Meadowbank Road, Orakei - Pedestrian crossing improvements Meadowbank Road, Orakei - Pedestrian crossing improvements

Proposal status: closed 19 October 2018

Reference number: MIP1819-038

We're proposing changes in your area

We are proposing to upgrade the crossing outside 41 Meadowbank Road to a zebra crossing. This will involve changes to road markings and signage.

Download the proposal drawing for Meadowbank Road, Orakei (PDF 2.91MB).

Why the changes are needed

These changes are needed as there has been a significant increase in the number of pedestrians crossing Meadowbank Road after the installation of the crossing on a speed table. The proposed changes aim to improve safety at this location by installing formal crossing facilities on Meadowbank Road.

Proposal outcome

This project will proceed without changes to the next stage of detailed planning. Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback. A summary of this feedback and answers to community questions and concerns is below.

Feedback received

This proposal received positive responses from community members and stakeholders who supported this proposal.

Respondent is concerned about lack of visibility when driving up Meadowbank Road. It is busy and gets very congested around the proposed crossing area with high levels of school traffic around the two nearby intersections (Corinth Street & Mt Carmel Place) - particularly with vehicles parked on both sides of the road.  Adding yellow no-parking lines on the left side of Meadowbank Road (travelling up towards Remuera Road) from about 67 Meadowbank Road up to the proposed pedestrian crossing would ensure good sight lines for drivers. There is adequate visibility for drivers approaching the zebra crossing and for pedestrians waiting at the crossing.
Some level of congestion is expected during morning peak considering that there are 2 primary schools in the area and a train station at the end of Meadowbank Road. There are lengths of Meadowbank Road where one way flow was observed however for the majority of Meadowbank Road, there is two way flow.
The proposed and existing Broken yellow lines on the eastern and western sides of Meadowbank Road at the zebra crossing are sufficient for the adequate sight distance of pedestrians trying to cross Meadowbank Road. Additional Broken yellow lines are considered excessive and may cause higher speeds.
Respondent suggests that removing on street parking is not necessary, as there is no parking allowed after the speed bump on both sides? The proposed and existing ‘No Stopping At All Times' parking restrictions, on the eastern and western sides of Meadowbank Road are essential to the safety of pedestrians crossing so there is adequate visibility of approaching cars and for drivers visibility of pedestrians waiting at the crossing when they approach the crossing.
Buses and other large vehicles find Meadowbank Road difficult at time, due to the large number of parked cars.
The road width of Meadowbank Road ranges between 9 metres to 10.2 metres. This width is not considered narrow because when 2 cars are parked on opposite sides of Meadowbank Road, there is a through lane of 5 metres which is sufficient for most vehicle types. Although some drivers may choose to wait at a driveway to let an oncoming vehicle pass, one way flow is acceptable and encourages drivers to travel at lower speeds.
Respondent suggests reduce the crossing distance of the immediate side streets, creating a sharper angle for cars to turn. The south to north pedestrian crossing demand across Corinth Street and Mt Camel Place is low and as such pedestrians improvements are not justified on those side roads.
Respondent suggests that bus stops outside 43 and 66 Meadowbank Road please be marked, this will help with a number of problems in the area with vehicles not being able to pass and buses not have enough space to pull off to let people on and off the road, blocking up the whole road. The existing parking restrictions are considered sufficient for the intervisibility of pedestrians waiting to cross and drivers approaching the crossing.
The bus stop pair near the crossing is subject to change therefore we are not proposing to mark these bus stops.
Respondent asks will there be flashing lights on the new poles to attract more pedestrians and is this setup a forerunner to traffic lights? Belisha discs rather than Belisha beacons/flashing lights will be installed at this zebra crossing. There is an existing street light in close proximity to the crossing which will provide the appropriate level of lighting for pedestrians crossing in the evening.
Respondent asks is there another pedestrian crossing being installed on the other speed hump 100 yards up Meadowbank Road? The installation of an additional pedestrian crossing at the other speed table (outside 35 Meadowbank Road), is not justified. The highest numbers of pedestrians were observed crossing between the Meadowbank Road intersections with Corinth Street and Mt Carmel Place.
Respondent suggests this is not a high use crossing. This crossing, at its peak, as is already known is the traffic from school parties is a max of 19 to 23 people from 8:30am to 9am and a bit less from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. When the speed table was first installed, the contractor road marked the crossing in error since the crossing was intended as a courtesy crossing. A zebra crossing is made up of a number of elements not just white zebra lined marking. Also required is a limit line for drivers to wait at while giving way to pedestrians, Belisha discs on black and white striped poles, advisory signs, and other minor road marking.
We had to remove the markings and following this removal, many residents and parents of children at the nearby schools requested the change of the courtesy crossing to a zebra crossing.
We investigated the potential for a zebra crossing and commissioned pedestrian counts. The outcome of the investigation and counts was that a zebra crossing was justified.
Respondent suggests that the level of service will not increase with this change, the awareness of the stop, plus the hump has already done this. This crossing in its current form relies on the courtesy of drivers to stop for pedestrians, which is an appropriate level of service when pedestrian numbers are low. There has however been an increase in pedestrian numbers and combined with our investigation, there is merit in upgrading the existing crossing to a zebra crossing.
The change to a zebra crossing will highlight the presence of the crossing and drivers approaching the crossing should stop to give way to pedestrians.
Respondent suggests there is no need to further escalate the crossing/speed humps with white lines, more garish signage and footpath indicators in yellow. Suggests a speed camera or slow down signage would achieve a better result. The signage and road marking required for zebra crossings is necessary, in line with road safety guidelines and standards.
In regards to the speed camera request, these are referred to as safety cameras by the police. The police in conjunction with the New Zealand Transport Agency’s (NZTA) Safety Team and an independent transportation consultant, have a methodology for choosing sites which are suitable for Speed/ Safety cameras. Generally, Safety Cameras are placed in areas where there is a problem with excessive speed and there is a proven crash risk; or research shows a history of crashes causing death and/or serious injuries. Considering the crash history and the speed counts available for Meadowbank Rd before the speed tables were installed, it is unlikely that this street would be a suitable candidate for a Safety Camera.
It needs to be clearly sign posted and marked. In accordance with road safety guidelines and standards, the requisite signage and road marking for a zebra crossing, will be installed.

Next steps

This work will happen before July 2019, 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.