21 Mar 2018

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Christchurch residents have identified roading as their top priority.

So just how much money should Christchurch City Council spend on roads, footpaths and the rest of the transport network, including cycleways?

That is one of the key questions we are seeking your feedback on during consultation on our draft Long Term Plan (LTP).

Gaynor Le Comte finds travel around the city more challenging since being in a wheelchair. How do you think we can make Christchurch more accessible? 

Making our city safer for people to travel in, whether by car, bicycle or on foot, is a priority. We also want to restore road conditions to a level similar to other New Zealand cities over the next 20 years.

In the draft LTP we propose spending $1.049 billion on transport projects in the next 10 years, including:

  • Road pavement, footpath and kerb and channel renewals, and carriageway resealing and surfacing ($263 million)
  • Major cycleway routes ($206 million, of which 50-66 per cent could be refunded)
  • Public transport infrastructure, including $23 million to purchase the central bus interchange ($65 million)
  • An Accessible City projects to make central city travel easier and safer ($44 million
  • Replacing street lights with energy-efficient LED lights ($35 million)

What if we spent more or less?

Spending $339 million less could help reduce the average rates increase, but road surface conditions and traffic congestion would get worse and road safety would not improve.

By spending $514 million more, we could restore road conditions to a level similar to other New Zealand cities within 10 years, complete all An Accessible City projects and reduce traffic congestion. More people would use active and public transport but the average rate increase would be more than 5.5 per cent.

Now is your chance to tell us what you think we should do. Have we got our priorities right?

Tell us what you think online by 5pm on Friday, 13 April.