Green light for bus hub; concerns remain

A Dunedin central-city bus hub could improve the accessibility and vitality of the central city, but concerns regarding crossings and shelters will have to be mitigated in the design, say independent commissioners who gave the project their approval yesterday.

The decision by Gary Rae and Gavin Lister recommended the area on Great King St between Moray Pl and St Andrew St be designated as a bus hub.

The Otago Regional Council's proposed design shows 10 bus bays in Great King St, one in Moray Pl, toilets, bike stands, electronic timetables, altered footpaths, adapted crossings and new plantings.

The report said the hub would have potential positive amenity effects while adverse effects could be overcomewith the right design.

Regional council support services manager Gerard Collings said the recommendation was ''pleasing''.

He had not had a chance to look at the report yesterday, he said.

The regional council would now review and consider the conditions and aim to make a decision at its next meeting on whether to accept them.

After this there would be a public appeal period before the designation could take effect.

Bus Users Support Group Otepoti Dunedin co-president Alex King said the conditions were ''sensible''.

''They picked up on needing better shelter, which is a real positive.''

There were also elements in the report emphasising pedestrian safety, which was ''great'', he said.

The group was neutral on the proposal, but it hoped if done well the hub would encourage bus use, he said.

The commissioners agreed with several city and regional council staff members that a continous shelter would be preferable and construction could be staged if funding was not immediately available.

In the report, they also said the narrowing of parts of the footpath, combined with increased pedestrian activity, ''raised concern''.

The report said the loss of car parks could be mitigated by the removal of bus stops nearby in the central city, which would free up kerb space for potential parking.

As the commissioners had no evidence to the contrary, they accepted the regional council's evidence the hub was integral to the improved public transport network; the location was ''ideal''; and Dunedin's streets could accommodate the changes in bus and vehicle circulation.

Thirteen conditions to the decision included the ORC submitting an outline plan to the city council on issues such as the preference for continuous shelter, optimisation of footpaths and safe pedestrian crossings.

Other conditions related to mitigating noise, constructing the hub to be sympathetic to the Dunedin Community House and allowing police access to footage from a CCTV camera.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

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