Dominion Road and Balmoral Road Intersection, Balmoral – Raised Zebra Crossings Dominion Road and Balmoral Road Intersection, Balmoral – Raised Zebra Crossings
Proposal status: Closed
Reference number: RSU2021-039
Proposal outcome
In November 2021, we proposed changes to improve pedestrian and road user safety at the Dominion Road and Balmoral Road intersection. After reviewing all your feedback, we are proceeding with the work as proposed. These works will help support our Vision Zero goal.
What happens next
We anticipate the changes will be constructed in the current financial year ending June 2022. We will be in touch with local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.
Community feedback
Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge. The majority of respondents supported this proposal. Respondents were concerned about the safety of people using the existing crossings. They said that these changes would make the intersection more pedestrian-friendly, especially for children.
We have included a summary of feedback and questions and our responses to them.
- The existing crossings are sufficient and the changes are not required.
We carried out a pedestrian count survey at these crossings. It showed a high number of pedestrians, especially school children, using these crossings.
The existing traffic islands are small and deteriorated. During peak pedestrian use, multiple school children crowd the traffic islands, waiting for traffic signals. Upgrades to the traffic islands would give pedestrians a safer place to wait to cross the road.
The raised tables will also increase pedestrian safety by helping to slow down drivers using the slip lanes. - Access in and out of Dunbar Road is an issue due to the KFC.
We understand that turning right on Dominion Road exiting Dunbar Road can be difficult at peak times, due to heavy traffic on Dominion Road and the nearby signalised intersection. Queues to KFC during peak times could be adding more issues as well. Please consider a different travel choice, such as using the signalised intersection of Balmoral Road and Eldon Road. - Suggestion to add cycle infrastructure.
The slip lanes are approximately 5m wide, and so can easily accommodate cyclists on the road. That's because the recommended safe width requirement for cyclists and vehicles is 4.2m. The raised crossings will also slow driver speeds on the slip lanes, making it safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Dominion Road and Balmoral Road intersection is part of the regional cycle network. Upgrades to cycling infrastructure would likely be part of a larger upgrade of the entire intersection. For these proposed works, our focus was on the safety of pedestrians crossing the slip lanes. For this reason, adding cycle infrastructure is out of this project's scope. - Remove the slip lanes and have signalised left turn lanes.
The existing slip lanes work well, are safer for pedestrians, and do not impede traffic flows. Removing the slip lanes completely would increase congestion on these roads. - Query why there needs to be 7 lanes on Balmoral Road at this intersection.
The existing road layout consists of 7 lanes, and the proposed works will maintain the same layout. The number of lanes is due to the high volume of traffic along Dominion Road and Balmoral Road. The Dominion Road and Balmoral Road intersection is a primary arterial and frequent transit network route.
We're proposing improvements in your area
Listening to what you have to say is important to us. Your local knowledge can help us make better decisions, so together we can achieve the best outcomes for your neighbourhood.
We are proposing to:
- Upgrade the existing zebra crossings on all four of the left slip lanes at the Dominion Road and Balmoral Road intersection to raised Swedish-style zebra crossings. The zebra crossings will be raised on a flat, wide speed bump with a gentle exit which gives a smoother ride for drivers and passengers, including busses.
Download the proposal drawing (PDF 1.89MB)
Auckland Transport would like to work with you to deliver safer roads in your neighbourhood. These changes are being proposed to improve pedestrian safety at these crossings which have a high pedestrian demand due to the nearby shops, restaurants, schools and Potters Park. There has been one reported injury crash when a child was crossing the slip lane in 2016. Upgrading the crossings onto raised platforms aims to improve driver’s visibility of pedestrians using the crossing, and pedestrian’s visibility of on-coming traffic. The raised platforms also reduce driver speeds near the pedestrian crossings.
What happens next
- We’ll consider all the feedback we receive, and then decide the best way to move forward.
- We’ll post the outcome of this proposal and a summary of community feedback on this webpage.
More information
- This proposal is supported by the Auckland regional fuel tax.
Balmoral: Safe with us
Auckland Transport cares for your safety. We want to make our roads safe for everyone, people walking and cycling, especially for our kids and senior citizens and people driving. Projects like this one around Dominion Road and Balmoral Road are another step towards our goal of achieving no deaths or serious injuries on our roads. We are guided by the Vision Zero approach to transport safety, which prioritises human safety over other measures (like minor time saving).