Welcome Bay transport issues

Tauranga City Council has been told it has to take responsibility for developing public transport issues in Welcome Bay.

Because Tauranga City Council planners made the decisions leading to Welcome Bay being one of the fastest growing suburbs, public transport is very much city council business, says Welcome Bay community Centre spokesperson Anna Larsen.


Welcome Bay Community Centre spokesperson Anna Larsen. File photo.

And public transport is not meeting the speed of the expansion.

'We appreciate the bus service is supplied by the regional council, but as the governing organisation with the city's overall development, the public transport infrastructure is very much your business,” says Anna at the Tauranga City Council annual plan submissions.

Anna says city council town planners make decisions for housing developments in Tauranga, the public transport infrastructure is very much council business.

'So far the only improvement of service in the Welcome Bay area is the addition of another bus during school term to bunny hop with the existing busses,” says Anna.

'So it doesn't actually add another strand to the service it just picks up more people.

'This is to manage the change in commuting behaviours of the school students which has come about because of the change in funding of school students. So while it alleviates the pressure on numbers it is a band aid, and not a solution.

'Meanwhile bus fares have gone up, including the student fares which are now $1.50 per journey.”

The change in student commuting is the result of a Ministry of Education funding cut, and not directly TCC's responsibility, says Anna.

'This is an extra $15 per student, per family, per week, that the national government previously funded, and must now come directly out of our communities.

'So as I say, it's not your issue, but you need to see that that money; families are having to find that money.”

In last year's Annual Plan submissions the community centre directed council attention to the poor grade the city received for ‘getting around'.

The Western Bay of Plenty's vital signs report produced by the Acorn Foundation and co-funded by the city council, revealed a level of dissatisfaction in the community, and the council received only a ‘C' grade.

'The percentage of people who commute by private vehicle in Tauranga is higher than the national average, while the number of bus commuters is well below the national average,” says Anna.

The Acorn report participants indicated the top three priorities are: Improve the bus services, Improve and expand cycle networks and facilities, and make public transport more affordable.

'It still takes two buses to get from Welcome Bay to anywhere other than directly into town, including the polytechnic which is just around the corner from us,” says Anna. 'As the bus service contract comes up for renewal next year we trust you will all be looking to see what value you can add to this essential city to support your vision for a better city.

'Welcome Bay has got some serious problems and it wouldn't hurt you guys to pop your heads over the highway every now and then.”

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23 comments

Nothing wrong with

Posted on 03-05-2016 10:25 | By Towball

Cycling or walking surely not every student is reliant on public transport ?. Perhaps you should be petitioning for another School that would be a far more practical solution.


The bay

Posted on 03-05-2016 10:28 | By surfsup

It would also help if Messrs Grainger and Clout actually did something to help the residents . Neither one seems to be interested in the area until election time . Traffic in the morning is fast becoming a joke,the underpass when completed will simply get traffic to the turret road bottle neck quicker. Never in all my years in Tauranga have I witnessed such ineffective council members.


Some points for Anna

Posted on 03-05-2016 10:36 | By BullShtAlert

Our Regional Council rates plus some taxes are used for public transport. We don't want our local council rates going towards it too. That's called doubling up on bureaucracy. So get onto your regional councillors, if you know who they are, and lobby them. Also, there's no way ratepayers should have to pay for school bus services. Hold the government accountable for that. Alternatively take any funding the Welcome Bay Community Centre gets from Council and give it back to the families you are concerned about.


Sold Out

Posted on 03-05-2016 11:04 | By Crash test dummies

Welcome Bay have been sold out by TCC because of the dodgy deal done over Route K, now TCC have the $45 million cost to pay to remedy the Causway/Turret/15th Ave road widening, they don't have any money to do it and it will all end up borrowed.


@ surfsup

Posted on 03-05-2016 11:38 | By Crash test dummies

Ain't that the truth


Clout may be a Crosby clone?

Posted on 03-05-2016 12:17 | By Annalist

I do have some sympathy for councillors because they seem to be blamed for everything. But I do think Deputy Mayor Clout has just given us more of the same old same old. Cr Grainger was always aware that once the welcome bay underpass was done Turret Rd would be the bottleneck. However, the question of what to do about it is complex? How about some actual answers from the commenters.


More Time and More Money!

Posted on 03-05-2016 13:22 | By babyG

Our children travelled to and from Welcome Bay and their school in Tauranga on most days. This has upset our family routine as they are on the road (waiting for, or in the bus) for up to 3 hours a day. For children of around 11 years old, this is unacceptable. They get home exhausted in the late afternoon, and then still have to do howework. They also complain about the behaviour of older kids from other schools swearing and misbehaving on the bus. Added to this, last term their bus broke down several times too. As mentioned, we now pay more and get less. This term we have given up on the bus service, adjusted our work situation, and will rather sit in our cars in the bottleneck traffic. At least we can pass the time together. Unfortunately not all families can do or afford this.


What's the difference ..

Posted on 03-05-2016 13:28 | By Rusty Kane

Goes to show the ward councillors are not representing their wards .. anymore than if they were at large councillors ..


@ Annalist - clonning

Posted on 03-05-2016 13:32 | By Crash test dummies

Do you mean another "yes man"? I think so. Anyway the two ward Councillors voted for it all. They have shafted Welcome Bay even when they were well aware of the consequences, i.e. Welcome Bay is gridlocked. Apparently what they are not telling you is that the widening has been put back 30 years said to be because "Not needed", what that really means is that TCC does not need the new debt getting in the way of the flash new office towers in the CBD for the ever growing staff number.


lemons over-rippened

Posted on 03-05-2016 13:35 | By Crash test dummies

Clearly the $50 million has been diverted and spent elsewhere. Surely the Route K money should have been spent to fix the Welcome Bay roads, it was part of the same deal all be it really bad news for TCC ratepayers whatever way you look at it.


Buses a regional council responsibility

Posted on 03-05-2016 14:28 | By BullShtAlert

To be fair we need to realise that public transport is paid for by regional rates not our local council. No point criticising Clout and Grainger but ignoring your local regional councillors like Philip Sherry, who don't seem to be held accountable.


Poor Planning

Posted on 03-05-2016 14:28 | By jeancraven@kinect.co.nz

This is another example of the hit and miss planning Tauranga has experienced despite increased rate intakes.


free bus transport and ferry to CBD and Tauranga

Posted on 03-05-2016 15:04 | By marshamaxw

Perhaps free bus transport is a solution.Welcome Bay was never well planned,which has resulted in it having poor connectivity and accessibility. Welcome Bay has been neglected for many years and public services like public transport have not been evenly distributed or adequate for it's size and growth.It geographical proximity has is one disadvantage.A rail loop between CBD and Mount with a station at Maungatapu could help on the site of the Palmers.


Have another read

Posted on 04-05-2016 14:18 | By Anna C

It's great this article has generated such interest and debate regarding the bus service! I recommend that BullShtAlert re-reads the article: I don't once ask the council to provide, pay for, or subsidise bus services but ask that the people who have oversight of city development and community well-being take note of the public transport needs in relation to city development. BOPRC runs the buses, TCC manages the bus stops, therefore the two councils work in unison on public transport. I am also pointing out to TCC that the government cuts to school bus funding is having an impact on many families in our communities, which has a trickle-down impact on community well-being. It has also impacted on commuter behaviour, exacerbating an already congested morning commute. It is election year for local government, including BOPRC


Hi Anna C

Posted on 04-05-2016 17:09 | By BullShtAlert

I did read the article carefully. Perhaps you should have stated you were going to lobby the Regional Council over the bus services they are responsible for providing and I would have given my total support. I suspect that most people don't even know who their regional councillors are, yet they control a large chunk of Port of Tauranga profits. I'm glad that when the article states Tauranga Council should take responsibility for public transport issues you don't mean Council should pay for them? Thanks


@ Anna C

Posted on 04-05-2016 17:24 | By Crash test dummies

When transport and congestion is an issue the Government has made it a lot worse by dumping all the parents/kids onto the roads as well. Very short sighted indeed. But well I guess the voters will have a say on that next year with Bridges, he is Transport minister and I am sure he is aware of the decision well before anyone else, obviously did not challenge it.


Why

Posted on 08-05-2016 17:36 | By overit

Why are the local roads out W.Bay, Ohauiti uncongested during the school holidays? Its a pleasure to drive them at this time...


@ overit

Posted on 09-05-2016 14:01 | By Crash test dummies

Because schools are out.


Jaffa

Posted on 11-05-2016 08:48 | By overit

Exactly so is all this congestion from people dropping off the kids at school. Why not bus, walk, carpool, ride bikes?


@ overit

Posted on 11-05-2016 11:05 | By Crash test dummies

Agree, but obvious the obvious is not happening, many kids are on the buses, but equally many are not. The fact that MOE has canned the urban buses for school kids means the end result traffic mess ...


Poor unloved WB

Posted on 22-05-2016 00:09 | By Captain Hottie

While they were planning the WB tunnel they should have put in a transport interchange, so people can transfer to go to Greerton or the Mount/Papamoa, instead of having to go all the way into Cameron Road, or run under the roundabout into Maungatapu Road to change buses. Fed up with WB being the little afterthought. It's bad enough we're not even in the Tauranga electorate, we get lumped in to Bay of Plenty along with all the little rural towns like Waihi. Though we are part of Tauranga City not Western Bay council. Confusing or what??


roads loaded

Posted on 22-05-2016 13:51 | By snuffy

It is not only school students - those of us trying to go to Polytech are also on the road. I can't believe the congestion that is not helped by the trucks crossing WB road at peak traffic times... And there is no bus to Papamoa or mount so those people all have to go into the city first. Welcome bay needs loads of things but not more residents until issues are resolved.


Bus Service

Posted on 23-05-2016 22:38 | By angesquange

Why doesn't the No.40 bus extend its service to Waikite Road? There are quite a few subdivisions springing up off Waikiti Road, and I'm sure like myself, there will be a lot people needing to use the bus. I've emailed the Bay Bus and the council in Dec 2015 who put me onto somebody else, but I haven't received a reply. Could we organise a petition to put forth to the council.


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