Parking relief for Tauranga CBD

There'll be more car parks available in Tauranga's city centre when the Elizabeth Street parking building opens all its floors next Monday.

With construction of the top floor now complete, the Elizabeth Street building's will provide 342 public parking spaces plus 278 leased spaces, and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


All floors of the Elizabeth Street parking building will be open from Monday, August 29. File Photo.

Tauranga City Council's transportation manager Martin Parkes says the building will offer some welcome parking relief for visitors to the CBD.

'Construction requirements for the building's new floor meant 250 parking spaces had to be closed off.

'The construction put a lot of pressure on city centre parking over the last six months, but all of that changes next week when the whole building comes back online.”

The building's top floor will be largely dedicated to leased car parking, and with increasing demand for leased spaces in the city centre, it should be great news for people who've been placed on a council waiting list for allocated spaces.

Martin says eventually leased parking at the Spring Street building will also be moved to the upper levels as well.

'We've learned from the Spring Street parking building that the leased parking areas need to be separated from the public parks, otherwise we get problems with vehicles parked in other people's spaces.”

Following a recent amendment to the Traffic and Parking Bylaw 2012, parking officers will now be able to ticket vehicles parked in private lease spaces without permission in all Tauranga City parking buildings.

Martin is also advising visitors to the Spring Street parking building that the lift is being replaced and will be out of action until mid-October.

The replacement work was put off as late as possible to coincide with the Elizabeth Street building reopening at full capacity.

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24 comments

This is garbage personified

Posted on 25-08-2016 07:19 | By ROCCO

The extra floor was put in place simply to accommodate all the new commercial buildings that lacked on site parking.It has little to do with the creation of a public amenity.The final cost of $5m to $6m was way over the top with the interest bill let alone the operating costs and depreciation wiping out the takings.TCC MANAGER PARKES is away with the fairies if he seriously(and I doubt it) thinks this wlll give welcome relief to CBD visitors.Get a real job mate.!!!!


Still less parks than we had!

Posted on 25-08-2016 08:10 | By Geeb

We had 4 floors of public parking, they leased 3 to TrustPower, added 1 on top. Net effect 2 less floors of parking at a cost of $5-6m - this is park of the true cost of bringing Trustpower into town and not requiring them to provide adequate parking in their own building like most other businesses need to do! Meanwhile the rest of us struggle to find parking, for which the price has increased, and shoppers stop coming into town!


Nice but

Posted on 25-08-2016 10:59 | By Crash test dummies

The number of new parks available does not even cover 1/2 the extra Trust power staff in the CBD, the CBD has effectively had 100's of people looking for parking and 100's less available e.g. the waterfront has gone.


I agree

Posted on 25-08-2016 11:41 | By N@

I dont see how this will bring any relief as more buildings are popping up in town i.e.: the new building in town (it will accommodate more than five hundred people) I am sure it wont cater for parking? I feel sorry for our local businesses especially the smaller ones, as its true, people dont come in to town anymore as its easier to go to the other centres like Bethlehem and soon even Tauriko. Parking in these buildings costs an arm and a leg anyway so why even bother?


Yay

Posted on 25-08-2016 11:56 | By Chris

More places to not park when I don't shop downtown.


Day late and dollar short

Posted on 25-08-2016 12:05 | By The Sage

This should have been completed 6 months ago BEFORE Trustpower came to town. Unfortunately Elvis has well and truly left the building or, in this case, the CBD.


Stop the moaning already

Posted on 25-08-2016 13:28 | By freckles17

For one Trustpower hasnt leased the parks! The staff have just like any other person that works in the CBD can do and pay for them themselves. And 2 if you look at the comments under old articles re TP moving into town they were mostly positive with extra people and extra pay packets hitting an otherwise empty town. Big businesses have made the city come alive again with the staff needing food,coffee, clothes and gifts all at their back door and easily accessible at lunch times. Or would you rather it went back to a ghost town.....


What parking shortage?

Posted on 25-08-2016 14:58 | By Astoreth

I see a lot of hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing, but do not see a shortage of parking in the CBD. 30 years ago there was, but not now (unless you feel a need to park right in front of your destination, maybe). Even on days of big events, parking is not hard to find.


@ freckles17

Posted on 25-08-2016 15:48 | By Crash test dummies

You don't get it. TP coming into the CBD creates about 400 additional people looking for car parking - all day! That means 400 car parks not available to shoppers. Applying a little common sense to that situation means that all day shoppers are replaced by lunchtime coffee drinkers. Bottom line less business happening, more people. Please have a rewrite of your blog and "Tell me it ain't so?"


@ Astoreth

Posted on 25-08-2016 15:50 | By Crash test dummies

I am sure you have it all figured out, but the number speak volumes. The foot traffic in key spots is 25% down on five years ago. The prime reasons all state are: - no parks and cost of parking.


@ JAFFA

Posted on 25-08-2016 18:36 | By freckles17

So you know for a fact that ALL staff require parking? Maybe find out from Hopper bus how much their business has increased or take into consideration the amount of staff who now walk, cycle or even kayak into their new building. And how many carpool? Or are able to work from home? Yes there is an increase in cars taking parks but by no means 400. So before you tell me to rewrite my "blog" why dont you find out the facts first


@ JAFFA

Posted on 25-08-2016 18:51 | By Accountable

You are so right. The negatives concerning Trustpower far out weight any positives. I think it is about time the Trustpower people proved they are making a difference because so far there has been very little to show for it.


comon

Posted on 25-08-2016 19:48 | By Bop man

It has nothing to do with the paying for parking its more about convenience when you live at Bethlehem why drive to town to shop when Kmart etc are right there same with papamoa why drive to town when there is palm beach and bayfair, maybe we should blame the oil companies for the CBD down turn as it cost to much to drive in. and someone said it costs an arm and a leg to park in the buildings has never obviously parked in Auckland....Ya all need to get over it.TP has brought some life to the CBD. And no I don't work for TP and do work in the CBD.


Oh my goodness..

Posted on 26-08-2016 11:07 | By Me again

cry people cry. Here's 2 options.. walk or cycle mind you we might have to ask the local member of parli. to put up cycle lanes all over the place. There problem solved!!!


The Old Old Story

Posted on 26-08-2016 11:45 | By Jitter

It is always the same with TCC. Give with the right hand and take away immediately with the left. There are no winners in this one except for the people who lease what were once public car parks in the parking buildings. "Astoreth" does not see a shortage of parking ! How often do they go to town ? Whenever we go over to town from Papamoa we struggle to find a car park close to the CBD. Cost of Parking - In Tauranga it is very cheap compared with Auckland or Wellington and other large NZ cities so I have no problem with the cost. It would of course be very nice if it was free but then TCC would add that charge to the rates so it is a no win situation.


@Bop man

Posted on 26-08-2016 13:32 | By Accountable

Your first comments are correct but the Council should never have let the shopping area sprawl happen. Tauranga has almost double the shops of Hamilton. It's a long time since petrol was as cheap as it is now.Compare petrol with milk or water.We are not Auckland with its one and a half million population.Lastly I do believe you work in the CBD but only as an employee who has nothing invested in the CBD and is not relying on foot traffic to exist. That will be your bosses problem.


Overbudget

Posted on 28-08-2016 18:02 | By kellbell

TCC couldn't even get the cost and this right and this thing ended up way over budget- typical and par for the course.


Whinge whingers!!

Posted on 29-08-2016 16:35 | By Vivella

Why don't you contact Blind Institute, Cancer Society, Alzheimers and the list goes on, to do something productive with your time rather than moan moan moan about lack of parking, my goodness!!!! Have you nothing better to do, and most of the information in previous comments is NOT even factual!!


Probably not needed now!

Posted on 30-08-2016 13:22 | By Mackka

Once 'Tauranga Crossing' is up and running with its 49 shops/businesses - including the cinemas, Warehouse, Pak n'Save, Noel Leaming, banks etc who would be silly enough to go anywhere near the CBD? Apart from students and the workers who still have employment in the rapidly dwindling retail outlets in the city who will want to use the car parks??


@ Mackka

Posted on 30-08-2016 22:14 | By Crash test dummies

Exactly right, but that is already the case now?


DEAD RIGHT

Posted on 01-09-2016 19:31 | By kellbell

I go with the Mackka and JAFFA assessments the CBD is a lame duck and the number of empty shops is appalling.


save on parking

Posted on 02-09-2016 05:38 | By rosscoo

Leave car at home take the bus much cheaper and know need for leasing car parks.


@ rosscoo

Posted on 02-09-2016 14:35 | By Crash test dummies

My view exactly, however the timetable is just not regular enough in all the important places to be of any use.


@ rosscoo

Posted on 02-09-2016 14:36 | By Crash test dummies

Cars are the NZ way of life, you are talking about a need of forcing people to change their ways. They will more readily seek other places to go where that is desire, need and addiction is able to continue such as malls where the parking is a-plenty and free.


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