Tauranga City Council will be taking a staged approach to parking changes at the Mount following public feedback.
In a statement this week, council said people from across Tauranga have come out strongly with their views on parking at the Mount and their feedback is helping to shape what happens next.
More than 2000 people shared their thoughts through an online survey and at in-person events during Tauranga City Council’s “Help shape Mount parking” engagement in July this year.
At the in-person events, staff acknowledged parking is a challenging issue as people want different things, and the Mount gets especially busy over summer and during events.
Responses through the survey were varied: 770 people said they didn’t want paid parking, while 1341 recognised there are problems and want better parking options.
The council agreed to the staged approach at a meeting last week.
This will start with additional time restrictions on Victoria Rd, Marine Parade and The Mall, as well as increased parking enforcement.
The bylaw for Salisbury Avenue and The Mall will also be updated to support cruise ship tour operator traffic management.
Staff will now prepare a detailed plan for how these initiatives could be rolled out, which will come back to the council for review.
Following a long campaign, and a presentation by Miro St residents to the City Delivery Committee earlier this month, the council also gave staff the green light to gather feedback from residents and businesses on the Miro St one-way proposal.
This proposal includes creating more on-street spaces to help ease parking pressure in the area.
Looking ahead, the council confirmed the development of a Mount Maunganui Parking Management Plan that will outline the strategic direction of parking at the Mount.
Options include angled parking on The Mall, paid parking at council-owned off-street carparks, a new off-street carpark near Coronation Park, and a business plan to support financially sustainable, paid parking at the Mount.
Deputy Mayor and Mauao/Mount Maunganui ward councillor Jen Scoular said the community’s input was invaluable.
“It’s clear there are quite different views from people around the city, but it’s a real challenge because there isn’t a lot of space. I’ll add that biking is a great option around the Mount and certainly helps with the parking issue.
“I’m also really pleased that options for Miro Street are being explored with residents and businesses using that street. I hope we can make a real difference to how that street works – for parking, for safety, and for everyone who uses it.”