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Forrest Hill Road, Forrest Hill – Pedestrian Crossing Improvements Forrest Hill Road, Forrest Hill – Pedestrian Crossing Improvements

Proposal status: Feedback open until 26 May 2021

Reference number: RSU2021-034

In May 2021, we proposed changes to improve pedestrian safety by installing a new pedestrian island crossing on Forrest Hill Road. These changes were in response to an investigation made by Auckland Transport which highlighted a lack of pedestrian crossing facilities at this location. After reviewing all the feedback, we are proceeding with the work as proposed. These works will help support our Vision Zero goal.

What happens next

We anticipate the changes will be constructed in during the 2021 to 2022 financial year. We will be in touch with local residents and business 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 the additional comments and queries we received, and our responses to them is below.

Unnecessary Project

  • Concerns over ratepayers’ money being used for changes that may be unnecessary and not beneficial to the community.
    The proposed pedestrian refuge was investigated following a fatal crash involving a pedestrian during August 2018. The five-year crash history shows that there is one fatal and two minor injury accidents. One of the minor injury incidents occurred outside 251 Forrest Hill Road, and involved a pedestrian. The crash data shows a safety issue at the location and needs to be addressed by changes to improve pedestrian safety.

Location Issues

  • Query regarding how Auckland Transport know that people cross at the location of the proposed pedestrian island.
    The location of the proposed pedestrian island was based off our investigation of pedestrian traffic along the road. A survey was carried out to analyse the pedestrian demand and to determine the right treatment for the area. A 12-hour survey (from 7am to 7pm) showed that 43 pedestrians used the existing pedestrian refuge island to cross Forrest Hill Road. The survey also showed that 24 pedestrians crossed outside 251 Forrest Hill Road and 15 opposite Meadowvale Avenue. This shows that the pedestrian demand is low and is scattered across this section of Forrest Hill Road. The five-year crash history shows that there is one fatal and two minor injury accidents. One of the minor injury incidents occurred outside 251 Forrest Hill Road, and involved a pedestrian.
  • Recommendations to upgrade and improve access to the existing pedestrian island.
    Upgrading the existing pedestrian island will not resolve the issue of pedestrians crossing at other locations along the road. Our survey showed that the pedestrian demand is scattered across this section of Forrest Hill Road, with 24 pedestrians crossed outside 251 Forrest Hill Road within a 12-hour window. The proposal intends to provide a safe place to cross where most people typically cross this road.
  • Suggestion to consider changing the location of the proposed pedestrian island to further down Forrest Hill Road, near Richards Avenue, where there is a greater distance between crossings.
    A survey was carried out to analyse the pedestrian demand and to determine the right solution for the area. A 12-hour survey (from 7am to 7pm) showed that 43 pedestrians used the existing pedestrian refuge island to cross Forrest Hill Road. The survey also showed that 24 pedestrians crossed outside 251 Forrest Hill Road and 15 opposite Meadowvale Avenue. This shows that the pedestrian demand is low and is scattered across this section of Forrest Hill Road. The five-year crash history shows that there is one fatal and two minor injury accidents. One of the minor injury incidents occurred outside 251 Forrest Hill Road, and involved a pedestrian.

Based on this information, we determined that pedestrian safety measures were warranted outside 251 Forrest Hill Road. The existing pedestrian refuge north of the bus stops appears to provide a safe and effective facility that is well used by pedestrians, with no crash history. This shows that a pedestrian refuge south of the bus stops would also provide a suitable crossing facility.

Driveway Access & Congestion

  • Concerns the pedestrian island would create a hazard for drivers/impact their manoeuvrability as they enter and exit nearby driveways and cause congestion.
    The proposed pedestrian islands are located within the existing flush median similar to the one located outside 226 Forrest Hill Road. This means vehicles will be able to access the flush median to enter and exit properties without blocking through lanes and creating traffic congestion on Forrest Hill Road.

Speed Limit Change

  • Suggestion to reduce the speed limit to 40km/hr.
    Your request will be forwarded to our speed management team to include in their priority list.

Installation of Cycle Lanes

  • Suggestion to install protected cycle lanes on both sides of the road.
    This suggestion will be forwarded to our cycling team for consideration.

Pedestrian safety

  • Concern that the new pedestrian island would not be safe for pedestrians as it would be located where drivers turn right into the vet's driveway (218 Forrest Hill Road).
    Tracking (measuring the amount of space needed for vehicles to safely turn) has been carried out to ensure that vehicles entering into the Vets driveway have adequate space to wait on the median strip (section of white diagonal lines painted in the centre of the road) before turning. The central pedestrian islands protect pedestrians from being exposed to the traffic and break the journey across the road.
  • Concern that the pedestrian island would be unsafe and not consistent with the Vision Zero approach.
    Although the proposed pedestrian island is not the top treatment from a Vision Zero perspective, this treatment is widely used where the pedestrian demand is low to moderate, dispersed and scattered throughout the day.
  • Suggestion to narrow the road and remove the flush median to increase pedestrian safety.
    This section of Forrest Hill Road carries approximately 16,000 vehicles per day and is on a frequent transit network. Therefore, narrowing the road and removing the flush median will create other safety issues such, buses blocking the through traffic and residents waiting in live lanes to turn into their properties.

Design Concerns

  • Suggestion to exclude bus stop indentation, meaning that vehicles would need to stop when a bus stops and that the need for buses to pull in and out of a stop would be removed.
    This section of Forrest Hill Road carries approximately 16,000 vehicles per day and is on a frequent transit network. Removing the bus stop indents will create other safety issues such as buses blocking the through traffic and residents waiting in live lanes to turn into their properties as this will require removing the flush median.
  • Suggestion to install a longer pedestrian island that prevents drivers making a right turn into the vet's driveway.
    AT is required to maintain accessibility to all the residential / commercial properties. Therefore, a longer island which prevents this is not considered an option.
  • Concern that the tactile pavers are a safety hazard as they get slippery in wet weather.
    Anti-slip tactile pavers will be installed at this location.
  • Suggestions to install a zebra crossing in the proposed location instead of a pedestrian island.
    A zebra crossing is not considered on multi lane roads (more than two lanes) as drivers in the inside lane have less visibility of people crossing from the kerb side.

We're proposing improvements in your area

We are proposing to improve pedestrian safety by installing a new pedestrian island crossing on Forrest Hill Road.

The changes we are proposing:

  • Install a new pedestrian island crossing at 251 Forrest Hill Road.
  • Install tactile pavers, which are yellow guidance paving makers to help visually impaired people find their way to crossings to safely cross roads.
  • Paint new bus stop road markings on both sides of Forrest Hill Road.
  • Paint broken yellow lines on Forrest Hill Road to support the new pedestrian island crossing.
  • Install new traffic signs to alert drivers and pedestrians to the new pedestrian island.

Download the proposal drawing for Forrest Hill Road (PDF 1.4MB)

Auckland Transport would like to work with you to deliver safer roads in your neighbourhood. These changes will improve pedestrian safety on Forrest Hill Road by providing a safer place to cross and access bus stop facilities. An Auckland Transport investigation showed that pedestrians are currently crossing the road south of the existing pedestrian crossing, at a location that is closer to the bus stop. The new proposed crossing will provide pedestrians with a safer place to cross in a location where there is clear demand. Due to high crossing demand and safety concerns the new proposed pedestrian island crossing aims to reduce crossing distance and increase pedestrian safety.

Give your feedback for Forrest Hill Road

If you would like to post in your feedback, download and print our feedback form template, fill in your details and send it freepost using the address details on the form.

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.

Forrest Hill: 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 Forrest Hill 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).