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Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn – Raised Zebra Crossing Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn – Raised Zebra Crossing

Consultation status: Closed

Reference number: RSU2021-053

Proposal outcome

In October 2021, we proposed changes to make it safer for people to cross the road at Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn. We proposed these changes because of the high number of pedestrians crossing this section of Williamson Avenue to get to the shops, bus stops, and Grey Lynn park. 

After reviewing your feedback, we are proceeding with the work as proposed. These works will support our Vision Zero goal.  

What happens next

We anticipate the changes will be constructed in July 2022. 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. People supporting this proposal said that the changes would make this area safer for pedestrians.

 A summary of other comments and queries we received, and our responses to them, is below. ​

Crossing location

  • The proposed crossing will be difficult for drivers to see. The road gradient will also make it difficult for drivers to stop in time for pedestrians. 
    We considered the road gradient's effects on visibility and safety while designing this crossing. We calculated the sight lines of approaching vehicles to make sure that drivers will have enough time to see pedestrians waiting to cross.

    Our design includes advanced warning signs, to give drivers enough warning to stop for pedestrians. We also plan to resurface the high friction surfaces on the road approaching the crossing, which will make it easier for drivers to stop in time.  
  • Install the proposed crossing at the same location as the existing crossing.
    We considered raising the proposed crossing at the same location as the existing crossing. However, the raised table would clash with driveways and make it difficult for people to access them.
  • Remove the parking spaces on either side of the existing crossing and install additional signage and colouring instead of  installing a new crossing.
    Removing parking spaces is undesirable. That's because it will make it harder for customers to access the Williamson Avenue Superette. It could also encourage people to park dangerously. Our design retains the short-term parking, but reduces it to two spaces. 
  • Move the proposed crossing nearer to the park.
    The existing crossing is approximately 170 metres from the signalised crossing. That means that the proposed crossing is at an appropriate place for people to cross Williamson Avenue. The existing bus stops, bus shelter, native Puriri tree, and power pole also make it difficult for us to relocate the crossing outside 82 Williamson Avenue. 
  • The existing crossing is not used frequently.
    We carried out a pedestrian survey as part of our investigation of this site. It showed over 50 pedestrians using the existing zebra crossing during morning and afternoon peak hours. 
  • Swap the locations of the existing crossing and the bus stops.
    The pedestrian survey showed high demand of the current crossing location on Williamson Avenue. Not many people cross near the bus stops. For that reason, the proposed location is ideal. 

Changes

  • The illuminated beacons will make it difficult to sleep at night.
    The belisha beacons (orange lights on poles) will be perpendicular to the road. That means that they will only be marginally visible from nearby properties. For this reason, they should not be an issue.
  • The proposed changes will increase road noise and carbon emissions due to additional accelerating and decelerating.
    The raised zebra crossing will slow approaching drivers down, which will reduce braking noise. Emissions impacts will be minor compared to the major safety benefits for people using the crossing. The crossing might also create emissions savings, by making Williamson Avenue a more walkable environment. That means that people might choose to walk instead of driving.
  • Concern about the tree removal.
    We've made special design considerations to retain as many trees as possible. We altered the design to maintain the existing native Puriri tree in front of 74 Williamson Avenue. There will be the loss of one non-native tree in front of 61 Williamson Avenue. 
  • Concern about the removal of parking.
    The proposal will result in the loss of three parking spaces. The P10 short-term parking will be reduced from four to two spaces. The broken yellow lines are necessary to make sure approaching drivers and people waiting to cross at the crossing can see one another. 
  • The changes will slow down traffic too much.
    Slower driving speeds are a good thing, as they'll increase pedestrian safety. Williamson Avenue is a walking network, so pedestrian safety is a priority.
  • The changes will result in the flow of traffic becoming more constant.
    The raised zebra crossing makes pedestrian safety a priority and slows approaching vehicles. This aligns with the current and future walking network for Williamson Avenue. 
  • Request for evidence of how this proposal was made.
    We carried out investigations to determine the most suitable pedestrian facility for this location. The 85 percentile speed along Williamson Avenue is in the range of 52km/h. That's above the posted speed limit of 50km/h.
    Our pedestrian survey at the existing zebra crossing showed over 50 people crossing there during the morning and afternoon peak hours.
    Research has shown that when you reduce vehicle speeds from 50km/h to 30km/h, people have a 90% chance of surviving a crash. We expect the proposed raised table to bring speeds down to approximately 25km/h - 35km/h at the proposed crossing location. That's why we consider it an appropriate approach for improving pedestrian safety on Williamson Avenue and supporting our Vision Zero goal.

Surrounding area

  • Move the signalised crossing outside 98 Williamson Avenue nearer to the entrance of the park.
    The existing signalised crossing is adjacent to Grosvenor Street. This provides access to the reserve and covers the adjacent catchment, including Beaconsfield Road.
    Our proposal covers the rest of the catchment east of the reserve. That's why moving the signalised crossing isn't necessary.
  • Install a pedestrian island to improve safety crossing Ariki Street.
    Ariki Street and Millais Street are too narrow for us to install pedestrian islands. Vehicles such as rubbish trucks would not be able to turn into these streets if we installed traffic islands. That's why they're not suitable on these streets.
  • Install a raised roundabout at the intersection and zebra crossings and speed bumps on each of the four crossing points.
    There is not enough demand and space to justify upgrading the intersection to a roundabout. Speed bumps are not a recommended road feature, as they create an uncomfortable experience for bus passengers.

    The focus of this design is to increase pedestrian safety and reduce speeds. The raised table and pedestrian crossing will achieve this. 
  • Concern that drivers will cut through other streets which will make those streets dangerous.
    The proposed raised table crossing will give people a safe place to cross Williamson Avenue near Ariki Street and Millais Street. It will help to reduce speeds in the area, which might deter people from cutting through these streets.
  • Suggestion to have roundabouts rather than traffic lights at the Grey Lynn shops and Surrey Crescent shops.
    The existing traffic lights at the Grey Lynn shops are not being considered as part of the upgrades to the proposed pedestrian crossing at 76 Williamson Avenue.

We're proposing improvements in your area

Listening to what you have to say is important to us. Your local knowledge can help us make better decisions, so together we can achieve the best outcomes for your neighbourhood.

We are proposing to:

  • Install a Swedish-style raised zebra crossing outside of 74 Williamson Avenue and remove the existing zebra crossing in front of 76 Williamson Avenue. The proposed crossing will be raised on a flat, wide speed bump that has a gentle exit to provide a smooth ride for road users. This will result in the removal of one tree on the berm of 61 Williamson Avenue.
  • Install a pedestrian island at the centre of the crossing. A pedestrian island is a raised island with a cut-through that allows pedestrians to cross busy roads in two stages and gives pedestrians a safer place to wait before making the second stage of the crossing.
  • Extend the footpath to the crossing and install tactile pavers which are yellow guidance paving markers to help visually impaired people to find their way to the crossing and safely cross the road.
  • Rearrange the parking. This will result in the removal of three parking spaces on the north side (two P10 parking spaces and one unrestricted space opposite 84 Williamson Avenue) and one parking space outside 80 Williamson Avenue to formalise the bus stop. One P120 parking space will be added at the location of the existing zebra crossing.

Download the proposal drawing for Williamson Avenue

What happens next

  • We’ll consider 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 

Grey Lynn: 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 Williamson Avenue 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).