Basin Reserve - some immediate ideas

Basin Reserve

NZTA, WCC and GW are working on some expensive ideas about Basin Reserve traffic flow. I disagree with a flyover or any large increase in capacity. However, we could usefully  improve north/south bus flow without expensive and intrusive infrastructure.

The westbound traffic often backs up from Taranaki Street in the mornings and evenings so I fail to see how increasing capacity at the Basin would help even in the short term. Many people who have travelled overseas think our traffic congestion is pretty mild compared to other capitals. In other places I talk about improving cycling, walking to school, public transport and I support working from home and flexible hours. This article is about some immediate low cost improvements for north/south bus priority. When Adelaide Road morning bus lane went in, it reduced travel time for buses and other traffic alike so it's no great penalty for anyone!

Explanation of proposal

I have a diagram in Word that I can send any interested parties - have already sent to NZTA and WCC.

Morning flow (northwards)

Main hold up is at Adelaide Rd/ Rugby ST intersection partly due to limited time against priority given to SH1 traffic, partly tailbacks blocking buses, and other north-heading vehicles, from getting to inner lane around Basin.

This solution puts the northbound bus lane right up to the lights. The lights’ first phase is bus-only then the bus light turns red so only cars go in the second “green phase”. This enables buses to get from the western Adelaide Rd to inner lane. No bus lane north is needed round the Basin since there is rarely any congestion heading north at this point. The cross-hatching enables buses and other vehicles to get across the tailback along SH1 from Taranaki/Tory St that sometimes blocks the two outer lanes and prevents access to the inner lane.

Evening flow (northwards)

Unlike many other places, the worst evening congestion on Adelaide Rd is also heading north, taking traffic from Newtown towards the city centre and also onto SH1. Therefore the proposal would have an evening bus lane in Adelaide Rd and the description above would work the same. There are also tailbacks from Taranaki/Tory in the evening and any change to Mt Victoria tunnel will NOT address that bottleneck.

Evening flow (southwards)

All buses heading East should use the Pirie St tunnel so we are only looking at southbound buses.

The proposal is that the lights at Kent Terrace should be synchronised with the rest of the Basin Reserve lights (rather than only activated by a pedestrian button). There is an existing bus lane along Kent Tce (it should start further north at Courtenay Place however) and may need to go to 6:30 not just 6 as the peak time spreads. The lights at Kent Tce/ Ellice St have a bus priority light already but this should go to red after a certain point so buses are not crossing two lanes against other vehicles. The crosshatching at Ellice St is necessary so a backlog from the Mt Victoria tunnel does not block a bus from getting to the Basin lanes. I suggest the inner lane becomes a bus lane since it is less heavily used now but it could be either lane. The lights at Dufferin/Paterson would have a bus priority light – again one that gives a number of buses a head start and then goes red to reduce conflict across lanes. On exiting the Basin Reserve, the southern lane along Rugby St is usually fairly free – or a bus lane could be created. Not ethat buses also go to the school pick-up area. The crosshatching on Dufferin St is necessary to get across any backlog from Taranaki/Tory.

Emergency vehicle access to/from the hospital

Ambulances and police cars would be able to use the bus lanes and cross hatching so this proposal could ease their access too.

Private vehicles – this does not reduce capacity significantly although there may be slightly more delay in getting the lights for private vehicle phase, they will also be helped by the cross-hatching from getting stuck in east/west queues.

Pedestrian – no difference (but might be improved if cycling access through Basin was clarified e.g. clearer marking of the gates)

Cycling – could be improved via Basin Reserve if

a) there was a central bike approach up Adelaide Rd instead of the left hand one that expects cyclists to wait for two phases of the lights

b) there was a “please indicate” sign at Buckle/Ellice so cyclists felt more confident about crossing to Cambrige Tce without going via lights

c) there were two cut-outs in the kerb at the Buckle/Cambridge corner so cyclists coming off or going onto the shared walk/cycle way could access it without going to the Cambrige/Kent lights

d) the outer ring of the Basin (especially the eastern side) was marked as a shared cycle/walk path – would enable safer access to the Mt Vic tunnel and also work when Basin Reserve access is closed due to events.