Changes made to Lincoln Road bus lane scheme
Christchurch City Council Newsline: 23rd February 2022
Christchurch City Council staff are recommending some changes are made to a scheme design that will enable more peak hour bus lanes to be installed on busy Lincoln Road.
The changes have been prompted by public feedback received during the consultation process late last year.
The Council has already approved a scheme design for installing peak hour bus lanes on both sides of Lincoln Road, between Moorhouse Avenue and Whiteleigh Avenue. Work on that project due to start soon. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is also planning to install bus lanes along Halswell Road, from Curletts Road to Dunbars Road.
To tie the two projects together and improve the public transport connection between the southwest of Christchurch and the city centre, the Council is proposing to install peak hour bus lanes along the stretch of Lincoln Road between Whiteleigh Avenue and Curletts Road.
It received 162 submissions on the scheme design that it put out for consultation in November 2021. Fifty-seven per cent of the submissions received were in support of the plans; with 43 per cent were opposed.
A Hearings Panel made up of elected members will meet on Monday 28th February 2022, to consider all the public submissions. At that meeting, Council staff will present a report which recommends some minor changes are made to the scheme design to address issues raised by the public.
The changes being recommended include:
- Providing an additional U-turn bay outside 49 Lincoln Road to provide a turning opportunity for vehicles coming from businesses on the north side and wanting to drive towards Halswell or to access St Martin’s Church, Domain Terrace, and Village Health.
- Shifting the pedestrian crossing before Annex Road so it is in line with 8 Lincoln Road.
- Installing more median islands.
The Council has proposed that the city-bound peak hour bus lane between Whiteleigh Avenue and Curletts Road should operate from 7am to 9am on weekdays, while the Halswell-bound bus lane should operate from 3pm to 6pm weekdays.
Originally there was a proposal for both bus lanes to run on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm but Council staff are now recommending against this following community feedback.
Read the CCC staff report on the Lincoln Road Passenger Transport Improvements.