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Pah Road, Royal Oak - Signalised Raised Crossing Pah Road, Royal Oak - Signalised Raised Crossing

Proposal status: Feedback closed 10 February 2022

Reference number: RSU2021-013

Proposal outcome

In January 2022, we proposed changes to improve pedestrian safety on Pah Road, Royal Oak. These changes are in response to increased crossing demand on Pah Road and to provide a safer place for people to cross this busy arterial road during peak traffic hours.

After reviewing all the 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 within the 2021/2022 Financial Year. 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. This proposal received majority support from the local community. Respondents in support of the new crossing facility noted that it will increase pedestrian safety and support active modes of transport in the area for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. It was also noted that the crossing will help deter drivers from speeding on Pah Road, and hopefully discourage poor driving behaviour such as over taking in the T3 lane.

The following is a summary of the additional comments and queries we received, and our responses to them. 

Congestion  

  • Concern that the crossing upgrades will exacerbate congestion on Pah Road and make it difficult for residents to exit out of their driveways. 
    The use of the proposed crossing facility will only be triggered when pedestrians push the button for the signal crossing facility to cross Pah Road. Therefore, we anticipate that the impact on congestion along this section of Pah Road will be minimal.

    Increasing the safety of pedestrians, particularly vulnerable road users is paramount and, in this instance, prioritised over potential, minimal congestion impacts. Further, the existing pedestrian island does not provide a safe crossing option for pedestrians.  

Existing crossing facility  

  • Concern that crossing is not needed, as there is a crossing at the intersection that pedestrians can use. 
     Our pedestrian survey count highlighted that 117 pedestrians cross Pah Road between 4pm and 6pm. Within the past 5 years there has been one injury crash to a pedestrian while crossing Pah Road, highlighting the need for a safer crossing facility to be in place. 

    The Pah Road intersection crosswalk is approximately 130 metres away from the proposed crossing facility and therefore, does not cater for pedestrians crossing to and from Seymour Park and the adjacent bus stops. Pedestrians choose the shortest route to cross and therefore will not take the long detour to the intersection to cross the road.     

Traffic Lights 

  • Concern that the traffic lights will create unnecessary delays for both pedestrians and motorists, and that if pedestrians are faced with a long waiting time to cross then they may cross the road by other means. It is suggested that the crossing should be a raised zebra crossing with a pedestrian refuge island, similar to the crossings installed on the Royal Oak roundabout, with a lowered speed limit on Pah Road. 
    The proposed crossing will only be triggered when pedestrians press the button on the signalised crossing to cross Pah Road. Therefore, we anticipate that these changes will have a minimal impact on congestion along this section of Pah Road.

    This     signalised crossing provides a safer crossing option for pedestrians, compared to the existing pedestrian island as Pah Road is a busy, four lane arterial road. Further, raised zebra crossings without traffic lights are not safe for roads with more than two lanes, as visibility between the pedestrians and motorists is obstructed by the travelling vehicles.  

Bus Shelter 

  • As Auckland Transport are relocating the bus seat on the Seymour Park side of the crossing, can a bus shelter be installed as well? 
    Auckland Transport has a programme for bus shelters and installation is determined based on a number of factors, including the number of patrons, number of bus services and the requirement for all weather protection. Your request will be passed on to Auckland Transport’s Metro team for investigation. 

Network Requests  

  • Request for a speed limit of 40km to be set on this section of Pah Road, due to the high concentration of parks, schools, retirement villages, homes and shops in the area. 
    Auckland Transport has started the second round of the speed limit investigation process for the Speed Limit Bylaw. Pah Road is not currently included within this portion of the Speed Limit Bylaw prioritisation process. However, based on your request, we will include Pah Road in our database to be potentially included in the future Speed Limit Bylaw investigation. The prioritisation process takes into consideration factors such as the number of crashes at a site, the safety risks, traffic speeds and land use. Any updates with the programme can be found on our website here.   
  • Request for a pedestrian crossing to be installed on Mount Albert Road, somewhere between the entry to the Warehouse and Crown Street. A pedestrian crossing here would improve safe access to local amenities and increase the safety of people walking in the area. 
     This request for a pedestrian crossing on Mount Albert Road between the Warehouse and Crown Street will be included in our master programme of investigations for prioritisation. 

We're proposing improvements in your area

Aucklanders have told us that moving around our city safely and easily is important to them. We are proposing some improvements to your area.

As part of our work to keep Aucklanders moving, we are planning to improve pedestrian safety on Pah Road, Royal Oak.

We are proposing to:

  • Install a signalised, raised crossing at 100 Pah Road, which is a traffic-light controlled crossing on top of a wide, flat speed bump. The wide, flat speed bump will have a gradual slope at one end that will make it more comfortable for busses and passengers to travel over.
  • Extend the kerbs and install new footpaths on either side of the crossing to make the raised crossing flush with the footpath and ensure drivers can clearly see people waiting to cross. Tactile pavers will also be installed on either side of the crossing. These are yellow and green guidance paving markers to help visually impaired people to find their way to the crossing and safely cross the road.
  • Paint broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) on the western side of Pah Road, opposite the entrance to the Warehouse. This will result in the loss of 2 parking spaces.
  • Relocate the existing bus stop and bus stop bench by 25m on the western side of the road. This relocation will not impact bus services.

Download the proposal drawing for Pah Road (PDF 1.24MB)

Pah Road is a busy arterial road with two T3 lanes and an increasing pedestrian crossing demand. These changes will improve pedestrian safety on Pah Road, providing a safer place to cross for people to access the bus stops and Seymour Park.

Pupils from Marcellin College often access Seymour Park after school and the new crossing facility would provide pupils with a safer place to cross during peak traffic hours.

The new proposed crossing is raised, meaning that drivers will have to slow down when approaching the crossing, providing a safer place for people to cross this busy road. The crossing is also traffic controlled with push buttons on both sides of the road that turn the traffic lights to red, stopping drivers so people can safely cross the road.

Give your feedback for Pah Road

If you would like to post in your feedback, download and print our feedback form template, fill in your details and send it freepost using the address details on the form.

What happens next

  • We’ll listen to 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.
  • We can email you the proposal outcome as soon as it’s ready – just select that option when you fill in the survey.

More information

  • This proposal is supported with funding from the Auckland regional fuel tax.

Royal Oak: 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 Pah 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).