Proposal status: Feedback closed 21 July 2020, last updated 17 February 2021.

Reference number: NOP2021-004

Proposal outcome

In July 2020, we proposed changes to ease traffic congestion and improve safety and accessibility for both drivers and pedestrians on Central Park Drive and School Road in Te Atatu South. We have made changes to the design based on community feedback. The design has been amended to further improve the safety of the intersection for all road users.

To improve safety for people on bikes we will widen footpaths and crossings as well as install Advanced Stop Boxes (ASBs) on all approaches. ASBs are green boxes painted with a bicycle symbol where people on bicycles can wait before the lights.

To achieve safe speeds at the intersection, we will install Swedish-style raised tables with traffic islands on the Central Park Drive approaches. A Swedish-style raised table is a raised table with only one sharp ramp and a more gentle exit which gives a smoother ride for vehicles and passengers. We originally proposed installing skid-resistant road surfacing and extending the broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) on the approach to the intersection on Central Park Drive.

To improve traffic flow and keeping with the local road environment, School Road will have one left turn and one right turn lane on to Central Park Drive. We originally proposed one shared left and right turn lane and also a separate right turn lane.

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.

Download the updated proposal drawing (PDF 6MB)

What happens next

We anticipate the changes will be constructed by the end June 2022 (subject to funding availability), but we will let you know if there are further changes or delays. We will be in touch with local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.

Feedback received

• Respondents supported the proposal, noting that it will improve safety at this intersection.
  Thank you for your feedback. We believe that this proposal will improve safety for people walking, people on bicycles and people driving at this intersection.

Intersection layout

• Concern that there is no need for this proposal as the intersection works fine.
  The high speeds and amount of traffic on Central Park Drive means there is significant congestion and delays on School Road. This has resulted in several turning crashes in the past five years. There are also no crossing facilities for pedestrians or people on bikes to cross the intersection to access bus stops and the Henderson Creek Path. Therefore, a signalised intersection is proposed to address these issues.
• Suggestion for a roundabout and a pedestrian crossing instead of the proposed signalised intersection for better traffic flow.
  A roundabout would have similar levels of success in addressing congestion and turning crash issues. However, the signalised intersection has the added benefits of providing protected crossing facilities for people walking and people on bikes and can be managed adaptively to the change of traffic demand in the area.
• Suggestions to improve the current right hand turn out of School Road onto Central Park Drive and make the current intersection layout easier to understand for drivers.
  The current intersection layout has caused queuing issues on School Road and several turning crashes have occurred in the past five years. The proposed traffic lights will allow traffic to turn out of School Road safely by stopping traffic on Central Park Drive. It will also assist in reducing the traffic congestion on School Road.
• Concern that this proposal has not given enough time for the nearby changes on Vodanovich Road (speed bumps and roundabout) to take effect.
  As this proposal is planned for construction by the end of June 2022 (subject to funding availability), there will be time to assess the full effects of the new roundabout. We believe that this proposal would improve the overall safety on School Road and complement the roundabout for reducing the queue length on School Road that often extends back to the roundabout during peak hours.

Traffic congestion

• Concerns that the proposal will increase congestion and block the new roundabout making it difficult for residents to exit Vodanovich Road on to School Road and cause traffic to build up to Te Pai Place and the Trusts Arena.
  Currently drivers experience difficulties turning on to Central Park Drive from School Road. This causes queuing on School Road and several turning crashes have occurred in the past five years. The proposed signalised intersection will improve traffic flow by controlling the intersection and allowing enough time for traffic to exit School Road more safely and efficiently. Based on traffic modelling, the proposed signalised intersection is not expected to increase congestion or result in extensive queuing on School Road.
• Recommendation to synchronise the traffic lights with the Te Pai Place traffic lights to prevent congestion.
  Based on travel time data, there is no clear evidence showing regular congestion issues going northbound on Central Park Drive towards Te Pai Place, so signal coordination is not required at this stage.

Speed concerns

• Concerns that cars speed along Central Park Drive and suggestion to lower speed limits to 30 km/h like on School Road.
  We have listened to community feedback and we will be installing Swedish-style raised tables on the Central Park Drive approaches to the intersection to reduce vehicle speeds at the intersection. Central Park Drive is part of the arterial network with a priority for delivering freight and goods, therefore a 30km/h speed reduction is considered unsuitable at this stage. However, should you notice common trends, such as speeding during certain times of the day or individual vehicles, you may want to contact the Police with further details so they can carry out targeted enforcement.

Pedestrian facilities

• Multiple respondents mentioned there is a pedestrian underpass nearby that currently works well.
  The pedestrian underpass on Central Park Drive is more than 200 metres away from the School Road intersection. The new signalised pedestrian crossings will provide better connectivity for people coming from School Road accessing the Henderson Creek Path as well as people crossing Central Park Drive to access the bus stops.
• Suggestion to install pedestrian refuge islands half way between the School Road and Edmonton Road intersection.
  The pedestrian demand is low along this stretch of Central Park Drive compared with other sites for proposing pedestrian crossings, where there are schools, shops, bus stops or town centres. However, we have passed this on to the relevant team and it has been added as a site to our minor improvements list for prioritisation.
• Suggestion for two paths down to the Henderson Creek Path as there is concern that people will walk their own way down the grass as it is quicker than the proposed path.
  A single path is considered sufficient to meet the current pedestrian demand for accessing the Henderson Creek Path. The location of the path is to be positioned within easy reach by pedestrians approaching from either crossing. Providing two paths is considered unnecessary at this stage.
• Suggestion for a pedestrian crossing further down near the walkway to Tui Glen Reserve.
  The focus of this proposal is to improve the safety of pedestrians and drivers at the Central Park Drive and School Road intersection. Installing a new pedestrian crossing near the walkway to the Tui Glen Reserve is beyond the scope of this project. However, this information has been passed on to the relevant team and an investigation will be carried out.
• Respondent mentions that they have not observed many pedestrians in the area.
  This intersection is currently considered unsafe for pedestrians or people on bikes due to the lack of crossing facilities and the fast traffic on Central Park Drive. Providing protected crossing facilities such as signalised pedestrian crossings will encourage more pedestrians to use this intersection.
• Suggestion to install pedestrian crossings to the speed tables on School Road instead.
  As part of the Residential Speed Management (RSM) programme in Te Atatu South, pedestrian crossings were provided at specific locations where particularly high numbers of pedestrians were observed crossing the road. In other locations where pedestrians tend to cross at various positions along a stretch of road, the provision of speed calming measures to slow vehicle speeds is considered sufficient to allow pedestrians to safely cross the road. While the RSM team had hoped to install additional speed calming measures on School Road, numerous site constraints such road topography, existing driveways and location of services prevented the feasibility of further speed calming measures along this street.

Cycling infrastructure

• Multiple requests to widen and improve the proposed new footpath connecting Central Park Drive to the Henderson Creek shared path.
  The proposed pathway connecting to the Henderson Creek Path has been widened to cater for both people walking and people on bikes. The updated drawing showing the proposed path linking to the Henderson Creek path is indicative and subject to change during detailed design.
• Multiple requests to change all pedestrian crossings at the intersection to dual pedestrian/bike crossings (especially on the northern side).
  The proposed signalised pedestrian crossings have been widened to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists.
• Multiple requests to install a new short stretch of shared path on the northern side of School Road, from the intersection towards the new roundabout at Vodanovich Road.
  The proposed footpath on the northern side of School Road has be widened towards the Vodanovich Road roundabout. This is to ensure that it is wide enough for both people walking and people on bikes.
• Multiple requests to install on and off ramps for cyclists moving between the road, the shared path network, and the crossing facilities at this intersection.
  On and off ramps will not be provided as part of this project as there is no existing continuous on-road cycle lane within the project area for cyclists to be safely transitioned from or back on to the road.
• Multiple requests to install Advanced Stop Boxes (ASBs) at the intersection.
  The proposal will now include installing Advanced Stop Boxes at all approaches to this intersection. ASBs are green boxes painted with a bicycle symbol where people on bicycles can wait before the lights.

Other feedback

• Concern that this project is a waste of money.
  There is significant congestion and delays on School Road which has been linked to several turning crashes at this intersection in the past five years. There are also currently no crossing facilities for pedestrians or people on bikes to cross the intersection to access bus stops or the Henderson Creek Path. This project will address these issues and improve safety for people walking, people on bikes and people driving.
• Suggestion to improve the Te Atatu Road/ Roberts Road intersection and to install speed bumps down Roberts Road. Request to extend the island from the shops exit to prevent exiting traffic doing U-turns.
  As part of our commitment to make Auckland’s roads safer, we have adopted an area-based approach instead of treating individual streets. This is considered more effective in achieving survivable speeds and help drivers choose a safe and appropriate speed as they drive through residential areas. Prioritisation and delivery are based on several factors, including the number of crashes, safety risk, traffic speed, land use and concerns raised by local residents and their elected representatives. While we do appreciate your concerns, Roberts Road has not been identified in the first group of areas within our Residential Speed Management programme as other areas in the region experience higher speeds and safety risk. More information, including the residential areas that will be prioritised for further investigation can be viewed on the Residential Speed Management Programme page on our website. There is a project to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility at the Roberts Road/Te Atatu Road intersection. This project involves the extension of the central traffic island on the approach of Roberts Road to provide a refuge crossing. This may discourage U-turn movements however, it cannot prevent traffic from making a U-turn. This project has been consulted and is currently delayed for implementation due to the funding.
• Request for a pedestrian crossing outside Freyberg school.
  This proposal aims to improve the safety of pedestrians and drivers at the Central Park Drive and School Road intersection. Installing a pedestrian crossing outside Freyberg School is beyond the scope of this project. However, this information has been passed on to the relevant team and an investigation will be carried out.
• Query regarding when more road markings will be installed for the 30 km/h zone in Te Atatu South and request for more signage.
  We expect further road markings to be delivered within the next 3 months to support the speed limit change to 30 km/hr in Te Atatu South residential area.

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We're proposing changes in your area

We are proposing to improve the intersection of Central Park Drive and School Road in Te Atatu South. Our investigations show that this intersection experiences congestion and safety issues associated with turning crashes. There are also currently no safe crossing facilities near this intersection. The new traffic lights aim to ease traffic congestion and improve safety and accessibility for both drivers and pedestrians.

This project is supported by the regional fuel tax fund.

Changes proposed on Central Park Drive and School Road

To improve intersection safety, we are proposing to:

• Install new traffic lights at the intersection to improve driver and pedestrian safety by providing clear crossing points and directing safe turning movements.
• Install a new right turn lane from Central Park Drive to School Road to provide better accessibility for drivers.
• Install new green skid-resistant road surfacing on the approaches to the intersection on Central Park Drive to make the intersection more visible and to reduce driver speeds.

To improve pedestrian safety and accessibility, we are proposing to:

• Install signalised pedestrian crossings on all approaches to improve safety and accessibility for people walking. The new crossings will improve links between School Road and Central Park Drive.
• Install push-buttons at the crossings with sound so that visually impaired people can find the button for the crossing and hear when to cross.
• Extend the kerb out on the corners of the crossings where School Road meets Central Park Drive. This will make it safer for pedestrians by reducing the distance they need to walk on the road.
• Reconstruct the footpath and berm (the grass strip next to the road) to provide people with safe access to the crossings and install a new footpath link from the intersection to the Henderson Creek Path to improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Install tactile pavers which are yellow guidance paving markers to help visually impaired people to find their way to the crossing and safely cross the road.
• Extend the broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) on the approach to the intersection on Central Park Drive to provide greater visibility between pedestrians and approaching vehicles. This will remove a total of four car parking spaces.

Download the proposal drawing for Central Park Drive and School Road (PDF 1.7MB)

Te Atatu South: 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 Central Park Drive and School 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).