Grey Street, Onehunga - Pedestrian improvements Grey Street, Onehunga - Pedestrian improvements

Parking

• Concern that the removal of 7 on street parking spaces will increase parking congestion during school pick-up and drop-off hours. The aim of this project is to reduce the congestion which would make it safer for children to walk to and from school.
• Concerns that parking congestion on Grey Street will be increased as local businesses use the street for long term parking for their vehicles. Traffic volumes on Grey Street are relatively low, and we expect that the raised crossing will discourage drivers from using Grey Street as a short cut between Selwyn Street and Onehunga Mall which will further reduce congestion.
• Suggestion to install edge lines between Onehunga Mall Road and Selwyn Street to prevent drivers from packing into remaining parking spaces. Edge lines are generally installed on roads with heavy traffic flows or roads where there are frequent curves which could cause crashes, which is not the case with Grey Street. Due to consistency in our road network, we are unable to justify installing edge lines on Grey Street.
• Suggestion to distribute parking permits for residents on Grey Street. Parking permits are introduced mainly in the fringe suburbs surrounding Auckland's central business district, where there are many heritage properties without off-street parking. A lack of available on-street parking, due to high parking demand created by the commuters, provides a need for parking permits to be issued. Grey Street does not present these issues, as a high proportion of properties have off-street parking available.
• Concern that pedestrian and cyclist visibility will be reduced by parking congestion. The road width of Grey Street is approximately 11.3m, this width allows for two cars to be parked on the road, with enough space for cyclists to also be travelling along the road. Pedestrian visibility is maintained through the proposed broken yellow lines, which have been designed to meet distances from the driver to pedestrians using the raised crossing.
• Suggestion for free all day parking to be replaced by parking with restricted limits for school use. The number of students at Golden Grove School does not justify the need for restricted parking.

Broken yellow lines

• Requests for more broken yellow lines to be installed to prevent illegal parking and reduce parking congestion. The broken yellow lines that have been introduced meet visibility requirements for drivers and pedestrians, additional broken yellow lines may reduce safety for people walking by increased driving speeds and illegal parking along Grey Street.

Speeding

• Recommendation to place speedbumps down Grey Street to decrease drivers speed. It is expected that the installation of the raised crossing on Grey Street will address current speeding issues.

Crossing design

• Concern that the raised crossing will create extra road noise for residents and is too close to driveways. Before construction our Design team will ensure that the proposed location for the raised crossing won't create vibration problems. The new raised crossing should lower noise levels by reducing the driving speeds and engine noise. The Design team will also carry out vehicle tracking, which makes sure that vehicles have enough space to safely turn into driveways that are close to the raised crossing.

Network

• Query regarding other planned work in the area specifically the Grey Street LTA which may direct more traffic up Grey Street towards Onehunga Mall and Selwyn Street. Auckland Transport are aware of the LTA trial. As part of it, it is expected that there will be a significant reduction of traffic along Grey Street. The installation of the raised crossing will also help discourage drivers from using Grey Street as a short cut between Selwyn Street and Onehunga Mall.
• Request for the footpaths to be amended on Grey Street, as mobility scooter users have resorted to using the road instead of the footpath, posing safety concerns. Footpath maintenance is outside of the scope for this project, this feedback will be passed onto the Maintenance Team.
• Suggestion for the school to install a school drop off and pick up zone to reduce bad driver behaviour. The number of students at Golden Grove school is low. Golden Grove school and Auckland Transport are working together to encourage students to walk and cycle to school under the Travelwise programme. These actions are expected to reduce congestion during school pick up and drop off.
• Suggestion to install a roundabout at the intersection of Selwyn and Grey Street to decrease drivers' speeds. This is outside of the scope of this project however, we will pass this suggestion to our Road Safety team for consideration.
• Concern that crossings are better suited in other areas with higher pedestrian numbers, such as Selwyn Street or a proposed crossing on Church Street. The proposed raised crossing will benefit students of Golden Grove School; Onehunga Primary School and people who work or shop in the Onehunga Mall area. Other crossing points are being considered in the area and once prioritised and funding is confirmed, residents will be consulted.
• Query for increased consultation with residents immediately by the proposed raised speed table. All affected parties have been consulted.
• Recommendation to have a zebra crossing instead of a raised crossing. The current demand on Grey Street is suited to a raised crossing. However, as the area is expected to see an increase in pedestrians walking, we will re-evaluate the alternative of upgrading the raised crossing to a zebra crossing in the future.
• If Golden Grove school closes or moves will the raised crossing remain? The raised crossing will benefit multiple users meaning that demand for the crossing will still exist even if Golden Grove school are not there.
• Recommendation to install an improved kerb area with a pedestrian island in the middle, as a place to cross at the junction of Grey Street and Onehunga Mall. This suggestion is not recommended as we want pedestrians to have a straight crossing, rather than waiting in the middle of the road to cross the other half of it.