Democracy HQ A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

Peter Williams said a few weeks ago that the proposed $45 million-plus cycleway, bus lane and gardening changes along Cameron Road were 'a classic example of a solution looking for a problem.”

He may have a point, considering the money is to be spent on the northern rather than the congested southern end of Cameron Road.

Council surveyed residents asking what it should do to improve Cameron Road. You'll be shocked to know the most popular feedback was 'improve traffic flow”. Now, if you're about to break out in a cold sweat at the thought of something actually being done to improve congestion, don't worry.

In their report, council staff assured commissioners that the public was wrong. Not so much a case of 'mother knows best” but instead 'council knows best”. Naughty car drivers are to be forced to sit in congestion, and we'll be kept there until we learn to be obedient bus users or put on lycra.

That's a parenting position that the government shares. Instead of investing $700 million toward a second Waitemata Harbour crossing, or even nurses and teachers, the money is going toward satisfying the cycle lobby.

Cameron Road shouldn't be considered Tauranga's Skypath; that honour should go to the eventual four-laning of 15th Ave - Turret Road Bridge.

The $100 million-plus for the extra lane won't be for general traffic as it should be. Under current plans, it'll be for buses and cyclists only. Or maybe, if you're good, and take a couple of blow-up dolls as passengers in an electric car, you can use it too.