Dunedin’s dramatic rethink for the one-way highway system

Dunedin’s one-way highway system can be changed to accommodate the city’s new hospital and an upgrade to the CBD.

The New Zealand Transportation Agency (NZTA) has released a summary of community feedback on the city’s future transportation system. Includes ideas for improving public transportation, parking, and providing an alternative route to avoid the city center

The construction of the new Dunedin Hospital, valued at $ 1.4 billion, one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in New Zealand, formed much of the debate.

The plan proposes to change the current one-way route to the south of the city into a two-way route with minimal parking, and to convert the current route to the north into a local two-way road, with the main bike path moved to the local road outside the hospital.

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An alternative route along the port, bypassing the city center, could be improved to help alleviate congestion. The route would effectively avoid the new hospital during and after its construction.

Most of the people who gave their opinion wanted the one-way system to be maintained.

Some respondents wanted the city center to be closed to cars, while one person advocated for the return of streetcars.

“Many cities in the world rebuild their dismantled tram lines,” said the sender.

Nick Sargent of the Shaping Future Dunedin Transport team said the team recognized concerns about congestion on the one-way system.

“[We] will continue to do more technical work, including traffic shaping, over the next several months as we explore more options for the future configuration of SH1 in downtown Dunedin. ”

Residents would have more opportunities to voice their opinion in early 2021 during the business case process, he said.