Nearly 40 stakeholders, ranging from tertiary institutions and local authorities to emergency services and transport groups, met in Dunedin this week as part of the Shaping Future Dunedin Transport (SFDT) project.
The project, a joint initiative between the NZ Transport Agency, Dunedin City Council, and Otago Regional Council, is considering how several major developments in the city could provide opportunities for changes to its transport network.
Project lead Nick Sargent said the Dunedin Hospital build was the catalyst for the project, but there was general agreement that it was also an opportunity to improve how people came into and moved about the central city.
"The central city transport network has functioned largely unchanged for about 50 years and this project is considering whether significant change is a possibility, such as change to the one-way state highway system.
"The city needs to prepare itself for a very different future and this workshop has helped the project team consider a wide range of perspectives."
A previous project had focused solely on roading options, but the new project would focus on all parts of the transport network, Mr Sargent said.
The meeting had also considered possible incentives to get people using public or active transport networks.
Ideas included replicating Queenstown's $2 Orbus system, he said.
There would be community engagement early next year, and a review mid-next year.
The project's budget was $400,000, and the costs were being spread across the three organisations, Mr Sargent said.
