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Puhinui Road, Papatoetoe – Pedestrian improvements Puhinui Road, Papatoetoe – Pedestrian improvements

Proposal status: Closed

Reference number: RSU2021-018

Proposal outcome

In March 2022, we proposed changes to make it safer for pedestrians to cross Puhinui Road. Puhinui Road is a busy arterial road with a history of crashes involving pedestrians. These changes respond to the need for a safer way to cross the road, especially for students of the nearby Seventh Day Adventist School.

After reviewing all your 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 during the 2022 to 2023 financial year, before June 2023. We will be in touch with nearby residents and businesses before any construction takes place.

Community feedback

Most respondents supported this proposal. In their feedback, people said they supported making it safer for students to cross Puhinui Road.

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

  • Concern that residents will not have enough space to place their rubbish bins on the berm after the crossing upgrade.
    Residents on Puhinui Road near the proposed crossing do not have specific areas where they must place their bins. Bins can be placed in front of any nearby home, as the grass berm is publicly owned.
  • Suggestion to install a mirror opposite the school and opposite the driveway near the crossing, because cars block visibility.
    Mirrors can help improve visibility, but they come with some safety issues. They can distract drivers from other road users who are in the immediate vicinity, especially pedestrians, because the driver is likely to focus on the traffic in the mirror's reflection. Poor weather conditions or damage, through accidents or otherwise, can also affect a mirror's usefulness.
    This proposal is a raised signalised crossing where vehicles are required to stop on a red light to let pedestrians safely cross the road. For this reason, a mirror is not required.

We're proposing improvements in your area

As part of our work to keep Aucklanders moving, we are proposing to upgrade the pedestrian crossing at 37 Puhinui Road to a raised zebra crossing with traffic signals. 

We are proposing to:

  • Install traffic lights with a push button for pedestrians to request a red light between 37 and 42 Puhinui Road 
  • Upgrade the existing zebra crossing to a raised zebra crossing, which is a zebra crossing painted onto a wide, flat speed bump the same height as the footpath
  • Extend the footpath on the south side of the crossing
  • Install tactile pavers, which are yellow guidance paving markers to help visually impaired people find their way at the crossing, on both sides of the road
  • Paint green cycle stop boxes, which are safe places for cyclists to wait for a green light, at the intersection for both westbound and eastbound cyclists
  • Paint new road markings and install new signs and streetlighting to support the new crossing.

Download the proposal drawing for Puhinui Road (PDF 1.1MB)

Puhinui Road is a busy arterial road, and there is a history of crashes involving pedestrians in this area. These changes aim to improve pedestrian safety on Puhinui Road, especially for children walking to and from South Auckland Seventh Day Adventist School.

The raised zebra crossing would slow vehicles travelling through this section of Puhinui Road and make it easier for drivers to see people crossing the road. By installing traffic lights, people crossing Puhinui Road would be able to press the “cross” button so they can cross while traffic is stopped. The traffic signals will alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians before they reach the crossing

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.

Papatoetoe: 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 Puhinui 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).