Auckland Transport (AT) will soon reveal whether or not it’s going ahead with a proposal to construct a $450,000 raised pedestrian crossing on a major local arterial road.
The agency announced earlier this year it’s considering installing the crossing with traffic signals on Pakuranga Road immediately west of Grammar School Road and Johns Lane.
The work includes moving the existing bus stop from east of the Johns Lane intersection to west of it, removing bus bays and moving bus stops into traffic lanes.
A new pedestrian refuge crossing would be installed on Grammar School Road and the nearby kerb ramps on that road and Johns Lane would be upgraded.
The whole project would cost about $450,000.
It’s been met by outspoken opposition from the community and Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown, who labelled it “crazy”.
AT says more than 21,000 vehicles drive along the relevant stretch of Pakuranga Road daily and the proposed changes aim to make the road safer and easier to cross.
“The raised crossings would slow drivers to a safer speed near the crossing point and the intersection with Grammar School Road and Johns Lane.
“The traffic lights would help stop drivers so people can cross the road safely.
“The lights would only turn red to stop drivers when a pedestrian has pushed the pedestrian crossing request button.”
AT officials fronted a public meeting Brown held on the proposal in August attended by several hundred locals.
They said there were 12 recorded crashes at the location of the raised crossing between 2016 and 2020, one of which involved a pedestrian being seriously injured.
The audience heard that more than 1200 submissions had been received on the plan during the public feedback period and about 90 per cent of submitters opposed to it.
Andrew Allen, the agency’s executive general manager of service delivery, emphasised several times that no decision on the proposal had been made and he and his colleagues were there to listen to people’s concerns and feedback.
He said analysis was nearly complete on submissions with a feedback report to be published.
AT is considering the feedback provided for a feasible design solution, Allen said.
Brown is now holding a second public meeting to let AT update the community about whether or not it’s going ahead with the work.
“At the public meeting I held in August, AT said they would be listening to the overwhelming opposition of the
Pakuranga community toward this proposal, and I hope this means they will be dropping their plans for a speed bump on Pakuranga Road.
“A speed bump on Pakuranga Road would be like putting a speed bump on the motorway.
“It is a stupid idea and one I will continue to oppose.”
An AT spokesperson says the agency is “still closing out the consultation and the team is preparing to present to the executive team [about the proposal].”
Brown’s public meeting on the raised pedestrian crossing proposal is at 7pm on Thursday, December 15, at Farm Cove Intermediate School in Butley Drive.
