Residents of a Mount Maunganui street have welcomed greater access to their homes after dealing with “pretty tough” closures for two years.

The eastern end of Links Avenue was closed from 7am to 9am and 2pm to 4pm on weekdays due to safety concerns, but the council is trialling a new system.

People can now enter and leave Links Ave from the same end of the street at any time.

Motorists can also enter from one end and leave from other end, as long as it’s been more than 15 minutes, without facing a fine.

The controversial cul-de-sac, formed by two bus lanes between Solway Place and Concord Ave, has been in place since March 2022.

Originally it was going to be a four-month trial in response to safety concerns around the high traffic volumes while children travelled to and from school.

The street has undergone a number of changes in access times, while vehicle movements have dropped from 7500 to 3500 per day since the closure.

Initially the street was shut at all times, but in December 2022 it became peak times, seven days a week.

In mid-2023, the closure hours were reduced, and it was fully open on weekends.

During closure periods, only buses, motorbikes and emergency vehicles could use the street.

Anyone breaching the rules faced a $150 fine.

Since the new trial began on July 1, 112 fines have been issued with seven of these waived.

More than $5m in fines have been issued since March 2022 with $1.3m of these waived.

Tauranga City AFC chairman Brendon McHugh said the new system is brilliant. Photo / George Novak.

Tauranga City AFC chairman Brendon McHugh says the latest change is “really positive” for the football club.

The club is just past the closure near Concord Ave and Brendon says they’ve had to put up with a lot of complaints from people.

“It was pretty tough on us.”

It was a “struggle” for parents and players who had to access the club from the other end of Links Ave, around 1km away for practices, games and holiday programmes.

“We were really happy when they took away the weekends, that was probably the biggest thing for us because we just couldn’t use it.

“It’s a good result. If they’re not going to take [the closure] away completely, then it does help address the problem of it being a thoroughfare.”

Brendon was also part of the volunteer community panel Tauranga City Council set up in August 2022 to help find a traffic solution after a backlash about the closure.

Another panel member Teresa Killian says the new trial is hugely beneficial especially for older residents who were “very isolated” because they weren’t confident using the main roads and the closure deterred visitors.

The council was asked for resident exemptions, but Brendon says panel members were told it wasn’t an option.

Council network safety and sustainability manger Karen Hay says the council looked at ways to reduce the impact of the closure on residents from the start, but there were operational and regulatory constraints.

“Maintaining an exemption list of number plates for all residents on Links Avenue and connecting streets was not possible as it would have to be monitored manually.”

Resident Teri Logie in 2021 when the council first proposed the closure. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Resident Teri Logie, who set up the “Don’t Close Links Ave to the Mt” Facebook page, says the new trial is better, but she still questions the closure.

“There are roads past every school, why this one?”

Residents were told about the new trial through a letter from council which was “a bit unclear”, says Teri.

Karen says council apologised if the letter was unclear and it included an email address for people to ask questions.

More than 750 letters were sent, and the new trial was advertised in council’s weekly bulletin and on its website, she says.

“The new trial allows a broader range of users, including residents, visitors and businesses, to use Links Ave within the restricted hours, providing greater flexibility for the community.”

The current system will be evaluated in December and be reported to council for consideration in late 2024 or early 2025.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.