Innovation inquiry

Letter to the editor

This is a letter to someone who can make a change happen, this was primarily to spark innovative thinking.

Dear City Council

I am writing to you concerning the the roadworks happening all over our beloved city. I understand that these works are in order to make tauranga safer for cyclists but, this has gotten out of hand. I believe that these works should be speedily completed, and if that can’t be achieved within the next the month, then have your workers finish what they are currently working on and terminate the project.

My complaint is based on three problems this project provokes, traffic disturbance, pedestrian danger, and small business pressure. Traffic disturbance is the most evident problem of the three. Due to road blocks on the side of our roads, traffic is forced to squish into a smaller number of lanes then usual. This is currently happening at this second on Cameron road outside boys college on today, June the seventh. Due to one less lane, the traffic has peaked. This happens all around tauranga, which adds to stress and can lead to worse things. For example, the bayfair roadworks are such a danger that my cousin was driving through the roundabout and had a panic attack.

 The second is pedestrian danger. These roadworks cause majour safety hazards for these bikers. From confusing roadwork to barricaded areas. The new bikelane at Countdown cameron road is a good example of your plans for the city, but a bad job overall. These new lanes are extremely confusing, they look like roads and don’t provide much instruction at all. I would think it would be a lot more confusing to the elderly who won’t have experience with this new lane. Also, down cameron road there are a lot of areas which have been blocked off and filled in with makeshift walkways which are smaller, leading bikers to stay on the road where they have a massive chance of being hit. So much for, “Safe Anchorage”, huh? 

The last but, probably most important issue, is small business pressure. Over the last couple of years, small businesses have been hammered due to lockdown. A business would be so lucky to have survived that, and now this, “project”, of your’s is just giving them another round of this horrific experience, through putting barriers up. Because of this action, cars can’t park next to the shop, meaning they have to take a walk over to the shop, and not everyone wants to do that. So, in the end, people just don’t visit the shop. So how long are you going to continue with these roadworks? Or more importantly, how long till we are no longer able to thrive because of this utterly stupid project.

As a member of this city, this community, I can’t stand by and let this happen. I believe that the best course of action is to finish what you are doing, and terminate the project, NOW. I am disappointed about how long it’s been going on. This safe anchorage is our, “Crib”, our home. You are the primary Kai Tiaki of this community. It’s time to prove it. Thank you for your consideration, I look forward to this happening.

Yours sincerely 

Daniel Willis

Yia slides... These slides show my final innovation, how it works, and the problem it solves. Note that the name of the innovation is, "Heat Happens", not the super scald.