The introduction of Quick Cards and the new Pyes Pa bypass may be two reasons attributed to the increase in drivers on Route K last month.
Statistics released by the Tauranga City Council show a daily average of 5002 vehicles using the toll road, a steady increase compared to 4850 vehicles in July, and an increase of 1010 vehicles compared to August 2010.
This is the second highest figure behind February 2011's figures which showed a 5049 vehicles a day on the Route.
On average, the Route carries 12.8 per cent heavy trucks, with 19,838 heavy trucks a month and 1,429 light trucks.
Last month, 153,839 drivers paid to use the toll road – a record high since the Route opened in 2003, and with figures at over 1.16 million this year to date, 2011 looks set to increase the record further.
19 comments
A controversial but otherwise brilliant part of transport network in Tauranga...
Posted on 05-09-2011 07:47 | By the_fourth_estate
While there may be some hurrumping from negative unworldly types about the costs and purpose of Route k those in the know realise that road is what the rest of the country needs to be doing to ease the congestion on our roads, I love using it as it means I don't have to dilly dally along Cameron rd or fraser St so I'll happily pay $1 for that improvement to my life. I have to say though, the traffic is getting pretty heavy around Barkes Corner at rush hour now - maybe you could install some traffic lights on that roundabout before too long Mr Parkes ?
K ROAD AT ITS BEST?
Posted on 06-09-2011 00:24 | By PLONKER
@ Da-4-Est. Well that is all lovely fluffy ducks now isn't it ... of course one wants a nice wonderful world without problems blah blah ... but when one accidently wanders back into the real world it looks like this: Debt 2003 $43m, Debt now $70m, Budget traffic flow (in 2003) pa 12,000 a day, actual at start 2400/day, now 5002/day. I would estimate that by the time the 2003 budget is met will be about 25 years away. By that time the debt will have increased to say $180m. The interest then at 6% will be $10.80m pa, that is $2.50/vehicle. So although I think a $1/car is really good there is actually a real problem with that, can you see it ? Do you want to see it ? Did it even cross your mind to look at any of that ... ?
ITS A NUMBERS GAME AND TCC IS NOT WINNING
Posted on 06-09-2011 20:29 | By Hebegeebies
K ROUTE is fine to a very limited degree- shame that you can't get on at 11th or 15th or 17th Avenues nor exit easily plus can't exit toward Bethlehem.An increase of a 150 or so cars a day is hardly earth shattering stuff so where are the 12000 the turkeys predicted.Haven't noticed any turkeys heads roll over this porky over assessment.More of a worry is to see $70million debt stacked up on TCC ratepayers
Plonker ha ha!
Posted on 06-09-2011 20:50 | By the_fourth_estate
Route K was made possible by a specific act of parliment allowing PPP development of infrastructure and it made provisions for a Local Body to raise debt to specifically fund infrastructure it needs. Tauranga has hit a home run with Route K there is no denying it because its as real as the nose on your face. Every time you drive Route K its proof its 100% success. I'll go on to point out that Route K connects directly to another masterclass in building infrastructure, another example the rest of the country needs to sit up and take notice of and that is our glistening jewel bestriding the harbour...the second bridge, my word Tauranga has become a much better place to drive around since all those projects were completed...and you whinge about the debt? Think of the benefits and the future!
MISSED THE POINT, ROAD AND MORE
Posted on 06-09-2011 23:23 | By PLONKER
@ DA-4-Est. Sure its a useful and nice "Winnie Bridge" (really a shame that it was not done at the time, I told them to but the obvious often escapes official-doom) and isn't it lovely to wander down what is a lovely scenic road (Route K) as i said "fluffy ducks ..."). Your say about the future, now I am sure you would agree that borrowing moey now for a big spend up and then expecting our children/grandchildren to pay the debt is completely unacceptable. the debt is $60m and annual losses added $2.5m last year and expected to add $2.0m this year, these losses are being added to the debt each year (Proven leadership and prudent management indeed?). On top of all that TCC is yet to add the $12.8m contribution to the Pyes Pa Bypass to the debt mountain, they of course have to bury that sideways until the Route K Toll Act is amended to allow that to be "legally added" to the debt already there, so by year end the debt will be close to $75m, the gap just got wider again. Any more misunderstandings?
THEORY vs.PRACTICE
Posted on 07-09-2011 15:22 | By Hebegeebies
Wrong again 'fourth estate' had Route K been properly laid out your argument may have some validity but it wasn't so now mega millions will have to be spent remedying this failure to address on and off ramps.Ease of access and egress may have seen numbers closer to original estimate and TCC would not have accumulated $27m in further debt.
TIME FRAME TO BREAKEVEN AT THIS SPEED IS ...
Posted on 07-09-2011 20:42 | By PLONKER
So the debt is $75.0m, the annual losses are $2.0m, increase that for another $15m of debt to say $3.2m pa (4.3% of the debt mountain ...). After all that you then look at the "car flow" lets say that increases by 5% pa (generous on history to date) that means a 0.7% improvement pa, therefore taking some 23 years to get to breakeven. Of course if interest rates increase by say 3%pa as is likely in the next year or so then well that will add another $2-3.0m pa to the annual losses ... and the gap widens again. This is just a hiding to nothing and it is getting worse the longer it remains. PROVEN LEADERSHIP ...
RATEPAYERS ARE BEING
Posted on 08-09-2011 16:40 | By CRUMPY
WOW that is a lot of debt and it is just getting bigger and bigger, maybe easier to ride a bycyle and then not have to pay a toll, would help also to live in WBOP also of course.
MASSIVE DEBT, NO MONEY IN 4TH ESTATE
Posted on 09-09-2011 09:30 | By Secret Squirrel
Sadly one only needs to be a little worldly to realise that the situation on the amount borrowed for Route K is to high (look at Greece, Portugal, Ireland and others)the debt is to high. Sooner or later ehre in Tauranga the burden will fall on ratepayers and so the amount of rates. Just ask the Germans how they feel about the EU debt problems. The saying is "Germany works and the rest of Europe plays", there sadly is a rather hollow and of course paimful truth about it, it is simple a case of do you see any daylight or is your head still buried in the sand???? PS I hear they are looking for you in the dunes at Papamoa, apparently they are trying to clear the blockage!
@ Secret Squirrel
Posted on 09-09-2011 12:53 | By PLONKER
I reckon the blockage is CRAP for brains, seems it has escaped from TCC somehow, the Southern Pipeline has not yet reach TCC Council Chambers for the "MOTHER LOAD"!
MINI-EU COMES HOME TO ROOST!
Posted on 09-09-2011 17:39 | By Secret Squirrel
Cant disagree about the debt burden here is on a parallel to that in some of the EU countries. The single biggest questions about that even now are: - They don't yet realise that Councillors have created this problem with the able bodied "PROVEN LEADERSHIP" in place and secondly, that not all the damage has hit your rates bill yet and thirdly, Germany isn't coming to the rescue EVER !
CALL IN THE CAVALRY!
Posted on 10-09-2011 17:39 | By WORMTONGUE
When pushing the financials to the brink, there comes a time when that last little "pin" is all it takes to tip the balance into the financial black hole. The great thing is that the Mayor will be able to display all of his "PROVEN LEADERSHIP" to put the TCC bank balance back in the black, don't hold ya breath though because he will need a lot of help to do it, and the cavalry has not even been asked to Mount up yet ...
THE CAVALERY?
Posted on 11-09-2011 06:47 | By PREDATOR
Now thre is an idea, there is no toll on a horse so there would be some benefits of that for sure.
NO CARE & NO RESPONSIBILITY
Posted on 11-09-2011 09:38 | By KAMIKAZE
K ROUTE should be pushing through at least 10000 vehicles a day by now according to the official business assessment made around 2000. So who did that guesstimate and who can TCC Ratespayers look to for compensation for their $ 27million accumulated losses.Are any of the turkeys involved still with TCC as staff or consultants.?
GUESS-TIM-MATY-ORS
Posted on 11-09-2011 14:23 | By WORMTONGUE
No to The Kaze. The 2000 budget said 12,000 a day and then increasing after that, who knows where it should be now but the ideas were rather "lofty" indeed even for the resident pigeons there at TCC. Pretty heady stuff even for a TCC pigeon to aspire to on a hot day with a stiff updraft flowing past the freakle! It is clear any competent person had nothing to do with this mess, and only the "YES" consultants and others will be allowed to see/do/get paid and that is all that is left there now as they are the only ones who don't have an opinion of there own. Common sense has long since left the room (in every sense of the word) many years ago.
Sell it immediately
Posted on 12-09-2011 18:24 | By The Tomahawk Kid
Give shares of the road to each ratepayer in town to do with as they please. Whoever approved this road should be made responsible for its failures. The words Incompetent an irresponsible come to mind. Whoever it was is a crook and should be made accountable for its inadequacies. All councillors should be made accountable for these projects they put their names to - it may curb their desires to spend other peoples money.
SELL THE SHARES?
Posted on 13-09-2011 18:04 | By WORMTONGUE
It is loosing money mate, how much money are they going to give to take the shares? That idea is madness, you pay as a ratepayer or a given a loss making lemon, either way is no good.
BAD DECISIONS AND THEY ARE STILL IN THERE.
Posted on 14-09-2011 16:46 | By WARTS N ALL
Right now a portion of the crowns still in there are the ones who partook in the Route K RORT of ratepayers, why are they still there, when are they personally going to "PUT IT RIGHT" ?
Sell them if you want
Posted on 15-09-2011 13:03 | By The Tomahawk Kid
@wormtongue: People given shares would be able to sell them (or purchase them) if they wish. Somebody may wish to try and make it work which is more than what is being done at present. Shareholders would form a governing body to make decisions on how to make it profitable for the shareholders - once again more than is being done now. Only people who CHOSE to have shares in it will be affected instead of forcing the Debt on ratepayers. Ratepayers paid for it, so at least give them a choice if they want to be part of it or not
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