Monday 12 September 2011, 7.30pm at WEA. Public Forum:
Presentation – Light rail transport options for Christchurch – by Richard Worrall. All welcome. More details on meeting page.
Refs. Get on the right track with city rail The Press 12/09/2011 and
Christchurch transport plan ‘risky’ 15/10/2011 :
A transport plan for a rebuilt central Christchurch has “considerable risks” and should not be approved without wider consultation, Environment Canterbury (ECan) says.
At this week’s draft central-city plan hearings, ECan chief commissioner Dame Margaret Bazley told city councillors there were “considerable risks” in the transport proposal laid out in the plan.
Changing the single transport hub system to one with multiple stations was a “substantial call” that needed careful consideration, she said. “Journey times, reliability and simplicity are all factors that are fundamental to the use of public transport to, from and through the central city,” she said.
“Moving away from the single-interchange model could jeopardise each of these.”
She said proposed street closures and changes from one-way to two-way streets could have a negative impact on public transport.
The final transport plan should account for the significant residential growth predicted for the Hurunui, Waimakariri and Selwyn districts, she said.
ECan supported the city council’s proposed investigation into a light-rail network, but it needed to ensure the links would attract enough passengers to cover costs.
Bazley said the council should also consider establishing other public transport corridors throughout the city to cater for future demand.
A final decision on the city’s transport plan needed to be made in consultation with ECan, the Selwyn and Waimakariri district councils and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, she said.
– The Press
Sustainable Canterbury 