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Dawson Road, Snells Beach – Pedestrian crossing relocation Dawson Road, Snells Beach – Pedestrian crossing relocation

Proposal status: Feedback closed 8 March 2021. Last updated 21 April 2021

Reference number: SSP2021-003

Proposal outcome

In February 2021, we proposed changes to increase the safety of pedestrians by upgrading and relocating the crossing at Dawson Road, Snells Beach. After reviewing all the feedback, we are proceeding with minor changes. These works will help support our Vision Zero goal.

We will be making the following minor changes to the original proposal.

  • Extend the broken yellow lines at the crossing on the southside of Dawson Road will by 5m.

Download the updated drawing for Dawson Road (PDF 1.9MB)

What happens next

We anticipate the changes will be constructed by the end of 2021. We will be in touch with affected residents 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.

Proposed crossing location

  • Several requests that the crossing stays in current location as it is more visible and there will be less congestion at the intersection.
    The current location is not where most people cross the road due to its large distance to the school which makes it less practical to use. Furthermore, it is not up to current standards as well as not providing any speed reduction measures. The intersection is in a residential area with low traffic volumes and outside of peak school periods, congestion should be minimal.
  • Concern the new crossing location is too close to the school entrance and too close to the side street and this will make it hard to get in and out of the school and side street. Suggestion that the crossing is moved 15-30 meters further east on Dawson Road to prevent this.
    The crossing is located as close to the pedestrian desire line as possible to ensure that pedestrians, especially younger students, will use this facility which is the safest part of the road to cross. This issue will primarily exist during school peak hours. AT will be working with the school to educate parents to practise considerate driving behaviour during these times.

Speeding

  • Multiple concerns raised about the speed of drivers using Dawson Road as a race track with suggestions to install more speed bumps to slow drivers down.
    The raised crossing will help to reduce speeds around the school with high pedestrian activity. The speeding concerns will be raised with NZ Police and Dawson Road can be added to the prioritisation list of the Residential Speed Management Programme.

Parking behaviour

  • Multiple concerns raised about poor parking behaviour at school pick up and drop off times. Cars parked on both sides of the road reduce it down to one lane only and the school buses cannot get through.
    Dawson Road has a road width of approximately 7.8m. This is wide enough to accommodate one-way traffic flow, including buses, when there are vehicles parked on both sides of the road. The narrowing caused by parked vehicles encourages drivers to travel at slower speeds, which helps in creating a slow speed environment around the school. The additional driveways constructed by the developments will provide a number of opportunities where opposing vehicles can pass at these points.
  • Concern that the removal of parking spaces will further encourage poor parking behaviour at pick up/drop off times.
    The removal and relocation of the crossing will only result in a net loss of approximately 4 parking spaces on Dawson Road. The proposed broken yellow lines on either side of the crossing are required to ensure all users can see each other at the crossing.
  • Suggestion to extend the BYLs along Dawson Road both east of the proposed crossing between 35 to 25 Dawson Road and along Dawson Road west of the proposed crossing to discourage poor parking behaviour at pick up/drop off times.
    The proposed broken yellow lines on either side of the crossings are to meet the required visibility. On-street parking is a valuable asset for everybody so we have minimised the removal. Furthermore, the narrowing of the road caused by parked vehicles help to create a slow speed environment on the road. Conversely, excessive broken yellow lines can encourage speeding, which goes against AT’s Vision Zero goal.

Other

  • Requests that the school drive through is better signposted and managed to encourage more efficient use and better driver behaviour which would help reduce congestion.
    We will pass your concerns onto our Community Transport Team to investigate further and work with the school to educate parents to practise better driving behaviour.

We're proposing improvements in your area

Aucklanders have told us that moving around our city safely and easily is important to them. We are proposing some improvements to your area.

To help lower vehicle speeds and improve safety for children outside Snells Beach School, we are proposing to upgrade pedestrian crossing facilities by relocating and raising the pedestrian crossing on Dawson Road.

The changes we are proposing:

  • Install a new zebra crossing on a platform that is raised to the level of the footpath, including new street lighting and road signs, at 35 Dawson Road.
  • Remove the existing crossing and all associated line markings and signage at 23 Dawson Road. We will reinstate the footpath and berm.
  • Install tactile pavers which are yellow guidance paving markers to help visually impaired people find their way to the crossing and safely cross the road.
  • Extend the broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) around the intersection of Kia Kaha Drive, and both sides of Dawson Road, to ensure the crossing remains visible.
  • Remove one small tree outside 35 Dawson Road to ensure the crossing is visible.
  • Removing the existing crossing will return 8 parking spaces and installing the new crossing will remove 12 parking spaces. Overall, this will be a loss of 4 car parking spaces on Dawson Road.

Traffic on Dawson Road is increasing, and the existing crossing does not meet Auckland Transport safety standards. The new crossing will be built outside the entrance to Snells Beach School, where most people want to cross the road. The raised platform aims to slow traffic speeds and will help make it safer for children walking to and from school.

We need to remove some street parking to make sure people wanting to cross the road are able to see it. We understand removing parking can be inconvenient, so we have minimised the removal of parking whilst maintaining clear visibility.

Download the proposal drawing for Dawson Road (PDF 1.9MB) 

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.

Snells Beach: 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 Dawson Road 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).