The Palms Suburban Interchange Upgrade

Proposed Shirley Road and New Brighton Road bus stop and shelter upgrades.

Consultation has now closed

Consultation for this project ran from 16 August to 6 September 2018 and we received 13 submissions. You can view all submissions received in their original format along with project team responses. The staff report including a recommendation is scheduled to go to the Papanui-Innes Community Board on 8 February 2019 and once it is available you will find it on http://christchurch.infocouncil.biz/

A decision has been reached to separate the two bus stops to enable the installation of the Shirley Road bus stop to continue. Negotiations regarding the New Brighton bus stop will be ongoing. An updated map of Shirley Road bus stop and shelter upgrade is available for viewing.

• Submissions received [DOCX, 33 KB]
• Map of Shirley Road bus stop [PDF, 259 KB] 

What we are proposing and why

This project aims to upgrade public transport facilities near The Palms Shopping Centre. The project will include two bus stops that together serve as a suburban interchange. One is situated on Shirley Road adjacent to Shirley Intermediate School. The second is on New Brighton Road outside the south end of The Palms Shopping Centre.

The proposal is to extend the ‘painted on’ road bus stops to accommodate two buses at once. The bus shelters at both locations also require updating as they have suffered from vandalism damage and do not adequately cater for the number of passengers that use them. Please see the attached plan [PDF, 1.8 MB] for more details.

These two bus stops serve residents, mall visitors, children of Shirley Boys High and Shirley Intermediate Schools, Shirley Methodist Church, Optometrists, Dentists, Doctors, fast food outlets, and several other businesses.

The Shirley Road bus stop is used by five bus routes. These are; number 100, number 44, number 150, Orange Line and the Orbiter. The New Brighton Road bus stop serves three bus routes. These are; number 100, number 44 and Orange Line.

Two of the above bus routes are high frequency which often results in two buses attending the stop simultaneously. As each stop currently only caters for one bus when a second bus arrives it may overhang the bus stop and can obstruct traffic.

Existing New Brighton Road Bus Stop

Objectives

The objectives of this proposal are as follows:

1. Improve bus facilities at The Palms
2. Renew bus stop furniture where possible
3. Review length of Shirley Road bus stop
4. Review location of New Brighton Road bus stop
5. Make bus stops and shelters accessible for all
6. Allow for cycles at both stops by improving cycle facilities

Flexi Posts

As a response to safety concerns installation of flexi posts is proposed at the eastern end of the New Brighton Road traffic island. This is to discourage vehicle drivers from making dangerous u-turns on New Brighton Road.

Options assessment

The project team have reviewed many options to enhance bus stops and shelters. If you would like further information regarding all the options considered these are available.

• Shirley Road options assessment [PDF, 285 KB]
• New Brighton Road options assessment [PDF, 951 KB]

Decision-making process

Individual letters will be sent to adjacent properties of the bus shelters that seek property owner feedback and outline the bus shelter hearings process.

All other decisions relating to bus stops, cycleways, tree removals, traffic islands, artwork on the shelters, land purchase, lighting etc are a delegation of the Coastal Burwood Community Board for New Brighton Road Bus Stop and Papanui Innes Community Board for the Shirley Road Bus Stop. Therefore the Community Boards are the decision-makers for most components of this project and your feedback is welcomed on all of these items.

Your feedback is important to us and will be collated after the consultation period closes. All feedback will be considered by the project team then developed into a report, with a staff recommendation, for the Community Boards to consider at their next available meeting.

Prior to that meeting, a letter will be sent to all submitters to confirm the meeting date and inform on how to request speaking rights at that meeting if desired.

An artist's indicative image of the proposed Shirley Road bus shelter.

Proposed Shirley Road bus shelter - Key features 

Artist Impression of proposed Shirley Road Bus Shelter [JPG, 569 KB]

1. The width of the existing separated cycle/pedestrian path would be reduced by 0.5 meters to provide space for the indented bus stop.
2. The footpath along the bus stop would be realigned and changed to shared path as the reduced footpath width is not suitable as a separated facility. The shared path at the bus stop would be usable by cyclists, pedestrians and bus passengers.
3. Extending the bus stop from one bus stop to provide space for two buses.
4. Installation of a 10m bus shelter to accommodate bus passengers. 
5. Repair existing damage to the road surface adjacent to the bus stop.
6. Inclusion of tactile pavers at the bus stop to assist boarding passengers.
7. Road marking changes include a new cycle lane along with the bus stop and additional green surfacing at both ends of the bus stop.
8. The existing traffic island on Shirley Road is to be shortened at the eastern end to accommodate bus movements turning left from North Parade.
9. The western end of the traffic island is to be altered to accommodate road marking changes and allow for a wider traffic lane.

Artist impression of proposed New Brighton Road Bus Shelters

Proposed New Brighton Road bus shelters - Key features 

Artist Impression of proposed NewBrighton Road bus shelter [JPG, 367 KB]

1. Extending the bus stop from one bus stop to provide space for two buses.
2. Two bus shelters are proposed for installation to accommodate bus passengers. 
3. New reinforced kerb and channel along the length of the bus stop to resolve ponding water issues.
4. Resurfacing the footpath along the bus stop to provide an even walking surface for pedestrians.
5. Upgrade stormwater pipes including connections with the mall building to resolve existing drainage issues on the footpath.
6. Inclusion of tactile pavers at the bus stop to assist boarding passengers.
7. Removal of one street tree and the footpath hedging adjacent to the K-Mart loading bay. This is to provide a wider footpath and more room for the bus shelters. 
8. Additional bus lane road markings at the entrance to The Palms to highlight where the bus lane finishes and the entrance begins. 
9. In response to safety concerns, it is proposed to Install flexi posts at the eastern end of the traffic island to prevent dangerous u-turns on New Brighton Road.