Currently Browsing: Christchurch

Christchurch City Council Votes For Vibrant Public Transport City

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchFeb 25th, 2010 | 7 Comments
The Christchurch City Council meeting today decided to give pedestrians, cyclists and public transport priority for the southern city. The council debated the report I blogged about here last week – Danish urban designer Jan Gehl”s Public Space Public Life Study to make Christchurch “a city for people.” The proposal was warmly welcomed at today’s council meeting and the green light given to a number of the ideas – from developing a concept plan for a high-quality walk along Colombo Street from Victoria Square to a new Transport Interchange and investigating changing Colombo...
read more

Major Report: Turn Christchurch Into Cycling, Public Transport Heaven

Posted by Jon C in Christchurch, cyclingFeb 19th, 2010 | 13 Comments
A major report on Christchurch’s future today strong recommends a strong public transport network as an alternative to cars and pushes cycling as a desirable alternative mode of transport in the city. Danish urban designer Jan Gehl and his team were asked to do the report looking at how people use Christchurch’s Central City spaces and streets and says Christchurch has potential to be a truly vibrant and liveable city. The report’s just been released by Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker. It’s a great refreshing report that all mayors and civic officials should read, especially in Auckland. The...
read more

Christchurch Trams Get Extended- Photos

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchFeb 10th, 2010 | 9 Comments
Great to see Christchurch continuing to embrace light rail in the forms of its trams, as  the council moves forward with its tramline extension. The council  is spending $11.5m extending the inner-city tram route, with the first stage, to the corner of High and Tuam streets, to be finished before the RWC next year and the second stage, along High St and Ferry Rd to the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, will be completed in 2013. It’s also good to see one of our Christchurch readers add to our collective font of knowledge with a blog which you can read here He has also supplied...
read more

More on the Christchurch Trams – Photos

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchFeb 10th, 2010 | No Comments
Here are some more photos from Willu of the Christchurch trams. Thanks again Willu. EARLIER PHOTOS CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAY SITE SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "More on the Christchurch Trams – Photos", url: "http://www.aucklandtrains.co.nz/2010/02/10/more-on-the-christchurch-trams-photos/" });
read more

Readers Pics: Waikanae Electrification (& ChCh)

Posted by Jon C in Capital Connection, Christchurch, WellingtonJan 29th, 2010 | 3 Comments
Here’s some readers photos- thanks for sharing them. From Brent C, the Waikanae electrification development (which may eventually impact on whether the Capital Connection survives). He took these the other day of the work between Waterfall Rd and Mackays Crossing: Waikanae | Brent C Waikanae | Brent C And in Christchurch, after the announcements of major motorway work down there and discussion about rail, Willu has put up some interesting photos here. Thanks again. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Readers Pics: Waikanae Electrification (& ChCh)", url: "http://www.aucklandtrains.co.nz/2010/01/29/readers-pics-waikanae-electrification-chch/"...
read more

Half A Billion Dollar -Plus 10-year Roading Bonus for Christchurch

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchJan 25th, 2010 | 5 Comments
More details have been released of today’s Christchurch roading bonanza – a massive $600 million -plus worth. The improvements to the state highway network in and around Christchurch will include: the Northern Arterial from the existing Northern Motorway to Queen Elizabeth II Drive (SH74) the Southern Motorway extension (SH73) from Curletts Road to Weedons Road north of Rolleston the Western Corridor (SH1) from Hornby to the Northern Motorway. NZTA Board member Garry Moore said the construction programme was designed to improve and future-proof access to the Christchurch International...
read more

Christchurch Southern Motorway Work To Start

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchJan 25th, 2010 | 2 Comments
Now it’s Christchurch’s turn to get a motorway injection. This morning, the transport minister turned the first sod on the Christchurch Southern Motorway stage one extension. It’s the first step in a major $730 million upgrade to the highway system leading into and around Christchurch. Work is starting four months ahead of schedule and the plan is for the full project to be completed within 10 years. The highway will provide better access to the Christchurch CBD, Lyttleton port and bypassing Templeton and the industrial areas around Hornby. Minister Steven Joyce told the gathering: “With...
read more

Christchurch Mayor Steps Up Call For Light Rail

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchDec 27th, 2009 | 3 Comments
Last month, when I was down in Christchurch, I reported Mayor Bob Parker calling for the reuse of existing rail and the development of new light rail in conjunction with the existing buses in Christchurch. He says that until now, he doesn’t think people are being smart enough or thinking long-term about how the city uses public transport. I’m thrilled to see he has returned from an urban transit fact-finding trip to the United States and Canada, visiting San Francisco, Vancouver and Portland – cities which have invested heavily in light rail systems and is saying Christchurch needs to...
read more

Christchurch Argues Over Bus Lanes

Posted by Jon C in Christchurch, busesDec 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment
In Auckland, we don’t bat an eyelid at bus lanes or bus priority traffic light signals – apart from a few motorists who grumble about buses taking over the road. So it’s fascinating to see Christchurch still having a debate about them. The  Christchurch City Council plans bus lanes and other public transport improvements on the Colombo Street south route. The local regional council, Environment Canterbury, which like the ARC, plans and funds Christchurch’s Metro services , strongly supports the plan. Shopkeepers continue to tell the local media they’ll go broke, saying that their businesses...
read more

Christchurch Needs More Trains

Posted by Jon C in ChristchurchNov 28th, 2009 | 9 Comments
Here now in Christchurch, I’m going through train withdrawals. This beautiful city so needs a train system – and the good news is the mayor is rail – friendly and planning for an environmentally-realistic new 30 year transport plan is underway. What I didn’t realise until I came here is that Canterbury has some of the highest rates of car ownership in the world. In 2002, vehicle ownership in Canterbury was 0.75 per capita.  By 2008, this figure had risen to 0.80 – only the Nelson/Marlborough and Southland regions have higher vehicle ownership rates than Canterbury. The...
read more