Tamaki Drive, Saint Heliers – Raised Zebra Crossing Tamaki Drive, Saint Heliers – Raised Zebra Crossing

Proposal status: Feedback closed

Reference number: RTV-423

Proposal outcome

In May 2022, we proposed changes on Tamaki Drive, adjacent to the intersection with Long Drive. The proposed at the request of Ōrākei Local Board to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists on Tamaki Drive as the pedestrian island adjacent to The Parade was removed as part of the St Heliers Village safety improvements. After reviewing all the feedback we received on this proposal, we have decided not to proceed with the proposed works.

We have come to this decision because:

  • The Ōrākei Local Board is not in favour of losing ten parking spaces and are unsure of the benefits of having a raised pedestrian crossing at this location.
  • The local community told us that having a raised crossing is not suitable at this location and so would not benefit the community.
  • People can continue to cross the road at a raised pedestrian crossing facility installed further east of The Parade on Tamaki Drive approximately 100 metres from the pedestrian island within the town centre.

We will investigate changes at this location in the future if required.

Community feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge. The following is a list of our responses to additional requests:

  • Request to implement an additional crossing on Long Drive and Auckland Road to improve safety in an area of confusion with bikes, pedestrians, Tamaki Drive traffic, and cars turning out of Auckland Road.

    Response: There are existing pedestrian islands to cross Long Drive and Auckland Road. These crossing facilities are operating satisfactorily and there have been no reported pedestrian or cyclist crashes reported in the past five years.

  • Request to improve safety outside SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. The rubbish collection spot is on the corner and the large rubbish trucks reverse out into a bike lane on a partially blind corner.

    Resonse: We have logged a case number with the relevant team to respond to this request. The case number for your reference is: CAS-672650-K7X4Q5.

  • Request to implement a speed hump on Ashby Avenue (the corner close to St Heliers Bay Road junction) as that street has been a racetrack for locals and has been involved with multiple crashes over the years.

    Response: Ashby Avenue is a local residential road with approximately traffic volumes of 3200 vehicles per day. 85% of vehicles are driving at or below 51km/h on this road. The five-year crash history shows that three minor injury crashes have occurred on Ashby Street but were not related to speed. Based on this, Ashby Avenue does not meet the criteria for speed humps at this stage.

  • Suggestion to add a set of stairs from Tamaki Drive to Long Drive directly opposite the crossing so pedestrians do not have to cross back to the Long Drive intersection to go up Long Drive.

    Response: Currently, there is an existing walkway connecting Long Drive and Tamaki Drive in front of the bus stop.

We're proposing improvements in your area

In response to requests from the Ōrākei Local Board, we are proposing to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety by installing a paired, raised zebra crossing on Tamaki Drive, St Heliers.

We are proposing to:

  • Install a raised zebra crossing on Tamaki Drive, near the intersection with Long Drive. The crossing will be paired, which means that it will be suitable for both pedestrians and cyclists to use.
    The new zebra crossing will be raised to be flush with the footpath. The raised table will be wide and flat, with a gradual slope at one end that will make it comfortable for all vehicles, including large trucks, emergency services vehicles and buses.
  • Install tactical pavers at the crossing approach. Tactical pavers are yellow guidance paving markers that help visually impaired people to find their way to the crossing and safely across the road.
  • Install new signage and streetlights to alert drivers to the new raised crossing, and to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists using the crossing are visible during low lit hours of the day.
  • Install a new footpath and kerb extension of the existing cycleway so that cyclists can easily move from the footpath to the raised crossing.
  • Paint broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) to prevent drivers from parking near the new crossing and blocking the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists crossing. This will remove a total of 8 on-street parking spaces, 7 northbound and 4 southbound.
    We understand that removing parking can be inconvenient, so we have removed as little parking as possible. 

Download the proposal drawing for Tamaki Drive (PDF 564kB)

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.

St Heliers: 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 Tamaki Drive 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).