Gladstone Road, Parnell - Raised zebra crossing Gladstone Road, Parnell - Raised zebra crossing

Pedestrian crossing

• Suggestion for a pedestrian island on the crossing.
  Thank you. A pedestrian island and side islands are proposed with the raised crossing.
• Request to add extra signage/lights near the raised crossing to make sure that vehicles slow right down.
  Existing signs have been reviewed as part of the project. According to our information the standard advance warning signs for the school and the pedestrian crossing are already provided before the crossing in the area. All the new and relocated signs required for the proposed work are designed to meet the latest design standards.
• Multiple requests for raised zebra crossings on:
  • St Stephen's Avenue outside Parnell District School.
  • Gladstone Road outside Rosie's cafe, along with the removal of 1 or 2 parking spaces to improve visibility of people crossing.
  • Brighton Road at the intersection with St Stephens Avenue.
    
    A street light review will be undertaken during the detailed design process, which is the next stage of this project prior to construction. The street light review will identify any lighting facility requirements such as trimming any vegetation as required to improve the function of the lighting pole and therefore assist with visibility of the crossing for all road users.
    
    The existing crossing at 82 Gladstone Road (near Rosie's Cafe) is already being investigated, and a concept is being developed which will be consulted on separately at a later date. The other two locations are not included in this project but will be considered along with the other sites for future projects.

Parking

• Multiple requests for the P5 parking restriction be increased to P10. Concerns that 5 minutes is not enough time to collect school children.
  Thank you for providing your feedback. On-street parking is a valuable public asset and requires careful consideration before making any changes. Unfortunately, the congestion around the school is due to parents getting there early and waiting for their children. Therefore, changing the time restriction will have no impact on their behaviour and will not resolve the issue raised.

Road safety

• Suggest changing the control sign at the Gladstone Road/Alberon Street intersection from 'Give Way' to 'Stop'. Vehicles turning right out of Alberon Street are almost immediately on the pedestrian crossing. Entering the intersection from a 'Stop' position would result in reduced speeds.
  Stop controls are applied at the intersections where the visibility is constrained. The current intersection layout provides enough visibility between the right turn drivers who are waiting at Alberon Street and the proposed raised zebra crossing, therefore no changes to the traffic control to the intersection.
• Concerns about the safety of the intersection of St. Stephen’s Avenue, Gladstone Road and Takutai Street for all road users.
  A search of the New Zealand Transport Agency's crash analysis system indicates that there were a total of four reported crashes within 50 metres of the intersection during the past five years. However, these incidents were either minor-injury or non-injury crashes. Based on the crash data, the intersection is not identified as a high-risk intersection when compared with other intersections and therefore will not be prioritised for investigation at this stage. We will monitor this intersection, and should the situation change, further measures will be investigated.
• Request for a reduction of the speed limit on Gladstone Road, ideally 30km/h.
  Thank you for your feedback. The speed limit on Gladstone Road, outside the school, will be assessed as part of the speed management programme. This is a separate process and therefore it is not included as part of this project.
• Request to ban or severely limit/discourage heavy vehicles on Gladstone Road.
  Gladstone Road is classified as an arterial road in Auckland's road network. Arterial roads make a significant contribution to social and economic wellbeing and link significant places such as ports or industries. They are expected to carry high traffic volumes, including a significant volume of through-traffic and heavy vehicles. Heavy vehicle operators would be expected to travel on the network of arterial roads where possible, and so it is not considered inappropriate for trucks to use Gladstone Road as a thoroughfare. A 7-day traffic count data in 2018 shows there were less than 3% of heavy vehicles travelling on this section of road. A search of the New Zealand Transport Agency's crash analysis system indicates that there have been no heavy vehicles involved in crashes within 100 metres of the site in the past five years. For the reasons outlined above, we consider current HCV (heavy commercial vehicle) access on Gladstone Road is appropriate and no changes required. However, we will monitor the site and investigate relevant measurement should the situation changes.
• Concern that at school pick-up, many parents park on the broken yellow lines on Alberon Street resulting in it being extremely difficult to turn into or out of Alberon Street for residents.
  The congestion around the school is caused by parents getting there early and waiting for their children. Parking on broken yellow lines is illegal and this is clearly outlined in New Zealand Road Code. All drivers are expected to be aware of the Road Code and may be subject to enforcement action if they park illegally. If you notice a vehicle parked on broken yellow lines on Alberon Street, please contact us on (09) 355 3553 with the vehicle details, and enforcement will be organised.

Traffic flow

• Concern that the changes will impact traffic flow.
  The proposed speed table will be designed to achieve vehicle operating speeds of approximately 30km/h at the location where pedestrians cross the road. This is to make the road safer for the school children that are walking in this area. Drivers will revert to their normal speeds away from the crossing therefore the overall impact on traffic flow is expected to be minor.