Skip to main content

Herne Bay cycling and walking improvements Herne Bay cycling and walking improvements

Auckland Transport (AT) proposes making changes to Herne Bay streets to encourage slower driving speeds and improve routes for people walking and cycling in the area.

Project status: Design
Project zone: Central

Project overview

The proposed improvements in Herne Bay are part of a wider cycling network we are creating from Pt Chevalier to the city. The proposal stems from feedback received during our March 2016 consultation, including concerns from the Herne Bay Residents Association about speeding and 'rat running' (using residential side-streets instead of main roads) in the area.

Initially, the preferred option was to provide a connection for people on bikes via Clifton Road, Argyle Street, and Sarsfield Street. However, after taking feedback on board, AT has investigated implementing traffic-calming measures (known as "treatments") on several streets rather than a cycle lane on a particular street.

These treatments aim to address the community issues, enhance the look and feel of the Herne Bay area, and improve routes for local people walking or cycling to their local shops, beaches and cafes, or to get to work and attractions in the city centre.

Along with making physical changes (such as speed tables) to the streets, AT is changing the speed limit to 30km/h. Similar changes to residential streets in Sandringham and Balmoral have reduced speeds by 5 to 15km/h and made the streets safer and quieter.

Benefits

  • A slower-speed environment, increasing safety for drivers and cyclists.
  • Reduced rat running.
  • A coherent, attractive route for people on bikes.
  • A safer and more enjoyable environment for pedestrians and children.
  • Enhanced local streets, making them more attractive to residents and road users.
  • Minimised loss of parking.

Timeline

  • November/December 2016 - Consultation on Herne Bay traffic-calming treatments.
  • April/May 2017 - Additional consultation on improvements to Curran/Sarsfield St intersection.
  • July 2017 - Consultation feedback report.
  • Early 2019 - Detailed design.
  • November 2019 – Procurement for construction. Tender closes on 25 November 2019.
  • February 2020 – Start of construction.

Map showing the traffic calming options in Herne Bay..
Map showing the traffic calming options in Herne Bay.

Traffic calming

Locations

  • The proposal area includes the Curran Street and Sarsfield Street intersection in Westhaven, Sarsfield Street, and along Wallace Street, Lawrence Street, Sentinel Road and Hamilton Road, between Sarsfield Street and Jervois Road.
  • The entrance of Clifton Road, outside the school, will see improvements that will increase safety for children crossing to and from school.

Updated design

We have undertaken a review to ensure the design achieves the key objective of reducing vehicle speeds to 30km/hr, and aligns with the latest Transport Design Manual (TDM) standards.

As a result we have made some changes to the design originally proposed. These changes relate to a new recommended desired spacing between speed treatments, reduced from 80m-120m to 50m-80m. Closer spacing more effectively reduces speeds to 30km/h by discouraging people from speeding up in-between treatments, keeping traffic to more uniform, lower speeds. It also reduces vehicle noise associated with acceleration and deceleration.

We can’t always achieve the exact spacing, due to the locations of driveways and utilities/ manhole covers, but have endeavoured to align with the standards within these constraints.

While reviewing the treatment spacing we also took into consideration feedback received during our consultation and sought to:

  • Minimise parking removal.
  • Avoid road narrowing.
  • Ensure treatments are gently angled to minimise noise and are suitable for cyclists.

Improvements we have made

To achieve closer treatment spacing and address some of the concerns raised by residents, we have increased the number of mid-block treatments and changed the treatment type from speed table to sinusoidal hump. This means some previously proposed mid-block locations have changed.

Sinusoidal speed humps have been chosen because:

  • Vehicles can park on them (provided there are no existing parking restrictions).
  • They are relatively easy to locate and relatively unobtrusive.
  • Have a gentle profile (sinusoidal curve instead of ramp) and enhance the quality of service for people on bikes.

Figure 1: example of speed hump
Figure 1: example of speed hump.

The sinusoidal speed humps will not have kerb build outs or planting, so that people can park on them. The humps will be approximately 3.7m in length, 10cm high, and constructed of bitumen, with ‘dragon’s teeth’ markings (shown in the photo above) – these provide a visual warning to people in cars and on bikes.

We have also added a T-intersection speed table at the intersection of Wallce Street and Argyle Street. (See indicative example Figure 2)

Figure 2: example of T-intersection speed table.
Figure 2: example of T-intersection speed table.

All other aspects of the design remain unchanged, including the T-intersection, cross intersection and boundary speed tables. Speed tables provide a safer crossing point for pedestrians at intersecting streets, and also act as a ‘gateway’ for drivers, signalling that they are entering a lower-speed zone.

Parking

The design uses sinusoidal speed humps where possible (instead of speed tables in 2017 proposal) to minimise parking loss at these sites providing there are no existing parking restrictions.

Next Steps

Construction is expected to start November 2019 and take five months to complete, weather dependant.

Speed calming treatments

There are 4 different types of traffic-calming treatments:

Cross-intersection speed table

Cross-intersection speed table.

Cross-intersection speed tables are proposed where local streets intersect with other local streets in all 4 directions.

T-intersection speed table

T-intersection speed table

T-intersection speed tables are proposed where local streets intersect in a "T" shape (as opposed to a "+" shape).

Boundary speed table

Boundary speed table

Boundary speed tables are proposed where residential streets intersect with arterial roads.
These tables act as a gateway for drivers, signalling that they are entering a lower-speed zone. Boundary speed tables are proposed outside the school on Clifton Road and at the entrance of Sarsfield Street at Curran Street.

Feedback

The consultation for this project took place in December 2016. The proposed traffic calming designs received a high level of support (69%). There were 3062 consultation letters sent out and 471 people submitted feedback, of which 59% liked the proposal and 69% supported traffic calming in the Herne Bay area. The feedback was used to alter the design to address the resident’s concerns.

We undertook a second consultation in April/May 2017, which focused on the improvements to the Curran Street/Sarsfield Street intersection. There were 2800 consultation letters sent out and 170 people submitted feedback, of which there was good support for the proposed design. The feedback was used to alter the design to address the resident’s concerns. The feedback report is available on the project’s webpage.

In August 2018, a third consultation gave residents another opportunity to provide feedback on the updated design. We received 14 responses; 9 in support, 2 neutral and 3 negative.

Feedback reports

For more information

Contact Auckland Transport