When the rubber meets the road
Dunedin's one-way system revamp and the truth about the demise of ChatBus
This picture shows the city’s one way system. Photo: Hamish McNeilly
Late last year a drama unfolded.
It involved closed door meetings, and emails exchanged on an issue impacting every resident and visitor to Dunedin.
That decision was made by Waka Kotahi (the former name of the New Zealand Transport Agency, which translates to 'travelling together as one'), and concerns the city’s one-way system.
At the heart of this matter is the building of Dunedin’s new $1.4 billion hospital, on a site occupying several central city blocks, which happens to be nestled between that one-way system.
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of Dunedin’s new hospital. Photo: Hamish McNeilly
Waka Kotahi, the Dunedin City Council (DCC) and the Otago Regional Council (ORC) had been working together on a plan to minimise disruption for the city during the lengthy construction phase.
So far so good.
That prompted a rethink of the city’s one-way system (which is also a state highway) and its negative impact on the inner city, including safety issues, connectivity and resulting air and noise pollution.
That rethink led to the council joining the Southern DHB and Otago University in supporting a change from the current system.
That change involved the existing northbound one-way being changed to a two-way local road with a 30kmh speed limit and significant amenity improvements.
Meanwhile the existing south-bound route would be consolidated as the state highway and include a 50kmh speed limit and limited parking to enable an extra lane.
Analysis of this proposed change, dubbed ‘2v3’, scored higher on liveability, place quality, travel choice, connectivity and carbon zero with equal scores for safety and affordability.
Council’s preferred option. Image: Dunedin City Council
It scored lower on technical challenge and journey time reliability.
However, council staff were blindsided when they discovered late last year that the Waka Kotahi board had endorsed the existing one-way system, with some safety and amenity improvements, as its preferred option.
An announcement of that decision was expected to be made public before Christmas, but was yet to be officially announced.
Waka Kotahi confirmed it had endorsed the Programme Business Case in November 2021, a business case made inconjunction with its Dunedin partners.
That included retaining the one-way system, improving safety and accessibility, and provides targeted amenity in prioritised locations such as the university, hospital frontage and Queens Gardens.
But this response seems a world away from council’s position, and led to a flurry of emails and a closed door meeting taking place last month.
An extract from a confidential DCC meeting on December 14, saw several votes, including councillors, voting seven to five in favour of the 2x3 being advanced as the basis for future discussion in transport infrastructure design.
A protected cycleway on the one-way ystem northbound. Photo: Hamish McNeilly
Three days after that meeting Mayor Aaron Hawkins sent an email to the Waka Kotahi board which CC’d in two ministers: Michael Wood and Jamie Shaw.
‘‘It was untenable for us to not take a position on a matter as significant as this, given that we will be the first to be approached for comment once any such decision by the board were made public,’’ he wrote in the email.
Hawkins noted that 2v3 had far greater alignment with the strategic goals of the city and the Government’s own policy statement on transport.
‘‘The Dunedin City Council is investing significantly in the Shaping Future Dunedin Transport programme, to the tune of around $30m.
“For our projects to achieve their full potential, they require a commensurate degree of ambition and resourcing from other parties, of which Waka Kotahi is a crucial one.’’
Sometimes the story is the story, and sometimes the story behind the story is the actual story.
This is a bit of both.
But let me put something out there: ChatBus is closed.
For years counselling staff with the Dunedin-based charity had visited primary and intermediate schools. Their good work and the need for this type of service is undisputed.
But goodwill doesn’t stop the service from being wound-up.
That’s a decision not made lightly by the board, but comes after an extensive review of its business, chairwoman Jo Rowe, who was brought into the role in October, said.
“Effectively it is in liquidation.’’
While the voluntary board did not want for there not to be a service for children, they also didn’t want to give false hope.
That hope came after the Otago Daily Times published a story saying the Ministry of Education had offered ChatBus money to continue to provide its counselling services.
Details of that offer were not revealed. But it can be revealed that the Ministry actually offered the equivalent of a month’s operating budget.
An example of the mobile service. Photo: Supplied
The statement from the Ministry noted that funding was ‘‘temporary’, while it also offered counselling support for young people in schools, through its Counselling in Schools initiative.
A further email sent to Ministry to The Mish noted:Â
ChatBus Otago had not asked the Ministry of Education to fund their operation fully or permanently. We offered some short term interim funding while other sources of funding was explored. ChatBus were unable to secure permanent long-term funding and were no longer able to offer their services to local schools. We will support ChatBus as they consider their future operations, including identifying potential sources of ongoing community funding.
The problem for ChatBus and its board was that many people now believed the charity was still viable.
It wasn’t, said Rowe.
ChatBus had largely sourced grants and donations locally, but that had effectively dried-up due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
‘‘But we are talking to other charitable organisations who are working in this space, to see whether we can collaborate and have some service in the future.’’
Rowe confirmed the trust deed allowed the trust to gift any assets to any new potential future provider.
ChatBus treasurer Donna Hall said individual schools previously paid a nominal amount, $758 for a day each term, but when that amount was doubled the school’s reduced their days.
Last year ChatBus employed 11 people and operated eight buses. But facing a $300,000 shortfall per annum, the service was over.
Again, watch this space.
Tweet of the Week goes to @streetkiwi who does a great job covering the street art scene.
As a treat I’m including this ‘hyperlapse drive’ video of a person driving between Oamaru and Dunedin. Strangely hypnotic.
And this week I’m sharing a playlist courtesy of the Hocken’s Kaleidoscope World exhibition.
Our Weird Green Mayor will get his way once again in our backward City of Dunedin
If only the actual drive was as smooth. Re One-Way…oh dear it’s the most effective urban stretch of SH1 in Aotearoa. I hope Waka Kotahi gets it’s way. Even as a pedestrian crossing the road it’s easier and for cars the intersections are safe and easy to negotiate. Changing the northbound route will create confusion.