Great North Road and Hepburn Road, Glendene – Intersection Upgrade Great North Road and Hepburn Road, Glendene – Intersection Upgrade

Proposal status: Closed

Reference number: 20100083

Proposal outcome

In August 2022, we proposed changes to upgrade the intersection of Great North Road and Hepburn Road in Glendene in response to safety concerns raised by the community when using the slip lanes to cross the road.

After reviewing all the feedback and design recommendations, we are proceeding with this change to the proposal:

  • Remove the proposed 2 raised speed tables and 2 new traffic islands on the intersection. We propose to monitor the performance of the signals post-installation and consider whether further speed calming should be considered here at a later stage.

Download the updated proposal drawing (PDF 571KB)

These works will help support Tāmaki Makaurau’s Vision Zero goal.

What happens next

This project now has a construction target between July – December 2024. We apologise for the delay as we needed to prioritise projects with higher safety risks. 

Community feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge. The consultation received a small range of feedback, with most respondents supporting changes but with their own recommendations on how to address safety concerns on the road. Below are the summary of the comments and queries we received, and our responses to them.

Cycling improvements

  • Concern that the cycle stop boxes will not be enough to provide safety for cyclists using the intersection.
    Cycle stop boxes will provide cyclist facilities and bring driver attention to cyclists in the area. Cycling design specialists have reviewed the current proposal and agreed that this is the best solution for cyclists at this intersection.
  • Suggestion to include protected cycle lanes in the proposal.
    While this project is focused on intersection improvements rather than installing a full cycle lane, best endeavours have been made to future proof this intersection, should further cycle infastructure be installed at a later stage.
  • Suggestion to remove the second turning lane from Hepburn Road and add protected cycling buffers.
    The second turning lane is considered necessary to prevent traffic congestion, considering the heavy vehicle traffic on Hepburn Road. This proposal is focused on intersection improvements and any cycling buffers would need to be installed as part of a wider cycle path.
  • Concern that the proposal is encouraging illegal behaviour of riding on the footpath.
    The proposed crossing allows pedestrians and cyclists to access the crossing at the same time. There are also kerb ramps included for cyclists as they are expected to then re-join traffic on the road after crossing the intersection.
  • Request to build cycling infastructure in the area.
    While this project is focused on intersection improvements rather than installing a full cycle lane, best endeavours have been made to future-proof this intersection, should further cycle infastructure be installed at a later stage.

Raised speed tables

  • Concern that the speed tables, a raised section of the road, with ramps on either or both sides that aim to slow down vehicles to a safe speed, will waste time and fuel for motorists and create noise due to accelerating vehicles.
    This proposal is progressing without the raised speed tables.
  • Concern that the project is a poor attempt at improving the intersection.
    This proposal went through several rounds of investigation and design to make the best improvement for all road users.

Bus stop location

  • Concern if there is a need to relocate the bus stop to 4191 Great North Road as there is a current bus stop further down the road.
    Relocating the bus stop was investigated but was found to be infeasible due to reduced customer access. Bus stops need to be at regular intervals to promote the use of public transport and provide customers with the best experience.

Miscellaneous

  • Suggestion to add steps to level the pedestrian access to the footpath.
    Adding steps to connect the footpath on Great North Road to the cemetery foothpath was investigated but found to not be feasible due to the services located between the two footpaths. The two footpaths connect just after the bus shelter, so it is expected that pedestrians on the cemetery footpath and bus patrons will be able to access these upgraded pedestiran facilities easily.
  • Request for "clearway" marking in front of properties 4191 Great North Road and 1 Hepburn Road to ensure the traffic will not block their driveways.
    Clearway markings are reserved for junctions with heavy congestion or for emergency services driveways but are not installed at private driveways. This proposal is not expected to cause significant congestion at this location. It is believed that by removing the uncontrolled slip lanes and providing signals for all movements through the intersection, the driveways near the intersection will have more opportunities to exit.
  • Request to create a link between the bottom of Hepburn Road and lower Rosebank Road to ease the traffic conditions in Point Chevalier Road and Te Atatu Road.
    This proposal is to increase safety for active modes and public transport users specifically at the intersection of Hepburn Road and Great North Road in Glendene. For other road improvement concerns outside the area of proposal, we encourage the community to raise a request.
  • Request to put plants instead of grass on the berm.
    This request will be suggested in the next phase where we look into the specific details of the design.

Original proposal for your area

We are proposing to upgrade the intersection of Great North Road and Hepburn Road in Glendene in response to safety concerns raised by the community when using the slip lanes to cross the road.

We are proposing to:

  • Remove the indented bus bay on the northwest corner of the intersection and relocate the bus stop, shelter, and road markings to the northeast corner of the intersection outside 4191 Great North Road.
  • Remove the indented bus bay on southwest corner of the intersection and relocate the bus stop, bus shelter and road markings so it is closer to the intersection.
  • Remove the existing slip lanes on Hepburn Road and build new footpaths and grass berms around the northern side of the intersection. This will require the removal of the existing guard rails at the intersection.
  • Install a new pedestrian and cyclist crossing across Hepburn Road.
  • Install a new pedestrian crossing on Great North Road on the Western side of the intersection.
  • Install 2 new traffic islands and 2 raised speed tables on the intersection. Speed table is a raised section of the road, with ramps on either or both sides, that aims to slow vehicles to a safe speed.
  • Paint two Advanced Stop Boxes at the intersection on Great North Road heading west. Advance Stop Boxes are green boxes painted with a bicycle symbol where people on bicycles can wait before the lights. They improve road safety by making cyclists more visible to people in vehicles.
  • Extend the broken yellow lines (NSAAT- no stopping at all times) from the intersection to outside 1 Hepburn Road.
  • Widen the footpath on the southern side of the intersection along Great North Road.

Download the proposal drawing for Great North Road and Hepburn Road (PDF 1.46MB)

The proposal responds to safety issues constantly experienced by pedestrians and cyclists when crossing the road.

The changes are expected to:

  • Improve visibility of pedestrians and cyclists crossing Hepburn Road and Great North Road.
  • Provide better cycling facilities to improve cyclist safety at the intersection.
  • Improve the community's access to public transport and their safety while using it.

What happens next

  • We’ll consider 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.

Glendene: 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 Great North Road and Hepburn 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).