Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Helensville Traffic By-Pass
Is Helensville to undergo by-pass surgery?
Once again, the possibility of a traffic by-pass has reared its head, and this time it looks as though the council may actually be serious.
I'm all for a way to keep heavy traffic from Commercial Road. Helensville has the potential to have a really nice, 'quaint' shopping precinct, especially with the riverside developments currently underway. But at the moment, it's ruined by the constant thunder of enormous trucks belting down the road.
Many of these trucks seem to show little sign of slowing for pedestrian crossings too, so unwary shoppers can be taking their lives in their hand at times.
In the Helensville-Parakai Structure Plan October 1998, the council mooted four possible by-pass options.
Three of those go straight ahead from the SH16 roundabout, taking slightly different routes across the river until they emerge on Railway Street at various spots opposite the Helensville Showgrounds. The other option goes straight ahead at the second S-bend just before the roundabout, then cuts across Parkhurst Road before crossing the river and joining up to the Kaipara Coast Highway well past Pipitiwai Drive.
The plan estimated traffic volumes would double in the 20 years to 2018 - not a nice thought when you see how busy Commercial Road gets now.
Other than a bypass, about the only option to help ease traffic is to widen Commercial Road - but let's forget that idea straight away! Apart from the fact there really isn't any room to widen the road, imagine the effect on the town if Commercial Road became four lanes! That would just encourage even more traffic, and would probably kill the current shopping precinct.
The council admits as much, with the plan stating that widening Commercial Road would "severely negate the effective performance of a small town Mainstreet precinct".
While a by-pass will undoubtedly be expensive, it's the only way to go if we want to preserve - or even enhance - our lovely town.
The Helensville District Business Association is currently trying to guage public opinion about a by-pass - questionnaires are available, or you can vote on the Helensville Online web poll.
Once again, the possibility of a traffic by-pass has reared its head, and this time it looks as though the council may actually be serious.
I'm all for a way to keep heavy traffic from Commercial Road. Helensville has the potential to have a really nice, 'quaint' shopping precinct, especially with the riverside developments currently underway. But at the moment, it's ruined by the constant thunder of enormous trucks belting down the road.
Many of these trucks seem to show little sign of slowing for pedestrian crossings too, so unwary shoppers can be taking their lives in their hand at times.
In the Helensville-Parakai Structure Plan October 1998, the council mooted four possible by-pass options.
Three of those go straight ahead from the SH16 roundabout, taking slightly different routes across the river until they emerge on Railway Street at various spots opposite the Helensville Showgrounds. The other option goes straight ahead at the second S-bend just before the roundabout, then cuts across Parkhurst Road before crossing the river and joining up to the Kaipara Coast Highway well past Pipitiwai Drive.
The plan estimated traffic volumes would double in the 20 years to 2018 - not a nice thought when you see how busy Commercial Road gets now.
Other than a bypass, about the only option to help ease traffic is to widen Commercial Road - but let's forget that idea straight away! Apart from the fact there really isn't any room to widen the road, imagine the effect on the town if Commercial Road became four lanes! That would just encourage even more traffic, and would probably kill the current shopping precinct.
The council admits as much, with the plan stating that widening Commercial Road would "severely negate the effective performance of a small town Mainstreet precinct".
While a by-pass will undoubtedly be expensive, it's the only way to go if we want to preserve - or even enhance - our lovely town.
The Helensville District Business Association is currently trying to guage public opinion about a by-pass - questionnaires are available, or you can vote on the Helensville Online web poll.
Labels: by-pass, bypass, Commercial Rd, traffic
# posted by Dave @ 4:05 PM 
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What Helensville needs is a heavy traffic bypass to deal with the trucks while encouraging motorists on SH 16 into Commercial St with a view to stopping and frequenting businesses there. I have seen plenty of towns gutted by bypasses here and overseas. Commercial St is ripe for transformation into a stop over point for travellers or even a destination for weekend trippers from Auckland. I remember Helensvilles main street as one of solid enterprises back in the 60's. Sadly today fast food seems to be the mainstay. Helensville is a great little town but its main street desperately needs rejuvenating. Ian
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# posted by 
: 5:03 PM
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