Tag: Recap

Harewood/Gardiners/Breens traffic signals get the green light from Council

Recap: The Christchurch City Council gave in-principle approval for traffic lights at a Harewood Road intersection on Thursday. Earlier in 2019 Council staff consulted on safety improvements for the Harewood/Gardiners/Breens intersection, seeking feedback on two options. The response from the community was clear, with 77% of 1,085 submissions preferring traffic lights to either the alternative left-in/left-out proposal, or the status quo. The community’s feedback and this week’s Council’s decision prioritises connectivity for the community, with an independent safety assessment finding lights to be less safe than both the alternative option and also the current configuration.

Harewood for email.jpg

As a resident in the wider area, I travel through this intersection on at least a weekly basis, and I also have a strong interest in both urban design and community engagement. I’ve been following the debate around this intersection since Cr Aaron Keown campaigned on a ‘this intersection needs lights’ platform in the 2016 local election. (My own submission to the Council was in favour of one-laning Harewood Road as an affordable initial step that would allow for lights later if still needed – at the time I wasn’t aware that the Council had in fact approved one-laning back in 2010, but that the decision had never been implemented.) Continue reading “Harewood/Gardiners/Breens traffic signals get the green light from Council”

Recap: Council grants greater powers to Christchurch community boards

In a Council meeting last month, a decision was made that was years in the making, and that shifts some powers closer to local communities. It doesn’t seem to have received much press and I haven’t seen elected members commenting about it on social media. Read on for details…

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Councillor Sara Templeton speaks in support of the proposed partnership approach

When I was on the campaign trail in the 2016 local body elections, an issue I heard discussed was the decision making authority and responsibilities held by Christchurch’s Community Boards. Continue reading “Recap: Council grants greater powers to Christchurch community boards”

Recap: Council’s DEMP decision – why not investigate delaying the CNC?

Item 15 on the agenda for the Council’s 13 June meeting was the Christchurch Northern Corridor Downstream Effects Management Plan (DEMP). As the name suggests, this is the plan to manage the traffic impacts downstream of the Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) – the motorway (currently under construction) that will run between Cranford Street and the Waimakariri River.

DEMP protest at Council
A view of the community protest ahead of the 13 June Council meeting

I attended the community protest ahead of the Council meeting, caught part of the discussion on the DEMP via the livestream, and the rest through the Council’s incredibly handy video archive. At the time I was left wondering: what happened to the recommendation that the Council investigates delaying the opening of the CNC south of QEII Drive? Continue reading “Recap: Council’s DEMP decision – why not investigate delaying the CNC?”

Limewatch: A vote of confidence by Christchurch City Council

At their 28 February meeting, Christchurch City Councillors voted in favour of staff recommendations to:

  • issue a 12 month permit for Lime Technology (Lime’s initial trial permit was due to expire on the day of this meeting)
  • increase the cap on Lime e-scooters from 700 to 1,000
  • charge an annual rental fee of $86.25 per e-scooter – reflecting the public space occupied

Councillors also approved a citywide cap of 1,600 e-scooters, and delegated to staff the authority to amend the citywide cap, and also the cap that may be applied to an individual permit.

Lime scooters in Papanui

Papanui Councillor Mike Davidson proposed a lower cap for Lime of half the citywide cap. He argued that competition could be stifled by allowing first-mover Lime too much market share, but this amendment was not carried. Continue reading “Limewatch: A vote of confidence by Christchurch City Council”

Recap: Council decision on the draft CNC Downstream Effects Mitigation Plan

The Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) Downstream Effects Mitigation Plan was on the Christchurch City Council’s agenda on 14 February 2019. The plan is required as a condition of the consent for the CNC project. Here’s a summary of what transpired at that meeting…

CNC map

Agenda item 4 – Presentation of petitions

Mark Wilson and Jason Harvey presented a petition of 2512 signatures in opposition to the Downstream Effects Mitigation Plan (DEMP). (Watch the video online.) Mark concluded by asking the council to “…not receive the draft plan, and requesting it go back to the community, with a much larger scope with people at its core, not cars”. After some discussion around procedural matters, the Council resolved to receive the petition and refer it to the Papanui-Innes and Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Boards. Continue reading “Recap: Council decision on the draft CNC Downstream Effects Mitigation Plan”