Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the Tasman District Council are working together to look at ways to improve transport issues in rapidly growing Richmond.
Richmond is Tasman district’s largest population centre. It is also one of the fastest growing with people attracted to the area by the surrounding natural beauty and vibrancy of the town. In recent years, it has seen swift growth in population, and an increase in the amount of traffic and businesses using local roads. We’re also seeing more commercial vehicles passing through to Nelson and freight going to the Port.
Waka Kotahi and the Tasman District Council are working together on a business case to address Richmond transport needs over the next 30 years.
The business case is called the Richmond Transport Programme Business Case (PBC). It focuses on making Richmond a safer and more reliable place to travel around by offering everyone improved transport choices, whether you are driving, walking, cycling or taking the bus.
On Tuesday 24 May 2022 the Waka Kotahi Board endorsed the Richmond Transport Programme Business Case (PBC). Tasman District Council also approved the PBC.
Waka Kotahi and Council are working together to initiate State Highway projects. Council’s programme of works also included the cycling network and new public transport services, which are already underway.
The PBC delivers short-, medium-and long-term transport options out to the year 2050.
We’ve been looking at making improvements in the central Richmond area extending along the Waimea Plains from Wairoa River to the south, Waimea River to the north and Champion Road to the east.
There are also people further out that may be affected by what this programme achieves, and this larger area extends out to Motueka and Wakefield, and to Port Nelson.
Richmond will continue to grow in population and popularity in the coming years. It is important we find ways to ensure the cycling and walking paths, roads, and public transport can deal with this growth, and ensure Richmond is a connected place that is easy to live in and travel around.
Increased traffic is making it harder to plan trips and get around Richmond and through to the wider Tasman and Nelson areas. People driving commercial vehicles are also finding it can take longer to get freight to and from Port Nelson.
Our investigations show that the community of Richmond often rely on cars for short trips, choosing not to walk, bike or take a bus. Roads around Richmond’s shops, homes and schools are also congested, making it unsafe and unpleasant to walk and bike around the places people value.
Aligning with national and regional transport strategies, we are seeking to:
The Tasman District Council are developing a Walking and Cycling Strategy, a regional speed management (speed review) plan and updating the District Plan, which will align with this business case. The Council will carry out separate public engagement on these plans and strategies in the near future.
For this project, we are currently at the Programme Business Case (PBC) phase where we focus on the main problems, opportunities and constraints.
We are not looking at detailed solutions during this stage, but we are considering a broad mix of options that might be delivered by multiple parties over time to create a transport system that improves the lives of the Richmond community.
Having an endorsed PBC is one of the steps towards getting funding for the projects and ensuring that the right transport solutions are identified. There will be opportunities to provide your feedback in future project stages as we develop the programme.
The emerging programme has been developed to offer everyone improved transport choices, whether you are driving, walking, cycling, scootering, or taking the bus.
These improvements are needed to deliver a more sustainable transport system that supports Richmond to be a vibrant place as the population and economy grow.
That means we are looking at what Richmond needs now as well as what Richmond will need over the next 30 years.
The information below covers options packaged into short, medium and long-term improvements to the year 2050. As improvements are rolled out, we will monitor and evaluate the programme to see if it still meets the needs of Richmond.
Feedback closed at 5pm on Friday 13 August 2021. However, you can still view what others had to say on our interactive map.
We’ve been looking at what should be done first to provide safer roads and greater options for people to travel around and through Richmond by using other forms of transport, like walking, cycling and buses.
We are also looking to make the best use of the current transport network by focusing on ways to improve existing roads and intersections.
Before starting the Programme Business Case, Waka Kotahi and the Tasman District Council had already begun, and in some cases completed, some improvements for the Richmond area. These include reviewing speed limits on State Highway 6 from Hope to Wakefield; improving the roundabout at the intersection of Champion and Salisbury Road; and building the two-lane vehicle and walking/cycle bridge across Borck Creek along Berryfield Drive in Richmond West. You will see some of these improvements are marked on the short-term programme map.
Additional improvements we are proposing in the short-term include:
Following the completion of the short-term programme, we would look to investigate further improvements to make Richmond’s roads and intersections safer and provide more walking and cycling paths. These medium-term improvements could include:
The short and medium-term programmes will make it easier for people to walk, cycle, or take buses, instead of relying on cars. These improvements will make a significant difference for people living or making their way through Richmond.
Before finalising the long-term programme, we will review how the transport system is operating with the short- and medium-term improvements in place. If we find that further improvements are needed, a business case will be undertaken for the transport system. The transport system business case will investigate whether further improvements such as the Hope bypass are needed. At this stage, a bypass may or may not be required.
The long-term programme could include:
The Tasman District Council has recently adopted its Regional Land Transport Plan and the business case is expected to be completed at the end of 2021.
Tasman Regional Land Transport Plan(external link)
With your feedback taken onboard, we are finalising the programme and seeking approval from Waka Kotahi and the Council to support future funding applications to deliver the short-term programme.
The Council and Waka Kotahi will continue to work together on delivering this programme of work, including further investigations and engagement with the Nelson and Tasman residents.
Find out more about the Tasman District Council's plans and strategies which inter-relate to these emerging programmes:
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