May Road, Mount Roskill - Pedestrian improvements May Road, Mount Roskill - Pedestrian improvements

Proposal status: closed 16 May 2019, last updated 14 October 2019

Reference number: MIP1718-048

We've proposed changes in your area

In May 2019, we proposed to improve walking connections and pedestrian safety along May Road, in Mount Roskill. This would involve a number of improvements, including:

  • Construction of signalized mid-block pedestrian crossings outside 127 and 101 May Road.
  • Installation of pedestrian refuges at the entrance to Marion Avenue and outside of 38 May Road, complete with tactile pavers.
  • Changes to bus stops as indicated in the drawing, including:
    • Relocation of the bus shelter outside 127 May Road to outside 119 May Road.
    • Relocation of the bus shelter outside of 101 May Road further towards the boundary with 105 May Road.
    • Relocation of the bus shelter outside of 100 May Road to outside of 106 May Road.
    • Removal of the bus stop outside of 76 May Road.
  • Slight shortening of the northbound bus lane that operates from 139 May Road to 101 May Road on weekdays from 7am - 10am.
  • Addition of broken yellow lines as indicated in the drawings, involving removal of on-street parking.
  • Substitution of a 9-lantern traffic signal on the Stoddard Road/May Road intersection to a 6-lantern traffic signal.
  • Changes to road markings, lighting, and signage as indicated in the drawings.

Download the original proposal drawing for May Road (PDF 1.4MB)

Why the changes are needed

These changes are needed to establish safe crossing points where pedestrian demand is highest and will contribute to a safer road environment. 

After several recent crashes in this area, we have undertaken investigations into pedestrian safety along the May Road corridor. Based on the results of those investigations and given the high pedestrian demand in the area, we are proposing to introduce a number of measures aimed at calming high traffic speeds and improving pedestrian level of service.

Proposal outcome

This project will proceed with specific changes to the next stage of detailed planning. We have made minor changes to the design based on community feedback, which includes reducing the proposed Broken Yellow Lines to retain one parking space on May Road and one space on Marion Avenue.
We are also extending Broken Yellow Lines across driveways on May Road at the location of the pedestrian refuge crossing outside 38 May Road. This is intended to improve cyclist safety approaching the crossing and will not result in additional on-street parking loss. 

Download the updated proposal drawing for May Road (PDF 6.1MB)

Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback. A summary of this feedback and answers to community questions and concerns is below.

Community feedback

  • This proposal received positive responses from community members and stakeholders who supported the improvement in pedestrian safety the proposal would enable. Thank you for your feedback. We are pleased to hear that you support our proposal and our aim to make the road safer for pedestrians.
  • Respondents expressed concerns about parking scarcity near May Road School as a result of the changes. We acknowledge that this parking removal is not ideal for the school given its difficult location near busy intersections, as well as having a number of students being driven to the school who live outside of the area. For this reason, we have made changes to the proposal to retain two parking spaces where it was possible. We are also considering different options that would allow caregivers to more easily and safely walk children to school.
  • Respondents requested an extension of Broken Yellow Lines past the pedestrian refuge on May Road so as not to compromise cyclist safety. We have reviewed the proposed extent of the Broken Yellow Lines for this pedestrian refuge island at 38 May Road and have agreed on an extension. The Broken Yellow Lines will now extend 1 metre past the driveways of 17 and 40 May Road. This will give additional on-road space for cyclists approaching and leading away from the island.
  • Respondents suggested that existing pedestrian improvements and parking restrictions outside of 28 May Road have worsened traffic flow. The existing refuge at 28 May Road should not cause any congestion as there is sufficient queueing space for vehicles between Memorial Avenue and refuge island.
  • Respondents suggested that the proposed changes outside of 38 May Road will cause more congestion, as the flush median will not be free for cars to turn right into Denny Avenue. A survey of this intersection was carried out which showed that queueing at this location has a maximum length of 2 vehicles. The space between the island and Denny Avenue will be able to accommodate these vehicles without impeding the through traffic.
  • Respondents opposed removal of parking without supplementing elsewhere. A parking survey was carried out on May Road which revealed that the demand was relatively low with a peak occupancy of 26% of total parking being utilised. The small amount of parking being removed for safety reasons should not have a significant impact on this parking demand. We have also made changes to the design, in response to community feedback, to retain two spaces to mitigate the parking loss.
  • Respondents requested a connection to the cycle way next to the motorway that runs beneath May Road. This project has a focus on road safety risks as opposed to cycling connectivity. The most appropriate infrastructure required for May Road (a high-traffic arterial route) is a protected separated cycle facility which is well beyond the safety-focused budget proposed for this project.
  • Respondents suggested that the relocation of the bus shelter to 106 May Road would be dangerous for residents of 106 and 106A May Road, due to the high number of vehicles at 106 and the decrease in visibility when exiting the driveways.
    Respondents recommended that the bus shelter location is changed to 112 May Road because there are no driveways at the properties from 112 to 120F May Road.
     Our technical assessment shows that following the relocation of the shelter, driver visibility existing the driveway will be sufficient. However, we will look at this in more detail, and if required we can implement a slimmer shelter to accommodate better visibility.

Next steps

This work will happen in between March and June 2020, but we will let you know if there are further changes or delays.

Our contractors will send notices to affected residents 48-hours prior to construction starting.