Grey Lynn town centre transport changes Grey Lynn town centre transport changes

New pedestrian crossing on Great North Rd

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.

Changes to bus stops

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.

Relocation of Great North Rd loading zone

The loading zone at 604 Great North Rd will be relocated to 592 Great North Rd. This will make it easier to access.

Traffic-calming devices on Prime Rd and Selbourne St

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.

Parking changes

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.

Reason for the location of the bus stops in the town centre

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.

Why the city-bound bus stop cannot be consolidated with the bus stop outside the Surrey Hotel (very close to the shopping centre)

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.

Why the angle parking cannot be reinstated on Turarangi Road and why it was removed in the first place

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.

Timeframe for the review and implementation of the Grey Lynn residential parking zone

This is programed in for July 2016.

Timeframe for a further review of the town centre parking restrictions

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.

How AT intends to help promote off-street parking

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.

Reason for adding the traffic calming devices on Prime Road to the proposals

AT’s Road Safety Team is happy to proceed with the proposal.

Status of the Corridor Management Plan (CMP) and what additional proposals are likely to come about because of it

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.

How AT intends to keep the westbound bus stop free of parked cars (eg has a bus platform been considered and if not, why not)

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.

Why the RH turn into Selbourne St from Surrey Cres has been retained

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.

How the proposals will slow the traffic through the town centre

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.

Whether a park and ride has been considered at MOTAT

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.

How AT can assist with the development of a Grey Lynn precinct/masterplan plan

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.

Impact of the new network consultation and what is proposed for Grey Lynn

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.

What AT can do to ensure the smooth operation of buses through the town centre

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.