Transport options  |  14 Feb 2020

A proposed plan to make a section of Cumnor Terrace in Woolston one way to allow for a footpath is open for community feedback.

The section between Chapmans Road and Maunsell Street is part of the Heathcote Expressway Major Cycle Route.

Another section – between Maunsell Street and Marshall Street – is already one-way heading north.

The proposed change to the already approved cycleway design will allow for the retention of the footpath on the non-cycleway side of the road, improving pedestrian and road safety.

It will also ensure there is no impact on the Heathcote River following concerns over any potential effect on the freshwater habitat, with a narrower road not encroaching on the river environment.

People can share their views on the proposal with Christchurch City Council staff at a drop-in session on the corner of Cumnor Terrace and Chapmans Road on Wednesday, 26 February from 10am to 2pm or submit comments online.

Council Transport Planning and Delivery Manager Lynette Ellis says people have already voiced their concerns about road safety and the loss of the footpath on the south side of Cumnor Terrace under the present plan.

“We have responded to that feedback by reconsidering the detailed design for that section, and propose that the footpath be retained on the non-cycleway side of the road,” Ms Ellis says.

“This will allay those concerns, with the one-way proposal offering an effective approach to safety, and habitat protection for the Heathcote River.

“We want to ensure that the needs of all Cumnor Terrace users are met. By making this change, we can better accommodate pedestrians, with the existing footpath and berm retained and the narrower road preventing any impact on the river habitat.”

Under the proposal, Cumnor Terrace – from Chapmans Road to Maunsell Street – will be 6.2 metres in width, and the cantilevered boardwalk over the river near Maunsell Street will be shorter. Cumnor Terrace north of Marshall Street will remain a two-way street.

Under the one-way option, motorists who normally travel east along Cumnor Terrace between Maunsell Street and Chapmans Road will need to choose a different route.

People travelling from the north may use Tanner Street, Curries Road, Port Hills Road and Chapmans Road or Tunnel Road and Scruttons Road, while those travelling from the city via Brougham Street may opt to use Opawa Road.

The new cycleway connects Heathcote with the central city via Woolston, Opawa and Phillipstown. The first section – between the central city and The Tannery – is open.

Work on the next section from The Tannery to Heathcote is due to start this year.

Cyclist numbers continue to climb in the city, with the major cycleway routes recording 14 per cent more trips in 2019 than in 2018. South Hagley Park recorded 424,000 trips and North Hagley Park – near Armagh Street Bridge – 408,000.

However, both cycle routes have been overtaken near Christchurch Hospital, with a visual display counter on Antigua Bridge recording 486,000 trips.

People can make suggestions or comments online regarding the proposed one-way change through the Have Your Say page.