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Rockfield Road, Ellerslie - Pedestrian safety improvements Rockfield Road, Ellerslie - Pedestrian safety improvements

Proposal status: Feedback closed 22 December 2020. Last updated 6 May 2021

Reference number: RSU1920-156

Proposal update 

In December 2020, we invited community feedback on our proposal to upgrade the existing zebra crossing on Rockfield Road, south of the intersection with Aliford Avenue, Ellerslie. The upgraded crossing was installed before the end of June 2021. Residents, however, have informed us that they are experiencing noise issues with large vehicles and trailers travelling over the upgraded crossing. 

The Road Safety Engineering team are proposing the following resolution to address noise issues that residents are experiencing.  

  • We are proposing to increase the ramp length to 1.5m and to reduce the toe (the exit ramp of the crossing) to 0.5m. This would achieve a gradient of 1:15, which would provide a smoother exit over the crossing. These changes will reduce the noise of large vehicles and trailers travelling over the crossing, whilst still providing a safe place for pedestrians to cross and reduce vehicle speeds on Rockfield Road. 

Next steps 

These works have a construction target of April 2022. It has been estimated that it will take 8 shifts to complete the works. The disruption to residents is expected to be minimal, similar to that of when the crossing was built. 

​Proposal outcome

In December 2020 we proposed changes to improve safety for pedestrians by upgrading the existing zebra crossing on Rockfield Road, south of its intersection with Aliford Avenue in Ellerslie. After reviewing all the feedback, we are proceeding with a minor change:

The raised table will be moved approximately 3 metres south of the initially proposed location.

These works will help support our Vision Zero goal.

What happens next

We anticipate the changes will be constructed before the end of June 2021. We will be in touch with local residents and business prior to any construction taking place.

Community feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge.  A summary of your feedback and our responses to community questions is below.

  • Concern that as Rockfield Road is a main arterial road, the raised pedestrian crossing will create congestion.
    The profile of the raised tables has been designed to help slow speeds down to approximately 30km/h which is a survivable speed for pedestrians should there be an incident. We expect people driving will return to their normal speeds away from the crossing so the overall impact on travel times is expected to be minor. Our Vision Zero goal is to stop accidents which result in death and serious injuries and protect our most vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Suggestion to move the crossing south of the school entrance and make it more obvious with additional lighting, pedestrian islands and signs.
    The current crossing location is well used and on the most preferred crossing line. Moving the crossing south of the school entrance was considered but not suitable due to surrounding driveways and drainage issues.
  • Suggestion to replace the zebra crossing with a crossing with traffic lights. This will force drivers to physically stop and will keep the children crossing in groups to maintain traffic flow. 
    Installing a signalised crossing at this location was considered but not progressed as it would result in additional delays to traffic and pedestrians. Signalised pedestrian crossings are more suitable for high traffic, multilane arterial roads. 
  • Suggestion to move the crossing further away from the intersection with Aliford Avenue to allow free flow of traffic by this intersection.
    Moving the raised crossing slightly north of the existing zebra crossing is to accommodate the length of the speed table so that buses smoothly enter the school. The raised zebra crossing will be approximately 30 metres away from the intersection of Alford Avenue and will not affect the turning movements into or out of Aliford Avenue.

We're proposing improvements in your area

Aucklanders have told us that moving around our city safely and easily is important to them, so we are proposing some improvements. We aim to improve safety for pedestrians by upgrading the existing zebra crossing on Rockfield Road, south of its intersection with Aliford Avenue, Ellerslie.

The changes we are proposing: 

  • Move the existing zebra crossing slightly north and upgrade to a raised zebra crossing with side islands.
  • Install tactile pavers (yellow guidance paving markers to help visually impaired people to find their way to the crossing and safely cross the road).
  • Minor improvements to the footpath on both sides of the crossing.
  • Install new road markings, signs and review the streetlighting to support the new raised crossing.
  • Upgrade the existing bus stops (outside 34 and 55 Rockfield Road) to meet current AT standards. This includes bus stop road markings and additional no stopping at all times restriction (broken yellow lines) at each end of the stop. This will not remove any legal parking.
  • Remove redundant bus shelter outside 29 Rockfield Road.
  • Remark the cycle lanes to better accommodate the crossing.

Auckland Transport would like to work with you to deliver safer roads in your neighbourhood. The community has raised concerns about speeds outside One Tree Hill College. Safety around schools is vital and by making these changes, we aim to slow the speed of approaching vehicles and make the crossing more visible. The changes will prioritise people crossing the road, in particular school children, and improve safety for everyone in this area.

Download the proposal drawing for Rockfield Road (PDF 2.2MB)

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.

Ellerslie: 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 Waiuku 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).

More information

This project is supported by the Regional Fuel Tax fund.

This project is just one of a number of pedestrian safety improvements currently being considered across Auckland, ultimately aimed at creating a safer road network for all road users.