NZ In Tranzit

2004 " This is just an early indication of our long-term future if we do not act now to avoid the transport headaches facing Auckland today..... This is why the  Christchurch  City Council has developed a long- term transport vision to avoid such a future . This long-term plan is made up of various strategies, all focused on a single vision for  Christchurch , a transport system that supports a quality of life second to none...... "Other council work during this period will include improvements to bus stop amenities across  Christchurch  and to develop a citywide programme of suburban interchanges or mini bus exchanges at popular metro interchange points where different routes meet.' From The Press July 1st 2004 -   Metro More Attractive by line... " Christchurch  is acting to prevent the sort of traffic problems that clog Auckland."    2013 The Palms Bus transfer point?? Near the intersection where bus routes travel in a...

Aldwins Rd Looking eastwards Aldwins Rd looking westwards Anyone catching buses in Christchurch nowadays knows what a bloody mess it as become, with many patrons having to spend two-three hours a day getting to-fro work, just to ensure they won't miss transfer connections.  There is no point heading out from home now "only" an hour before you have to start work, a lecture or be at an appointment -  if you have to make transfers or rely upon cross town services - there is a huge chance services will be so far out of kilter - up to 20 minutes late - that you'll miss connections and be putting your job at risk or missing that appointment. Where as most motorists are having to allow an extra 15 minutes in their journeys to allow for road and drain repair works and ensuring traffic hold ups, bus passengers may have to double journey time, on journeys already three times longer than the equivalent car trip.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know ...

To celebrate the launch of the new Edgeware Neighbourhood Plan (sure to focus on making attractive environments for queuing points for cars !! And on the track record to date - nothing for buses, certainly no transfer friendly node for the Metrostar and 118, 28 bus), to "celebrate" I reprint a posting I did back in April 2010, when my readership was very tiny. This suggests any rational analysis of cost-benefit bus rapid transport would have to say that the least disruptive, by far the most direct, logical, and multi-beneficial northern rapid transit outlet tofro the city centre, that does not involves scores of house demolitions would need utilise the Rutland Street Corridor. This can be  linked to Edgeware in the south by an enormously enhanced green housing, busway, bikeway etc redevelopment, running through to Edgeware Rd, and in the north under (or over) Cranford Street and QEII drive to Redwood, Highfield, Prestons and areas north beyond) - giving buses a direct...