The Dunedin City Council hearings committee considering parking changes took some convincing yesterday a double bus stop should be tried in the Knox block of George St.
The committee ended up accepting the plan, aimed at allowing more than one bus to pull into the kerb, but the stop’s usage will be studied, passengers will be surveyed to assist understanding of travel patterns and carpark occupancy in the area will be looked into.
Retailers in the block had advocated for the proposed bus stop to be either shifted to another block or the extension cancelled, but the committee was told making it a single stop would not create any more carparks.
The pending loss of 15 carparks in the block arising from an upgrade of George St was a sore point with retailers and the council recently offset this by adding three parks in Pitt St.
Design revisions and consideration of 11th-hour tweaks have been a theme of work in and near the Knox block, which is expected to reopen to two-way traffic next week.
Retailers were surprised when it emerged there was to be no left turn for traffic from Pitt St into George St.
Knox Church leaders raised concerns about the new layout hindering access to the church.
The council clarified the layout had been designed ‘‘with flexibility in mind and can allow for small and mid-sized vehicles to turn left at the intersection if needed’’.
Engineering work for the double bus stop, including kerb height, was carried out before councillors had decided to endorse it.
Hearings committee member Cr Cherry Lucas said yesterday she found this frustrating.
She was also frustrated after being advised by city council transport strategy manager Nick Sargent adjusting the proposed bus stop outside Knox Church to reduce its size would not restore a single carpark.
Council staff advised not having the second bus stop would result in a single stop that did not meet national guidelines.
Cr Andrew Whiley said in an email last month, later seen by the Otago Daily Times, changes had been made to the Knox block and Pitt St without due process.
Key decisions had been made without governance involvement, he said in another email.
Concerns had also been raised about locating a bus stop immediately before a pedestrian crossing.
Mr Sargent said the proposal involved compromises and arriving at the best overall fit.
Committee chairman Cr Jim O’Malley said he expected tearing up work already done might cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Results are to be presented to the committee in December.
