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A proposed route for a new rapid transit service in Christchurch links Belfast and Hornby to the central city – but does not go to Rolleston or Rangiora.
The concept – light rail or rapid buses running on dedicated tracks or lanes – is being investigated by the Greater Christchurch Partnership as it puts together a business case for a “turn up and go service” for the city in future. The aim is create a public transport service which is as fast as taking the car.
Public feedback is now being sought on the route proposed as part of the business case. Several years of more detailed planning and funding approval are also needed.
Estimates from two years ago put the preliminary cost of a rapid transit service between $1.8 billion to $4.4b. Transport Minister Michael Wood said on Wednesday the scheme would be “one of the biggest city-shaping investments that gets made in Christchurch.”
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People can fill in a mobile-friendly online survey on the Greater Christchurch website.
The proposed route would start in Belfast and run into the central city along Main North Rd, Papanui Rd and Victoria St. It would then head out to Hornby via Riccarton Rd and Main South Rd.
With dedicated tracks or lanes, other types of transport may have to wait behind the rapid transit vehicles, travel more slowly, have less space, or go a slightly different way, according to a consultation document.
The proposed service would be used by people who live in higher density housing built along the route, while for Rolleston or Rangiora residents their existing direct buses would be faster.
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
Transport Minister Michael Wood says he expects construction of the new public transport service will take more than five years.
Some places on the route, such as Papanui, Merivale, Victoria St and Riccarton, would be too narrow for a dedicated lane or track.
To make room, future planning would consider land purchases; making car lanes narrower; removing on-street parking; or building bridges or tunnels.
Cars could also be restricted through Papanui, Merivale, Manchester St and Riccarton, similar to The Terrace or Cashel Mall.
Using the existing railway or motorways for the route was not considered possible due to a lack of passengers. These routes would also not go where passengers wanted.
Regional manager system design at Waka Kotahi, Richard Osborne, said the service’s proposed route was where growth was happening.
Supplied
This is an example of fully electric rapid buses that are expected to start operating in Brisbane in 2024.
“These sorts of things only really work if there’s growth along the route,” he said.
The new service is being developed alongside a wider plan dictating where population growth will occur across greater Christchurch in the next 30 years.
That plan, known as a spatial plan, wants high density housing and commercial development focused along the service’s route, particularly in Hornby, Riccarton, and Papanui.
It’s hoped the transit route would service a third of the Greater Christchurch population in the future.
The consultation document says light rail could carry more people than rapid buses, but it would be more expensive and noisier.
Todd Niall/Stuff
An example of light rail in Sydney.
The document lists Sydney as a light rail example and the proposed Brisbane Metro as a rapid bus example.
Transport Minister Michael Wood said the new service would require significant investment, but it was too early to say how much the Government would contribute.
Wood said these projects took “a reasonable amount of time” and he expected construction would take more than five years.
The consultation document says “a few years” of further planning work would be needed first too.
Alongside the new service, there are plans to increase the frequency and reliability of the existing Metro bus system, including the direct routes to and from Rangiora and Rolleston. Park ‘n’ ride facilities in those towns would also be improved.
The Greater Christchurch Partnership is made of local councils, Environment Canterbury (ECan), iwi, and Waka Kotahi representatives.
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