Stafford Road, Northcote Point – Raised Zebra Crossing Stafford Road, Northcote Point – Raised Zebra Crossing

Project background

Proposal outcome

In May 2022, we proposed improvements on Stafford Road, Northcote Point in response to concerns raised by residents.

After reviewing feedback, decided to proceed with the proposal.

These works help support our Vision Zero goal.

Community feedback

Most residents supported this proposal. In their feedback, people said they were concerned about crossing Stafford Road. Respondents said they believed that the pedestrian crossing would improve safety, visibility, and access to the park.

Here is a summary of other comments and queries we received, and our responses to them:

Raised pedestrian crossing

Concern that raised pedestrian crossings force vehicles to accelerate and decelerate, which wastes fuel. 
Investigations into raised pedestrian crossings have found no evidence that they affect fuel consumption. 

Concern that raised pedestrian crossings are uncomfortable to ride over on a bicycle.
Raised pedestrian crossings have not been found to affect the comfort or safety of cyclists. By reducing speeds, they can make the environment safer for cyclists. We have designed the crossing to let cyclists take the lane when riding over the crossing. 

Concern that the proposed raised pedestrian crossing is unnecessary, as traffic is already forced to slow down when going around the nearby corner on Stafford Road. 
While drivers in the area tend to slow down to go around the bend in the exit, they speed up again after the road straightens. This crossing will help reduce speeds in this residential area. 

Suggestion that the crossing should be located nearer the intersection.
Our investigation found that the proposed crossing location would be ideal for all road users. This includes drivers, people using public transport, and pedestrians.

Concern that the raised pedestrian crossing will generate traffic congestion and a backlog onto the motorway.
Because of the distance between the motorway exit and the proposed crossing, we do not believe that queueing onto the motorway because of the crossing will be an issue. 

Bus stop

Concern that the bus stop outside 33 Stafford Road will obstruct the road and could cause an accident with vehicles going quickly as they come off the motorway. 
Drivers in this area tend to slow down to go around the bend onto Stafford Road. The raised pedestrian crossing will discourage drivers from speeding up where the road is straight.
The bus will only stop for 15 to 30 seconds to pick up or drop off passengers. This means that it will not obstruct the road and cause a safety hazard.

Request to remove the bus stop at this location to prevent accidents, as there is another bus stop 100m away. 
Based on current bus patron numbers, this bus stop is justified and necessary for easy access to public transport facilities. 

Suggestion that the bus stop should be placed on the other side of the crossing to improve visibility.
The location of the proposed bus stop is ideal for the safety and visibility of all road users.

Pedestrian issues

Concern that there is not enough vehicle or foot traffic to require a raised pedestrian crossing.
We believe that requests from the community and our observations of the area show that there is enough pedestrian demand in the area for a raised crossing.
It's also likely that some people avoid walking in the area as they feel unsafe without a pedestrian crossing at this location.
This proposal will make the area safer for all road users. 

Suggestion to monitor this stretch of road and measure its foot and vehicle traffic.  
We will continue to evaluate this area before and after construction to see how the crossing affects foot and vehicle traffic. 

Concern that the pedestrian crossing is not where pedestrians prefer to cross, and so will not be used as intended. The natural crossing point for the road is at the exit to the lane between 27 and 29 Stafford Road. 
We investigated putting the pedestrian crossing between 27 and 29 Stafford Road as there is a path there. However, this was not feasible due to the nearby driveways. Zebra crossings cannot be too near a driveway because this creates safety and visibility issues.
The proposed location is the best option to ensure that the crossing is visible and accommodates pedestrians' preferred path across the road.

Visibility Issues

Concern that the raised pedestrian crossing is not required and won't improve sight lines or visibility, as these are already unrestricted.  
Raised pedestrian crossings make pedestrians, cyclists, and people on scooters feel safe. They have also been shown to encourage people to walk. 

Request for better street lighting as Stafford Road is a very dark stretch of road.
We will investigate appropriate lighting and include it in the final design if warranted. 

Concern about how drivers are meant to see people beginning to cross if there is a bus parked at the stop.
The bus stop is mostly used by people getting on and off the bus, which takes minimal time idling at the stop. This will not affect the visibility of the crossing.

Miscellaneous

Request to repair the Northcote Ferry Wharf, which is out of action, before implementing this proposal.
The Northcote Ferry Wharf is unrelated to this proposal and this would be out of scope.

Suggestion to include penalty clauses in the plan to prevent contractors and AT project managers from overcharging for the work.
Using ratepayer funds wisely is at the forefront of every proposal. We'll closely monitor how funds are used during the construction of this proposal.

Original proposal

In response to community requests, we proposed to improve pedestrian safety on Stafford Road, Northcote Point, by installing a raised zebra crossing outside 29 Stafford Road.

We proposed:

• a raised zebra crossing at 29 Stafford Road – this 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
• Install tactile pavers, which are yellow guidance markers to help visually impaired people find their way, at the sides of the road
• Extend the footpath on the northern side of the Stafford Road to provide access to Stafford Park
• Relocate the existing bus stop (stop number 4007) on the southern kerb to 33 Stafford Road
• Paint new road markings and install new signs to support these changes
• Paint broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) on the approach to the crossing to maintain clear lines of sight between motorists and pedestrians waiting to cross the road. 10 parking spaces will be removed as a result of these changes.

Download the proposal drawing for Stafford Road (PDF 485KB) 

With these changes, we aimed to improve pedestrian safety and access to green spaces, while encouraging walking and public transport use in Northcote Point.

The raised zebra crossing at 29 Stafford Road would make people crossing the road more visible and slow drivers to a safer speed around the crossing point. The height of the raised crossing matches the footpath height, so it would be comfortable for cyclists and pedestrians to cross. The gentler slope on the exit side would make a more comfortable ride for vehicles and passengers, including those in buses and emergency service vehicles.

We understand that removing parking can be inconvenient, so we plan to remove as few spaces as possible while maintaining good lines of sight.

Next steps

We planned to:

• listen to all the feedback we receive and decide the best way forward.
• post the outcome of this proposal and a summary of community feedback on this webpage.
• email the proposal outcome as soon as it’s ready.

Northcote Point: 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 Stafford 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).