Buckland Road, Portage Road, Papatoetoe safety improvements

Buckland Road (west of Franklin Avenue)

For safer crossings, we will:

• upgrade the existing zebra crossing to traffic lights with a cycle and pedestrian crossing. The traffic lights will only be activated by someone waiting to cross the road
• widen kerb ramps, footpaths and shared paths at the crossing on Buckland Road and Franklin Avenue
• install tactile yellow pavers to help visually impaired pedestrians.

Buckland Road and Portage Road intersection (including nearby side roads - Franklin Avenue and Park Avenue)

For smoother and safer traffic flow, we will:

• replace the current give-way intersection with a new roundabout
• realign kerblines and widen traffic islands to improve traffic flow
• add a dedicated right-turn waiting space and ‘keep clear’ markings on Portage Road to help with turning from Park Avenue to Portage Road
• restrict right turns from Park Avenue to Portage Road (drivers can use the roundabout for U-turns).

For cyclist and pedestrian safety, we will:

• install electronic warning signs on Portage Road to tell drivers about approaching cyclists
• add a new cyclist and pedestrian crossing on Portage Road (south of the roundabout) and new cycle ramps and shared paths for safer navigation
• reprioritise two spaces on Franklin Avenue and three on Park Avenue as “no stopping at all times” zones to improve visibility at crossings.