More ways to move in Tauranga South, Gate Pā and Merivale

Safety improvements in Tauranga South, Gate Pā and Merivale have helped to make walking and cycling to and from school and around the neighbourhood easier and safer.

Your feedback on our proposal to upgrade existing footpaths, make pedestrian crossings safer, improve lighting, and provide separate cycleways and shared paths in Tauranga South, Gate Pā and Merivale was appreciated.

Some of the projects are on hold, as funding from the national Transport Choices initiative was no longer available. However, we continued with the projects below, which are now all completed.

23rd Avenue - Cook Street - Faulkner Street

We implemented several safety improvements in Gate Pā to help school children, residents and visitors in this neighbourhood to get around safely. We also know the Kōpūrererua Valley is popular with commuters, so these improvements provide a safe link through from Cameron Road for cyclists and pedestrians by constructing a new shared path. This path gives easy access/exit to the reserve and makes travelling between Cameron Road and the Kōpūrererua Valley easy.

We have now completed this work.

Improvements you’ll now see:

Installed four shared crossings, for use by both pedestrians and cyclists, on the side streets of 23rd Avenue, including Rimu Street, Watling Street, Ward Street and Cook Street/Faulkner Street.
Constructed a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists along 23rd Avenue, Cook Street and Faulkner Street into the Kōpūrererua Valley.
Fitted kerb ramps (pram crossings) across Laurence Street and Arden Street where they intersect Faulkner Street.

Gate Pa 23rd Avenue Map

You might also be keen to check out the latest plans for the new Gate Pā Community Centre.

Kesteven Avenue - Fraser Street

We've upgraded the Kesteven Avenue – Fraser Street area to make it safer for our tamariki and nearby residents to cross the road.

This work has now been completed.

Improvements you’ll now see:

a pedestrian crossing with refuge island and light poles across Fraser Street, between property number 404 and the land next to where the new Merivale Community Centre is being built
a pedestrian crossing with light poles across Kesteven Avenue, between the shops and the Merivale Community Centre land
a new footpath along the western side of Kesteven Avenue, from the Fraser Street intersection to property number 16
a new disability parking and loading zone space in front of 10 Kesteven Avenue
the relocation of the existing bus stop on 404 Fraser Street to number 408
construction of a wider kerb to provide safety at the new crossing on Fraser Street.

You might also be keen to check out the latest plans for the new Merivale Community Centre.

Kesteven Avenue crossing map

Thirteenth Avenue - Fraser Street

We have constructed a new raised signalised crossing across Fraser Street at the intersection with Thirteenth Avenue to improve several links to schools in this area. This will make it safer and easier for school children and nearby residents to cross the road, as well as help reduce traffic speed on Fraser Street.

This upgrade is part of a plan to provide several pedestrian access points across Fraser Street. One has been constructed at Fraser Street between 17th and 18th Avenues and one is under construction at Fraser Street/Kesteven Avenue in Merivale.

Fraser Street and Thirteenth Avenue crossing map

Background

We developed these upgrades last year as one of a few smaller projects under the national Transport Choices initiative. This was then put on hold because funding became unavailable. We chose to go ahead with three projects. We opted for projects in areas with well-used routes for school children, commuters, and the community to get to and from school, local parks, shops, or other places they want to go.