Paul Matthews Road, Rosedale – Pedestrian improvements Paul Matthews Road, Rosedale – Pedestrian improvements

Proposal status: Closed

Reference number: NOP2122-002

Proposal update

We advised in January 2023 that we anticipated construction to begin in Mid-February 2023. Due to the impact of the recent weather events, the construction timeframe has changed.

We now anticipate construction to begin on 11 April 2023.

Proposal update

In April 2022 we advised that these works were expected to be constructed within the 2022 - 2023 financial year (which ends in June 2023) once the budget has been confirmed.

Funding for this project has now been confirmed and we anticipate construction to begin in mid-February 2023.

Proposal outcome

In February 2022, we proposed changes to improve pedestrian safety on Paul Matthews Road in Rosedale by upgrading 2 pedestrian crossings. These changes aim to better support active modes of transport like walking and buses.

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

What happens next

This project will proceed to the final stage of the design process, the detailed design phase. Once the budget has been confirmed, we expect the changes to be constructed in the next 2022 to 2023 financial year, which ends in June 2023. We will be in touch with nearby residents and businesses again before any construction takes place.

Community feedback

Most respondents supported this proposal, telling us that they believed the changes would make walking and cycling safer or help to reduce driving speeds.

Some respondents expressed concerns about the raised speed hump at the crossing at 43 Paul Matthews Road, and others offered different options and additional ideas for the area.

Here is a summary of additional suggestions and queries we received and our responses to them:

Proposed changes at the 43 Paul Matthews crossing

Concern that the raised crossing is inappropriate for a busy road which is heavily used by a high number of vehicles, including emergency services and large trucks. Concern that the crossing could damage vehicles and increase pollution.
The purpose of the raised crossing is to discourage red light running and to ensure that the driver will be travelling at a survivable speed if a crash happens. A survivable speed is a speed that allows the people involved in the crash to walk away unharmed or with minor injuries.
We understand that people make mistakes, both as drivers and as road users outside vehicles. That's why we have designed the crossing to reduce the risk of a mistake becoming a serious or fatal crash. We are using a 75 mm high low-profile table - a wide, flat speed bump - with a 1:15 incline for approach ramps and a 1:40 incline for departure ramps. This will ensure a smoother drive, especially for heavy trucks, emergency service vehicles, and vehicles with trailers.
Suggestion to install a pedestrian and cycle bridge at 43 Paul Matthews Road instead.
A pedestrian and cycle bridge is not appropriate at this location because of limited space and design constraints. The proposed crossing upgrade will be enough to meet pedestrian and cyclist demand with minimum disruption to traffic.
Concern the proposal is excessive. Suggestion to trial some tree trimming and installing additional signs.
There aren't any nearby crossing facilities on Paul Matthews Road. As part of the investigation for this project, we undertook site observations during the morning, inter-peak, and afternoon peak. This showed that this crossing was well-used by both cyclists and pedestrians.
Traffic signals will give pedestrians and cyclists a safer crossing facility by stopping traffic.
A cycling route connecting Rosedale to Unsworth Heights starts just north of the proposed crossing location. This crossing will also cater for all cyclists using the cycleway.
Concern that both traffic signals and a raised crossing at 43 Paul Matthews are not necessary and either would be sufficient on their own.
The traffic signals will give pedestrians a safer crossing facility by stopping the flow of traffic, and the raised table will reduce the speed of vehicles approaching the crossing.

Proposed crossing at 65 Paul Matthews

Concern that there is no reason to reverse the direction of entry to the Mews.
The location of the proposed pedestrian island requires reversing the entry and exit locations. If the existing entry and exit locations stayed the same, it would mean that drivers turning right into the carpark would not be able to queue on the painted median because of the location of the proposed island.
Instead, turning vehicles would need to queue in the live traffic lane. This would cause further safety and traffic flow issues.
Suggestion that the crossing could be installed between 61 and 62 Paul Matthews Road instead of 65 Paul Matthews without requiring changes to the Mews carpark. The western bus stop could be shifted to Saturn Place, near the post office.
We proposed this location for the pedestrian island crossing due to the pedestrian desire line.
Our observations showed that most people crossed at 65 Paul Matthews Road. The proposed location serves pedestrians crossing to and from North Harbour Mews and the businesses at 66 Paul Matthews Road. It is also located between the 2 bus stops, giving bus passengers a crossing facility.
Suggestion to install traffic lights at the Saturn Place and Paul Matthews Road intersection instead of the pedestrian refuge island crossing.
Installing traffic lights at the intersection of Paul Matthews Road and Saturn Place was not investigated as part of this pedestrian improvement project. The proposed island provides a safe option to cross Paul Matthews Road at the pedestrian desire line - where most people want to cross the road - to access the nearby bus stops and the shops at North Harbour Mews.
Suggestion to install a raised zebra crossing at 65 Paul Matthews Road, because of concerns that people will be stuck on the island waiting to cross the road with cars speeding and uninterested in stopping.
We investigated this in the early stages of this project, but further investigations led us to the current design due to factors including traffic flow and site constraints.
A new zebra crossing has been installed nearby, outside 74 Paul Matthews Road, as part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Multiple pedestrian-priority crossings (like zebra crossings or raised zebra crossings) can impact traffic flow if they are placed near each other. This would be especially disruptive on this route, which is frequently used by heavy and emergency service vehicles.

Other suggestions for the area

Suggestion that tactile pavers are not installed because they become slippery in the wet and have to be avoided for safety.
Tactile pavers are necessary to help visually impaired pedestrians using the crossing and make our roads and footpaths are accessible to everyone.
Suggestion to install a raised zebra crossing on Omega Street.
Suggestion to install a skatepark or bike pump track under the overpass.
Suggestion that Paul Matthews Road should include a separate cycle lane, which will improve safety for cyclists and slow traffic due to reduced lane width.
Suggestion to install a live speed sign along the westbound side of Paul Matthews Road to encourage slower speeds.
Thank you for your suggestions. They are out of the scope of this project, but we will record them for later consideration.
You can always tell us about network improvements that you would like to see in your neighbourhood using our online form.

We're proposing improvements in your area

We have designed a plan to upgrade two existing crossings on Paul Matthews Road in Rosedale, which would improve pedestrian safety and access to public transport.

At 43 Paul Matthews Road, we are proposing to:

Install traffic lights with separate pedestrian and cyclist push buttons.
Upgrade the existing pedestrian refuge crossing point to a raised pedestrian crossing, which is a crossing on top of a wide, flat speed bump with a traffic island at the centre of the road and a gently sloping exit.
- This would be a dual crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists that connects the path between Omega Reserve and Rosedale Reserve along Alexandra Stream.
Install tactile pavers, which are yellow guidance markers to help visually impaired people find their way, at the sides of the road.
Trim an existing tree to improve visibility.
Paint new road markings and install new signs to support these changes.

At 65 Paul Matthews Road, we are proposing to:

Install a pedestrian refuge crossing, which is two traffic islands at the centre of the road which provide a comfortable place for people to stop and wait for a safe time to cross.
Install tactile pavers, which are the same kind of yellow guidance markers explained above.
Install signs and paint road markings to support the upgraded crossing. This will include reversing the direction of the entry and exit of the North Harbour Mews (65 Paul Matthews Road) car park.
Trim an existing tree to improve visibility.
Relocate the bus stop and shelter from outside 66 Paul Matthews Road to 70 Paul Matthews 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 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

This proposal is supported with funding from the Auckland regional fuel tax.

Rosedale: 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 Paul Matthews 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).