travel. This photo is part of their promo but you can watch a whole You Tube ad here . Sorry folks; NOT likely to be seen in Canterbury New Zealand, at least not as a regional commuter service. Regional commuter useful services are    just not on the Ecan books  - despite all the fatuous huff and puff stuff about getting people out of cars or addressing longer journeys. In contrast, NZ in Tranzit believes a bit of commitment, vision and negotiation could put together eight services, spread fairly evenly each day, Timaru to Christchurch and vice versa.  Notably by adding in the specialised Metro services to provide commuter useful morning and early evening work and schools links, provincial access to Christchurch events, ...

I t is fairly obvious that bus cuts are on the way in Christchurch, very drastic reductions by rumour.  The services can be hacked to bits, trimmed back in a rough and ready fashion or this can be an opportunity to create better and frequent services, using a limited resource more wisely  Frequent corridor buses with useful "community service tails" as in the case suggested here, offer one alternative  Palmers Road residents have complained about the lack of bus services from this North New Brighton enclave to New Brighton shops and services. Particularly effected are some using walking frames who face a 500 metre walk. After the earthquakes damaged roads in this area the 84 New Brighton via Avondale service was withdrawn. David Stenhouse, Metro's new passenger services' manager is quoted in "The Mail" as saying how the affected residents lived with 500 metres of three bus routes. This squared with the policy that at least 90 per cent of residents shoul...

KiwiRail have made it clear they are not interested in integrating commuter rail into the Lyttelton scenario. This is clear in a submission made to the Christchurch City Council Draft Recovery Plan for Lyttelton.  The core historic commercial area of Lyttelton was devastated by the February 22nd earthquake in 2011.  The city council has just published a summary of the 197 submissions made on Lyttelton's recovery strategy ( access to the full PDF doc is available from a link at the centre of this CCC website pag e ).  The section on rail access is summed up in the paragraphs quoted below. "Light rail and train transport options were commonly commented on. There was quite a lot of support for light rail in particular, as well as Lyttelton to central city links. It was commented that it  could be a good tourism venture but it might be costly. We strongly support the creation of a passenger rail link to Lyttelton. Infrastructure is in place and with sufficient pl...

Love this picture! (no it wasn't posed) .....photographed in a relatively light south-easterly wind/rain a few weeks back at the temporary central bus station* ....not even sure how this guy managed to sit on the seat itself, which was soaking wet as shown in photo below .....     It certainly it does not bode well for the oncoming winter. Far more vigorous (and bitterly cold) wind and rain combinations are of course the winter norm in Christchurch. Presumably hundreds will have to stand getting soaked, at least around the legs, or crowd uncomfortably -  "cattle class"as they call it in Melbourne -  into the fairly limited space in the completely covered waiting area. Isn't it a bit weird or bit rich calling this a bus "shelter"? At least down in Southland (overseas readers - New Zealand's southern most province - next stop Antarctica) they are honest about the local bus service being operated by a bunch of comics and comedians . Love t...

"Foodstuffs has announced it is building a new Pak 'n Save supermarket next to its existing store in Christchurch's eastern suburbs. The Wainoni store has superficial earthquake damage and Foodstuffs says it will be cheaper to build another store rather than make repairs. The current store will continue trading while the new $25 million development takes shape. Building is expected to start this year." - Radio New Zealand News Item An interesting indicator of the revival of eastern suburbs post [we hope "post"] major earthquakes. Foodstuffs obviously believe even with conversion of some riverside areas currently red zoned and likely to become parks or paddocks (or at least no longer residential areas) there will be plenty of demand for this strategically placed supermarket. It is a sharp contrast to the Ecan/Metro stance, which has downgraded bus services to this area by over 50%, with residents using this supermarket between 9am and 3pm  expected t...