A community drop-in session is being held today in Arataki so people can view the Grenada Street plan in person, chat to the project team and share their thoughts.

Grenada Street is set for some changes to the road layout, which Tauranga City Council says will make it safer and easier for the Arataki community to walk, cycle and catch a bus along this road.

Tauranga City Council has announced their plan for a two-way, separated cycle path on the south side of Grenada Street as well as a new shared path through Arataki Park, a morning peak bus lane along a short section of Grenada Street and improved pedestrian crossing facilities.

These changes are planned for the length of Grenada Street between Girven Road and Sandhurst Drive.

A signalised crossing for people to safely cross Girven Road from Arataki Park to the Bayfair shopping centre, linking to Marlin Street, is also included in the plan.

The plan will mean some changes for people living on and traveling through Grenada Street and the adjacent roads.

Besides giving the community more ways to get around in their neighbourhood by creating a safer traffic environment for people who walk, cycle, or catch a bus, the plan also has benefits for drivers.

Lanes will be shared with less people on bikes and there are fewer parked cars on-street to navigate. On the other hand, they will need to adjust to the new elements on the road, such as in-lane bus stops and the new cycleway.

Council is asking for people to have a good look at the current plan and share any local knowledge that can help them fine-tune it.

Tauranga City Council Director of Transport, Brendan Bisley, says that this project will contribute to giving people more options to get around in their neighbourhood.

'Over the past few years, the Arataki community has let us know that getting around safely and easily in their neighbourhoods can be challenging. They have told us they want less traffic congestion, safer and separated cycleways and walkways, and better public transport."

'Grenada Street is an important and well-used route for school children, commuters and the community to get to and from school, work, local parks, shops, the beach or other places they want to go. It's also a key link in the wider Tauranga cycle network. That's why this road has been selected to undergo some improvements.”

'Dedicated infrastructure like separated cycle lanes and shared paths can encourage more people to walk or cycle on this road with confidence.”

Arataki School acting principal Shelley Craig is enthusiastic about the plan, especially about the safety benefits for school children.

'Many of our tamariki bike along Grenada Street and separating them out from faster and heavier traffic is a big win for us.

"We're also pleased to see Council is providing the new signalised crossing on Girven Road so our tamariki have a safe connection between Arataki Park and Marlin Street, which links Arataki to the wider Bayfair area, as well as the intermediate and college," says Shelley.

'Ensuring our roads are safe for our community to use, especially our tamariki when cycling to and from school, can only be a positive step in the right direction," saysTahatai Coast School principal Matt Skilton.

'The planned changes to Grenada Street mean that some on-street car parking will need to be removed,” says Brendan.

'Based on what we know about use of parking in the area, we believe we've been able to keep enough parks to meet current needs.”

Council has started conversations about this project with local businesses, community organisations and schools.

A map showing the main changes to the road is being shared with all residents, along with a letter outlining the planned changes.

Public consultation is open until 5pm Sunday, July 9 2023. People are invited to share their feedback and local knowledge online at letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/grenada.

A community drop-in session is being held from 1pm - 3pm on Saturday, June 24 at the Arataki Community Centre so people can view the plan in person, chat to the project team and share their thoughts.

This community feedback will then be considered as part of finalising the plan for Grenada Street.

Construction for this project is planned to start in October 2023 and completion is expected by late June 2024.

Transport Choices
This project is one of two Tauranga based projects that will be funded through the Waka Kotahi Transport Choices programme, part of the national Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) programme.

A key aim of this plan is to reduce land transport emissions by 41 per cent by 2035, achieved by reducing our dependency on cars in favour of walking, cycling and public transport.

95 per cent of the project costs will be funded by Waka Kotahi and 5 per cent through rates by Tauranga City Council.

More information: letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/grenada and www.nzta.govt.nz/transport-choices.