The re-introduction of a cul-de-sac trial on one of Mount Maunganui's through-roads is being described as taking a 'sledge hammer” to the problem.

Arataki residents have raised safety concerns about children and cyclists using Links Ave during the morning peak for more than two years.

They have lobbied to have the north-west bound AM peak bus lane removed and a lower speed limit of 30km put in place.

Tauranga City Council commissioners have approved these changes and have contentiously reinstated a cul-de-sac on the road, as part of a minimum four month trial.

Links Ave runs parallel between Maunganui Road and Oceanbeach Road, two main arterial routes in Mount Maunganui.

It connects Golf Road to Concord Ave and according to council data has an average of 7000 vehicle movements a day.

Links Ave is a travel corridor for three schools, Mount Maunganui College, Omanu School and Mount Maunganui intermediate that has its bus entrance on the street. The schools have a combined roll of around 2500 students.

In November 2021, a five week trial blocked the road to through traffic from Ascot Road preventing anyone living east of the cul-de-sac easy access to Mount Maunganui.

Tauranga City Council director of transport Brendan Bisley says public feedback received during and after the trial was the primary direction residents go is toward Mount Maunganui.

'From a public perspective the trial wasn't hugely popular.”

The new trial will to move the cul-de-sac further down the road between Solway Place and Concord Ave.

All directly affected residents will have access to Golf Road however only buses, bicycles, service vehicles and motorbikes will be able enter or exit Links Avenue from Concord Avenue.

Arataki father-of-three Michael Dance says locals are pleased with the changes to improve safety, but are frustrated as to why these changes are contingent on having a cul-de-sac.

'The community doesn't want it and even the safety system report the council commissioned, says it was something only to consider for the peak morning commute time.

'It feels like using a 24 hour sledge hammer to crack a 90 minute nut.”

In June 2021, council commissioned the Links Ave School Travel Safety report, an independent safe system review.

It recommended the safety risk would be addressed if the road was reverted to two lane traffic.

The report says a temporary trial of bus only access for north-western bound traffic during the morning peak, as part of reverting Links Avenue to two lanes, has merit.

The cul-de-sac during the first trial. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

'A cul-de-sac isn't a long term solution for a narrow isthmus like the Mount where it shuts down one of only three traffic corridors in one of the fastest growing areas of New Zealand,” says Dance.

Bisley says with the cul-de-sac in place, they can remove the existing bus lane without negatively impacting the bus service that over 6000 people use every month.

'Simply removing the bus lanes will leave high volumes of traffic that is continuing to grow,” says Bisley.

'As a result the road will remain unsafe for school children and users of the shared path.”

Bisley and the commissioners are quick to reiterate that it is a trial and community consultation will continue during the trial.

But, the community is sceptical about the consultation.

Teri Logie lives on Links Avenue and says she's frustrated by the lack and type of consultation around the initial trial.

Prior to the trial, there was no consultation with the community, despite the council saying in June 2021 there would be.

Bisley says original plans on engaging with the community prior to the trial were disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions.

An online survey was also conducted during the trial and there were two meetings for directly affected residents held with Commissioners on Thursday, February 3.

Logie says the survey didn't ask residents whether they wanted a cul-de-sac or not just where on the street they wanted it.

Bisley disputes this, and says later on in the survey people could indicate their preference.

'The survey did allow for that,” he says.

'It's just that we asked a very specific question, which was: ‘If we put a cul-de-sac in, is there a preferred location?'.

'A lot of people did indicate they preferred having no restriction,” says Bisley.

Logie is one of those people. 'I think the cul-de-sac is unnecessary,” she says.

'We want a street, we want a community, we don't want to be shut off.”

Commission chair Anne Tolley says the trial is just one piece of work around the city's roading infrastructure and commissioners are not in any position to make a decision about a permanent solution for Links Ave.

'We're starting to have a look at those wider networks because we can't wait until the Baypark to Bayfair link is finished, that's at least another two years away,” says Tolley.

The Baypark to Bayfair link is a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project on State Highway 2 aiming to improve safety by creating a flyover from that will separate local traffic from highway traffic.

It began in 2015 and has a projected completion date of December 2023 with an estimated cost of $262 million.

The Links Avenue trial will begin in March for a minimum of four months and council staff will report to the commissioners in August.

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.