Great North Road, New Lynn – Pedestrian crossing upgrades Great North Road, New Lynn – Pedestrian crossing upgrades
Proposal status: Feedback closed 11 March 2022
Reference number: RSU2021-023
Proposal outcome
In March 2022, we proposed changes to improve pedestrian safety by upgrading the existing pedestrian island crossing to a new signalised, raised crossing at Great North Road, New Lynn. These changes were in response to the need for a safer pedestrian crossing facility.
After reviewing all the feedback, we are proceeding with the work as proposed. These works will help support our Vision Zero goal.
What happens next
The proposal is planned for construction in January to March 2023. However, if there is any change to the programme, the webpage will be updated accordingly.
We will be in touch with residents and businesses before any construction takes place.
Community feedback
Thank you for adding your voice to this proposal.
The following is a summary of the comments and queries we received, and our responses to them, is below:
Traffic Congestion
- Concern that the proposed changes are unnecessary because Great North Road is an arterial route that carries a heavy traffic load. A raised crossing will increase congestion, poor driving behaviours, traffic delays, and pollution effects.
The new crossing will not significantly affect traffic congestion or cause delays because it requires a pedestrian to press the button before the light will turn red.
The aim of the crossing upgrade is to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing Great North Road in line with our Vision Zero approach to road safety. This means we are striving to achieve zero deaths or serious injuries on our transport system by 2050.
Raising the crossing is an essential part of the design as it encourages all drivers to slow down to survivable speeds. Slowing speeds is important because it will reduce the harm caused by a crash.
The raised crossing has a relatively low height of 75mm and a gradual exit ramp, which allows vehicles to re-accelerate smoothly after passing over the crossing, minimising pollution, traffic delays, and congestion. - Concern that this proposal will create stress for affected residents.
The proposed raised crossing has been designed to minimise any potential effects on vehicles travelling along Great North Road, as well as minimise the impact on residential surroundings.
This includes minimising the discomfort to passengers of buses and emergency vehicles, as well as reducing the impact on general vehicles and subsequent noise pollution. - Concern that this will jeopardise one of the very few routes that can carry over dimensional weight vehicles.
This project has been consulted with the NZ Heavy Haulage Association and the raised crossing will be constructed to their specifications to ensure Great North Road will still be able to facilitate over dimensional weight vehicles.
Crossing Location
- Suggestion to move the crossing close to Lynwood Road so that it does not interfere with the bus stop by preventing drivers from seeing the bus or having drivers getting stuck behind the bus.
The proposed crossing is an upgrade of the existing pedestrian island at this location. There is no significant impact to the existing bus stops. We conducted visibility checks during the design phase to ensure that this proposal will not cause safety issues. Additionally, the design provides a safe crossing for people who travel by bus. - Concern that the proposed crossing will make entering and exiting driveways and side streets, like Aotea Road and Faith Bullock Place, more difficult and unsafe.
The proposed crossing will assist drivers turning into and out of driveways and side streets by decreasing speeds along Great North Road on the approach to the crossing. The signalised crossing will also provide gaps in traffic when pedestrians are using it, making it easier for drivers to exit and enter side streets. - Concern that students should be encouraged to use the already available crossing.
The existing crossing is a pedestrian island, a small, raised platform in the middle of the road. We have identified this crossing as being unsafe due to pedestrians having to cross four lanes of traffic.
Additionally, in their feedback several respondents reported that they felt unsafe crossing the road at this location. The proposed crossing is an upgrade of the existing crossing to make it safer for everyone, especially students, to cross Great North Road. - Concern that because this crossing is across four lanes of traffic, one lane might not see that the other has stopped for people crossing and continue on to injure a pedestrian.
The proposed crossing is going to be signalised. This means that all drivers must stop at the red light. Once drivers have stopped at the red light, crossing pedestrians will get a green light to let them know they can cross Great North Road. In the case of a driver failing to stop for the red light, the raised feature of the crossing ensures that they would be travelling at a slower speed to reduce the harm that could be caused by a crash. - Concern that 4 minor and 12 non injury crashes are not justification for the crossing.
In line with our Vision Zero goals, any number of crashes on our roads are too many. We identified this location as high risk for pedestrians because they must cross four lanes of traffic.
Nearby are places that people walk to, such as: Fruitvale Train Station, Kelston Girl’s College, local businesses, and bus stops. The raised crossing will slow speeds and the signalised crossing will allow pedestrians to cross when drivers have stopped at the red light, improving safety for all road users. - Concern that there is a signalised crossing nearby at the junction of Great North Road and West Coast Road where pedestrians cross. Pedestrians do not use the existing traffic island at 3364 Great North Road and will not use an upgraded crossing.
There is a moderate pedestrian demand in the area due to the bus stops, local businesses, Fruitvale Station, local tennis club and Kelston Girl’s College. The existing pedestrian island at the proposed crossing location is unsafe because pedestrians must wait for gaps in traffic to cross the four lanes of Great North Road.
Under the Vision Zero Strategy, all efforts must be made to protect all road users, especially pedestrians. The improvements we have proposed will allow pedestrians who currently avoid it due to the unsafe nature (i.e., parents with small children), to use the crossing. - Concern that having two sets of traffic lights near one another is a distraction for drivers, and might cause them to get confused, frustrated, and not stop when required.
The existing set of traffic lights is approximately 150 metres away. Pedestrians are unlikely to walk that far to use the crossing, and this proposal aims to improve the safety of people crossing Great North Road. - How many pedestrian injuries have there been in the past 5 years?
Fortunately, there have been no pedestrian injury crashes at this location in the last 5 years.
Crossing Design
- Suggestion to make the crossing a staggered signalised crossing, so that only one direction of traffic needs to stop at a time to let pedestrians cross.
A staggered signalised crossing will leave pedestrians waiting in the middle of the road rather than being able to cross in one journey. This is not favourable at this location because it increases the likelihood that pedestrians will cross the rest of the way without waiting for the lights to turn red and the traffic to stop.
Great North Road is also a route used by large vehicles which means the traffic lanes must be wide enough for them to travel down. It is not possible to create adequate space in the middle of the road for pedestrians to wait safely while still fulfilling the space required for large vehicles. - Concern that raising the crossing will not increase visibility but hinder it.
Raised crossings improve visibility in two ways. They raise pedestrians, especially children, who are crossing the road to be at the eye-level of approaching drivers, which means that drivers can more easily see pedestrians from a distance.
They also raise visibility of pedestrians by being a raised crossing with signage, road-markings, and traffic lights, as these features let drivers know that this is a crossing location, meaning that they are more prepared to look for pedestrians. - Suggestion to have rumble strips on the lead up to the crossing to alert drivers to the upcoming crossing.
Drivers will approach the proposed crossing straight on from both directions, meaning that there will be no issues with visibility. We will also install appropriate signage and road markings to ensure that drivers are alerted to the upcoming crossing ahead of time. Therefore, rumble strips are not necessary at this location. - Suggestion to not have the crossing raised, so that when the lights are green the traffic can flow freely.
Raising the crossing is an important part of ensuring safety for pedestrians by lowering speeds, increasing visibility of pedestrians crossing the road for approaching drivers, and improving accessibility for people with prams or wheelchairs. Reduced vehicle speeds will also increase safety for all road users travelling down Great North Road. - Concern that the raised crossing will increase wear and tear on people’s vehicles.
The proposed raised table is a relatively low 75mm with a gradual exit ramp, meaning that any impact on vehicle brakes and suspension is minimal. - Concern that raising the crossing will make it unsafe for cyclists and result in injuries for cyclists.
This raised crossing will be no different to the various cycle routes throughout Auckland which include raised crossings.
Network Improvements
- Suggestion to install traffic lights from West Coast Road and Lynwood Road down to Fruitvale Road.
We have been receiving a high number of requests for pedestrian improvements throughout the region and we are prioritising sites that have a history of pedestrian related crashes and/or high pedestrian demand. We will put your request on our database of sites to investigate in the future. - Request for Auckland Transport to explore options to making exiting side streets on Great North Road safer and easier.
Request for clear signage and tree trimming for the existing raised crossing on St Georges Road in Avondale.
These requests have been forwarded to the appropriate teams within Auckland Transport for investigation. - Request for the crossing to be a dual mode crossing, for pedestrians and cyclists.
Request for cycling safety improvements from West Coast Road Junction to Lynwood Road along this stretch, as it is currently unsafe for cyclists.
There are currently no formal cycle facilities along this stretch of Great North Road. However, the implementation of such facilities is currently under investigation. It is best to introduce cycle phasing at the proposed crossing once cycle facilities on each side of the road are constructed. - Request to install a traffic light at the intersection of Faith Bullock Place and Great North Road, as it is difficult to safely exit Faith Bullock Place onto Great North Road.
Faith Bullock Place is a short cul-de-sac with a small number of houses and no crash history relating to entering or exiting the street. Because of the low traffic volumes and lack of crash history, we are not looking to signalise Great North Road and Faith Bullock Place in the near future. - Request for another pedestrian crossing to also be installed closer to Fruitvale Train Station, after Faith Bullock Place.
We have been receiving a high number of requests for pedestrian improvements throughout the region and we are prioritising sites that have a history of pedestrian related crashes and/or high pedestrian demand.
There are no reported pedestrian injury crashes within a 100-metre radius of the Great North Road and Fruitvale Road intersection. We will put your request on our database of sites to investigate in the future. - Request to service the footpaths on Faith Bullock Place as they are in a bad state and unsafe for pedestrians.
We will investigate your request.
We're proposing improvements in your area
AT is proposing to improve pedestrian safety on Great North Road by upgrading the existing pedestrian island crossing to a new, signalised raised crossing.
We are proposing to:
- Upgrade the existing pedestrian island crossing to a new, signalised raised crossing. The new crossing will be raised to be at a platform level with the footpath, and have a push button with sound so that visually impaired people can find the button and hear when to cross.
- Install yellow tactile pavers at both approaches to the crossing. Tactile pavers are yellow guidance markers that help visually impaired people find their way to crossings and safely across roads.
- Install streetlights to support the crossing during low lit hours, to ensure that people crossing the road are visible to approaching motorists.
- Extend the existing footpath, so that all pedestrians can access the crossing safely.
- Lengthen the existing bus stop markings to improve bus stop use with the installation of the upgraded crossing.
- Paint white road markings to signal to drivers where to stop for the new signalised pedestrian crossing
Download the proposal drawing for Great North Road. (PDF 1.87MB)
These changes will improve pedestrian safety on Great North Road by giving pedestrians a safer place to cross and access local amenities.
Great North Road is a busy road with a high pedestrian crossing demand, as it is near a pair of bus stops, Fruitvale Road Train Station, and Kelston Girls College. In the last 5 years, 3 minor and 12 non-injury vehicle crashes have occurred near the pedestrian crossing. The new raised and signalised crossing will slow high vehicle speeds in the area and make it safer for pedestrians to cross.
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.
More information
- This proposal is supported with funding from the Auckland regional fuel tax.
New Lynn: 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 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).