Grey Lynn town centre transport changes Grey Lynn town centre transport changes
Auckland Transport (AT) invited feedback on a proposed new pedestrian crossing, relocation of a loading zone and changes to bus stops in Grey Lynn town centre, as well as the installation of traffic calming devices on Prime Rd and Selbourne St.
The changes aim to improve pedestrian safety, create a more pedestrian-friendly environment, and improve the operation of bus services.
Feedback on the proposals closed on Wednesday 9 December 2015. Read more about the background of the community engagement for this project.
Consultation feedback
AT received 315 feedback responses on the proposal, including comments on all the different project elements. For a detailed summary of the feedback received please read the full public feedback and decisions report.
After considering the feedback received, we have decided to proceed with all elements of the project. In response to comments received from the community we have:
- Made changes to the Diamond Road marking and advance warning of the zebra crossing on the left turn slip lane from Great North Rd to Surrey Cres to warn approaching traffic of the crossing.
- Clarified that there will be a ‘SLOW’ marking painted on the road outside 623 Great North Road (on the left turn slip lane from Great North Rd onto Surrey Cres) to help reduce traffic speed.
- Decided to relocate the current Give Way sign for the left turn slip lane (Great North Rd onto Surrey Cres).
- Made changes to the Diamond Road marking and advance warning of the zebra crossing on Surrey Crescent (opposite Selbourne St) to warn approaching traffic.
- Decided to move the existing street light pole outside 2 Surrey Crescent slightly further back from the footpath to improve visibility between pedestrians and oncoming traffic.
- Included ‘Pedestrians to give way to traffic’ signage at the intersection of Selbourne Street to clarify who has priority across the raised speed table.
- Included an advanced cycle stop box at the top of Tuarangi Road to assist people on bikes negotiate the intersection.
- Clarified that information displayed at bus stops will be updated in accordance with the changes we are making.
- Forwarded feedback that was out of the scope of this project to the Local Board, other AT business units, and the New Zealand Police for further investigation.
During the public feedback period we also reviewed and shortened the Prime Road traffic island design. This was done to help cyclists use the traffic island and to retain additional car parking space.
Check out the Future layout plans online.
Next steps
We are planning to start work in this area in July 2016. Work should be completed within a month and AT's contractors will circulate notification letters when work starts.
Community engagement background
In February 2015, AT gathered community feedback on similar proposals for Grey Lynn town centre. Since then, AT has undertaken a pedestrian intercept survey and a parking occupancy survey.
As a result of the feedback received and these further investigations, some significant changes have been made to the proposals. We are now seeking community feedback on the revised proposals as well as some additional proposals.
Proposed changes and improvements
In consideration of previous community feedback, the location of the signalised pedestrian crossing has been changed. An east-west crossing facility was previously proposed for the southern leg of Great North Rd at its intersection with Surrey Cres. Now, a north-south pedestrian crossing facility is proposed for the western leg of Great North Rd at its intersection with Surrey Cres.
This will improve pedestrian safety and connectivity by creating a dedicated pedestrian crossing to connect the shops on either side of the road.
Associated traffic lane changes
To accommodate the new pedestrian crossing (and associated traffic light phase for pedestrians) and to minimise delays to vehicles, we are now proposing to change the combined right and straight-through lane to a right-turn-only lane.
Relocation of bus stop 8894 (Williamson Ave)
The new Grey Lynn fire station development and access requirements mean that bus stop 8894 needs to be relocated from 134 Williamson Ave to 144 Williamson Ave. Relocating the stop closer to the shops, as opposed to further away, provides better spacing between bus stops and improves accessibility to the town centre for bus passengers.
The move requires the removal of 4 on-street parking spaces at 144 Williamson Ave.
Note: Community feedback in February raised concerns that the proposed fire station would result in the loss of 7 on-street parking spaces on Williamson Ave between Coleridge St and Northland St. As a result of a hearing process, the resource consent for the fire station development now states that on-street parking will not be removed as part of the development.
Removal of bus stop 8116 (Great North Rd)
Bus stop 8116 (outside 602 Great North Rd) will be removed and combined with stop 8114. As a result, 6 new 30-minute (P30) Monday to Saturday parking spaces will be created.
We propose removing stop 8116 because it is difficult for buses to enter and leave the stop due to traffic flows on Great North Rd. Removing the stop also creates a simpler bus stop layout and reduces delays, as services from Williamson Ave and Great North Rd will now only have 1 stop each in the town centre, rather than 2 stops.
Extension of bus stops 8114 and 8115 (Great North Rd)
Bus stop 8114 (outside 562 Great North Rd) will be extended from 25m to 39m. This requires the removal of 2 on-street parking spaces.
Bus stop 8115 (outside 521-531 Great North Rd) will be extended from 17m to 35m and the footpath built out. This requires the removal of 3 on-street parking spaces.
The original proposal was to accommodate the extension of the rear of bus stop 8115 by moving the loading zone from 521-531 Great North Rd further south to 515-519 Great North Rd. We are now proposing to leave the loading bay where it is and extend the head of the bus stop.
Both of these bus stops need to be increased in length to allow 2 buses at a time to use the stops. Both stops will now serve multiple bus routes, so the extension is required to prevent buses parking side-by-side at the stops, which blocks the traffic lane and makes entering/exiting the bus more difficult for passengers.
The closure of bus stop 8116 will increase the number of buses using stop 8114, and the proposed new bus network for the area (currently out for public feedback) will further increase bus frequencies along this route.
New broken yellow lines at the head of bus stop 8897 (Williamson Avenue)
The installation of broken yellow lines at the head of bus stop 8897 (opposite 152 Williamson Ave) will provide manoeuvring space for buses pulling into and out of the stop. Currently, vehicles park illegally at the head of the bus stop and prevent buses being able to fully pull into the stop, so the rear of the bus can protrude into the traffic lane.
The loading zone at 604 Great North Rd will be relocated to 592 Great North Rd. This will make it easier to access.
On Prime Rd, at its intersection with Surrey Cres, a short traffic island will be installed in the centre of steet and a new kerb built. This requires the removal of 3 on-street parking spaces.
A speed table will be installed on Selbourne St at its intersection with Surrey Cres.
The traffic-calming devices on these streets will slow vehicles down and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. They are a response to the Grey Lynn Shopping Precinct Local Area Response Plan developed by the Grey Lynn Business Association.
The original proposal included the removal of 12 on-street car parks from Grey Lynn town centre. The revised proposal will result in a net loss of 3 parking spaces from the town centre, and the loss of 3 parking spaces from Prime Rd. In the town centre, 9 spaces are being removed and 6 spaces are being created.
Parking surveys show there is adequate capacity in the remaining on-street parking spaces to accommodate demand for parking in the area.
Maps of the changes
- Get diagrams of the proposed new road layouts (PDF 1MB)
- Get detailed diagrams of all the proposed changes (PDF 1MB)
Investigations completed as part of the project
The following information was collected for Grey Lynn town centre:
- Pedestrian intercept survey (PDF 550KB).
- Parking occupancy survey (PDF 560KB).
- Bus patronage data - September 2014 to August 2015 (PDF 100KB).
Responses to issues raised
As explained at the April and subsequent August public meetings, the bus stops have been an integral part of the town centre for decades. The existing five stops cater for nearly 19,000 passenger trips per month and AT believes that it is important to provide good public transport connectivity within town centres.
Options were investigated on Great North Road both north and south of the town centre. Due to the activities and spacing of driveways, the bus stops would be located too far away from the town centre to provide good connectivity. It would not only mean that there would be a gap in the network which would potentially deter people from catching the bus, it would also mean that the pedestrian foot traffic generated but those 19,000 trips per month would be pulled away from the town centre. Something that it was considered could be detrimental to the town centre.
The Intercept Survey demonstrated that the percentage spend by transport mode was similar between cars, bus passengers and pedestrians. The project will remove only 3 parking spaces in the town centre to improve the pedestrian and passenger transport facilities in the town centre. Given that over 50% of those surveyed access the town centre by modes other than cars, these changes are considered important.
This location is over 200m from the town centre. The prior bus stop on Great North Road is located over 550m away, outside 667 Great North Road. This would create a gap in the network and have a negative impact on bus patrons from the walk up catchment around the town centre.
The Great North Road Corridor Management Plan (CMP) emphasised the need for good bus connectivity within the town centre. Close proximity to the town centre is required to ensure that the bus routes are clearly visible and legible for users and to encourage the use of PT as a viable alternative.
Further to the April public meeting where it was explained that the angled parking on Tuarangi Rd was removed due to safety concerns with turning movements at the intersection with Great North Road. Specifically vehicles or cyclists turning right into Tuarangi from Great North Road conflicting with vehicles backing out of the spaces. Following this, AT reviewed the situation again and due to limited road widths, angle parking could not safely be accommodated at this location. AT looked at options to reinstate more angled parking on the other side of the road or further down Tuarangi Rd but due to driveway spacing and the road width this was not possible.
This is programed in for July 2016.
Parking Design completed a Grey Lynn town centre review in 2013. Parking surveys carried out in May 2015 as part of this project (information included in the public presentation) revealed that the area is operating at average peak occupancy of 68 per cent. This is well below the 85 per cent trigger for parking management change included in AT’s Parking Strategy. From parking’s perspective, the area is operating satisfactorily and there are currently no plans to carry out a new parking review in short term.
This was discussed at the April and August public meetings. We would encourage the GLBA to engage with the owners and controllers of the various private parking spaces, but cannot do anything actively to bring those into use.
AT’s Road Safety Team is happy to proceed with the proposal.
The Great North Rd CMP is finished and AT is currently working on the timeframes for the delivery of the changes it proposes. Changes to the Great North Rd/Surrey Cres intersection and the improvements to the bus stops in the town centre were identified in the CMP. The CMP also proposes that in the future a slow speed zone is developed, the footpaths widened and all the on-street parking on Great North Road is removed.
The reason for the current issues is that the signage is incorrect and so the bus stop cannot be enforced. The changes will mean that the bus stop can be properly enforced. A bus platform has not been considered on this side of the road because it would affect vehicles ability to turn into and out of the adjacent driveways. Further, in response to the concerns raised, the bus stop has been extended across the driveways. If a bus border was used, the stop could not go across the driveways and this would result in the loss of additional parking.
There are no significant safety issues identified at this intersection. Given the change to the give way rule, vehicles turning right into Selbourne Street will need to give way to all traffic on Great North Rd and reduced the potential for confusion between drivers. No changes are therefore being proposed at this intersection.
Slow gateway treatments are proposed on all approaches to the town centre as outlined in the consultation letter. Similar “SLOW” gateway treatment has been proven to be effective as they heightened the awareness of drivers that they are entering the town centre. Notwithstanding, the overall delivery of improvements through the CMP with installation of cycle lanes etc. will provide overall benefits for the town centre. The proposals associated with gateway slow down markings are intended to be “quick win” solutions.
In the Parking Strategy, it is noted that discussions will be undertaken with underutilised sites around the Region. MOTAT has not been specifically considered yet. However, if the site meets specific criteria and it can be demonstrated that such a facility will support the future transport network then it will be investigated.
As discussed at the August public meeting, the traffic calming and slow speed signage is in direct response to issues outlined in the master plan.
The changes to the bus stops in Grey Lynn have always been developed in conjunction with the New Network planning. Increasing the capacity of the bus stops in the town centre and making the layout more legible is all required for the New Network.
We need to expand the capacity of the pair of stops at 521 and 568 Great North Rd to ensure smooth operation of buses through Grey Lynn town centre. With easy access and egress, buses will spend as little time as possible in the centre as they will be able to stop smoothly and accurately for easy boarding and alighting, and re-join the traffic stream as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
To achieve this while using the least possible amount of kerb-side space, we have shortened the stop heading away from the city and are using the adjacent vehicle crossings to provide the exit space. Built-out kerbs / localised footpath widening on the city-bound side enable us to provide space for buses in which they can stop in a straight line, needing no additional space or time to manoeuvre out of and back into the traffic stream.
The stop on Williamson Ave that has to be relocated to clear the exit space for the new Fire Station needs to be designed also for ease of access and exit. We’ve designed this to use the junction with Coleridge St as the lead-in, to reduce the amount of kerb-side space that we need to use to provide the stop.