Skip to main content

Takanini School, Takanini – Raised zebra crossings Takanini School, Takanini – Raised zebra crossings

Proposal status: Feedback closed 5 November 2019, last updated 25 November 2019.

Reference number: RSU1920-098 and RSU1920-099

We've proposed changes in your area

In November 2019, we proposed to improve the pedestrian crossings in front of Takanini School and at 76 Manuroa Road in Takanini.

Proposed changes at 76 Manuroa Road included:

  • Converting the current crossing to a full zebra crossing, giving pedestrians right of way.
  • Raising the zebra crossing onto a platform that is level with the footpath. This will improve pedestrian access and calm traffic speeds at the crossing.
  • New road markings and signs to make sure the crossing can be clearly seen by drivers.
  • A short section of broken yellow lines parking restrictions on the north-western corner of the intersection of Manuroa Road and Takanini School Road. Parking near road corners is already prohibited to ensure driver safety by keeping intersections free of parked cars.

Download the proposal drawing for Manuroa Road (PDF 2MB)

Proposed changes in front of Takanini School included:

  • Raising the existing zebra crossing onto a platform that is level with the footpath. This will improve pedestrian access and calm traffic speeds at the crossing.
  • Installing a new pedestrian refuge island to prevent unsafe U-turns near the crossing
  • Adding new road markings and signs to make sure the crossing can be clearly seen by drivers.

Download the proposal drawing for Takanini School (PDF 1.7MB) 

Why the changes are needed

These changes are expected to greatly increase pedestrian safety at these crossings, both of which are frequently used by the students of Takanini School.

This project is made possible by the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax and is part of a region-wide programme to improve the safety of existing pedestrian crossings at key locations, such as schools.

Proposal outcome

The proposed changes will proceed to the next stage of detailed planning before being constructed. Thank you to everyone who responded to our proposal and gave us the chance to better understand your community and concerns. A summary of your feedback and our responses to community questions is below.

Community feedback

  • Many respondents noted the new crossings will make it much safer for children in the area to walk to school.
    We are happy to hear these changes will have a good impact on your community.
  • Request for traffic lights at the intersection of Manuroa Road and Takanini School Road. Respondents note the intersection is found to be unsafe and have seen many near misses.
    We are currently investigating the need for road safety improvements at this intersection. One of the options we are exploring, is the use of traffic lights to control the movement of cars and pedestrians. If the investigation shows signals are indeed necessary, we will seek feedback from the community again.
  • Request to only paint the zebra crossing red, without constructing a speed hump.
    Raising the zebra onto a table is an important safety feature of the improved crossing. The speed calming effects of the table will greatly improve the outcome for pedestrians if an incident with a car does occur.
  • Request for chicanes and judder bars to further slow traffic on Manuroa Road, especially trucks.
    The new raised zebra and potential signalisation should reduce speeds on Manuroa Road. However, we are currently not considering further speed calming along this route. Manuroa Road is an arterial road, meaning its primary function is to carry traffic and goods. Having judder bars or speed humps at regular intervals would interfere with this primary function.
  • Request for speed calming on Takanini School Road.
    The latest traffic counts for Takanini School Road indicates that the vast majority of cars travel below the speed limit. The five year crash history does not indicate speed related crashes along Takanini School Road. This makes further speed reduction measures hard to justify. However, the new speed hump outside the school will reduce speed, and we will continue to monitor the area when construction is completed.
  • Request for a heavy vehicle ban, as large numbers of trucks are using Takanini School Road to avoid the Manuroa Road and Great South Road intersection.
    Heavy vehicle bans require extensive public consultation before they can be implemented. We have reviewed 5 years of crash history along Takanini School Road, between Taka Street and Manuroa Road. We have not found any crashes involving heavy vehicles that have resulted in injury. This would make it hard to justify this ban. We will monitor the situation, and are also investigating safety improvements to the intersection of Manuroa Road and Takanini School Road that would prevent trucks from speeding.

Next steps

These works are planned to happen before the start of the new school term at the end of January, but we will let you know if there are further changes or delays. Our contractors will send notices to affected residents 48-hours prior to construction starting.