A public meeting is being held to discuss the proposed construction of a controversial $450,000 pedestrian crossing on east Auckland’s busiest road.
As the Times has reported, Auckland Transport (AT) is considering installing a raised crossing with traffic lights on Pakuranga Road.
The crossing would be located immediately west of Grammar School Road and Johns Lane.
The project, which is strongly opposed by Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown, includes the relocation of two bus stops, upgrades to kerb ramps and adding tactile pavers.
AT says the work is designed to make Pakuranga Road, which is New Zealand’s sixth busiest road, safer and easier to cross.
But Brown has labelled the plan “crazy” and says the raised crossing will cause significant disruption to traffic flows and frustrate motorists.
Information he’s received from AT states the estimated cost to design and construct the crossing is $450,000.
That amount includes a new pedestrian refuge on Grammar School Road, relocation of the existing bus stop and shelter, and improvements to the existing pram crossings on Grammar School Road and Johns Lane.”
AT says in the five-year period from 2016-2020 there’s been two serious and five minor injury crashes recorded at that location and a further seven non-injury crashes.
Brown says it’s an “extraordinary” amount of money to spend on what he describes as a “speed bump on Pakuranga Road”.
“Not only is this a waste of money but it will slow everyone down trying to get in and out of east Auckland on one of the busiest roads in New Zealand.
“It will not solve any safety issues at that intersection as there’s a safe crossing only 300 metres away.
“AT should drop this proposal before going ahead with wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars of ratepayers’ funds on a project which will do nothing to make our roads safe.”
Brown is holding a public meeting to give people the chance to discuss the project and he’s invited AT to attend.
“There has been strong community opposition against this proposal and we made that known through our petition and the many submissions made to AT during the consultation period,” he says.
The public meeting is at 7pm on Monday, August 29, at Farm Cove Intermediate School hall, 16 Butley Drive, and all are welcome.
