Free-flowing Fridays: Is it a figment of Nelson drivers’ imaginations?
Getting stuck in traffic heading into Nelson during peak hours is rarely fun, and travel times on our arterial routes, Rocks Rd and Waimea Rd, are predicted to double by 2048.
But one day a week, there appears to be some reprieve. Friday queues anecdotally have been less pronounced according to the region’s drivers – though it’s tricky to pin down exactly why.
Nelson City Council group manager infrastructure Alec Louverdis looked at data retrieved from Waimea Rd, which showed that Monday and Tuesday had a lower vehicle count with levels of traffic increasing over the rest of the week.
The peak of the week was Wednesday, which aligned with similar eBus passenger data peaks on Wednesday and Thursday, he said.
The data set also showed slightly elevated traffic numbers on Fridays but with movement spread throughout the day, when compared to Monday and Tuesday.
That could suggest that traffic movement was more staggered on a Friday, giving the impression of lower numbers of vehicles, Louverdis said.
Tasman District Council transportation manager Jamie McPherson said the data the council had suggested there wasn’t a significant drop in traffic on Fridays, and they could only speculate on the reasons why there was a perception of fewer people on the road.
“But anecdotally we know that Friday offers an opportunity to make a long weekend out of the standard two days.
“It’s very likely that some people will do this, or alternatively make use of the increased ability to work from home and ease their way into the weekend.”
According to Tasman District Council data on traffic volumes, the five day average morning peak on Lower Queen St between June 7 to 14 was 1,284 vehicles from 8am to 9am. Friday was only slightly below average at 1,276 vehicles over that hour.
From May 23 to 30 on Salisbury Rd, the average morning peak was 934 vehicles per hour from 8am to 9am, while Friday was only slightly below average at 918 vehicles passing through.
Louverdis said some Nelson businesses offered a bonus to employees who used public or active transport, while others allowed their staff to stagger their start and finish times to miss heavy traffic.
Working from home had become a popular offering from many businesses that impacted the amount of traffic on Nelson roads, he said.
According to the Nelson City Council, physical works on a bus only lane identified in the Nelson Future Access Study are timed to start over 2029/2030 depending on the New Zealand Transport Agency funding available at the time.
By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail
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