McKenzie Road, Māngere Bridge – Raised Zebra Crossing McKenzie Road, Māngere Bridge – Raised Zebra Crossing

Proposal status: Closed

Reference number: VRU2022-029

Proposal outcome

In May 2022, we proposed changes to improve road crossing safety for pedestrians and cyclists on McKenzie Road, Māngere Bridge. These changes are in response to our investigations that found there have been high speeds and 4 reported crashes at the McKenzie Road and Tarata crescent intersection.

After reviewing all the feedback, we are proceeding with the work as proposed.

These works will lower speeds and create a safe crossing point, helping to support our Vision Zero goal.

What happens next

We anticipate the changes will be constructed in the last 5 months of this year. We will update this webpage if there are any changes to the programme.

We will be in touch with local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.

Community feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge.

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

Noise

  • Concern about noises from cars and trucks braking before the crossing and noises from vehicles going over the crossing.
    We understand your concern and can assure you that noise was an important consideration during the design process due to the number of residential properties nearby.

    In response, we are proposing a low-height 75mm high speed bump with a gentle slope and 6m wide top. This minimises vehicle noise while still reducing vehicle speeds and improving safety for pedestrians crossing the road.

    We will also install signage to warn drivers approaching the raised crossing to give them plenty of time to slow down.

Parking

Safety

  • Concern for cyclist safety on McKenzie Road, especially due to cyclists needing to slow down to pass over raised crossings.
    There are dedicated cycle lanes on McKenzie Road to ensure there is sufficient width for cyclists to ride safely alongside a vehicle. One of the aims of the proposed raised crossing is to lower vehicle speeds, which would further improve the safety of cyclists. 

    We also currently have a separate project working to improve cycling safety in the area covering parts of McKenzie Road north of our proposal.
  • Request for lower speeds
    McKenzie Road is currently being considered for speed limit reduction from the current 60km/h to 50km/h. This will be subject to bylaw consultation and approval from the AT Board.

    Find out more about speed limit changes.
  • Concern that a raised crossing will not teach children to safely cross roads. Concern that the crossing will encourage them to walk straight onto the crossing without looking both ways.
    The raised crossing will encourage drivers to slow down as they approach the crossing, meaning that they will be more likely to be travelling at a survivable speed if a crash happens.

    If necessary, we will carry out an educational campaign on how to safely use the crossing.
  • Concern that the number of crashes does not warrant the proposed changes.
    Any number of accidents on our roads is too high. AT cares for your safety. We want to make our roads safe for everyone, for people walking, cycling, and driving, and especially for our kids and senior citizens.

    Projects like this one on McKenzie 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).

Misc

  • Concern that the raised crossing will lift the lights of vehicles and blind other drivers and road users.
    McKenzie Road is a two-lane road separated by a flush median. It is wide enough that we do not expect glare from the opposing traffic to cause safety issues when going over the raised crossing.
  • Concern over traffic flow being stopped by high use of the pedestrian crossing, for example, after school.
    We want to make our roads safer for everyone, especially for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists. This proposal is intended to improve safety by reducing the speeds of the vehicles travelling along McKenzie Road.

    There are a high number of school children crossing the road at this location. In the past 5 years, 4 crashes involving vulnerable road users have been reported in this area. This proposal is part of our Vision Zero goal to prioritise human safety, like that of school children, over other measures such as minor time saving.

We're proposing improvements in your area

4 crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians have been reported at the McKenzie Road and Tarata Crescent intersection in the past 5 years. That is why we are proposing to install a raised pedestrian crossing to reduce speeds and create a safe crossing point, especially for students from the nearby schools.

We are proposing to:

  • Construct a Swedish-style raised zebra crossing at 39 McKenzie Road. This is a pedestrian crossing on a wide, flat speed bump with an extended off-ramp to make for a smoother, quieter drive, especially for larger vehicles like buses and emergency service vehicles.
  • Install raised islands in the middle of the pedestrian crossing to give people a safe place to wait in between the 2 lanes of traffic
  • Install tactile pavers at the crossing. Tactile pavers are yellow guidance paving markers that help visually impaired people to find their way to crossings and safely across roads.
  • Install signage to accompany the pedestrian crossing
  • Paint broken yellow lines (no stopping at any time lines) on the corner between Tarata Crescent and McKenzie Road up to the pedestrian crossing to improve visibility for drivers. These lines and the crossing would remove 2 on-street carparks.

Download the proposal drawing for McKenzie Road (PDF 432KB)

How this will benefit your neighbourhood

Auckland Transport would like to work with you to deliver safer roads in your neighbourhood. These changes have been proposed to create a safe place to cross the road for pedestrians as well as lower speeds in the area to make a safer environment for all road users. A raised zebra crossing keeps pedestrians safe by making them more visible to drivers. The crossing would be raised to be level with the footpath, so it is comfortable for everyone, including people with prams and wheelchairs, to cross McKenzie Road.

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.

Māngere Bridge: 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 McKenzie 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).