Russell Street, Stanley Point - Raised zebra crossing Russell Street, Stanley Point - Raised zebra crossing

Raised Zebra crossing

Concern about the need for a raised zebra crossing at this location when the school operates a Kea Crossing (patrolled crossing) there during the time school children are likely to cross.

Raised crossings slow drivers down to safer speeds at all times, not just when a patrolled crossing is operating. Lower speeds mean less harm would be caused to any road user, including crossing school children, in the event of a crash.

Concern over the need to install a raised crossing because traffic is already slow on Russell Street, especially during school pick up and drop off times due to parked vehicles.

Although for the most part drivers are travelling at safe and appropriate speeds around the school, speeds can sometimes be excessive through the crossing point. This proposal will ensure that vehicles are travelling at safe speeds where pedestrians are most vulnerable.

Concern over the need and cost to install a raised zebra crossing on a quiet road that will not be used frequently by pedestrians outside of the short period of school starting and ending.

The proposal not only aims to improve pedestrian safety outside Stanley Bay School, but also aims to promote active modes such as walking and cycling in the area by providing a safe crossing point where pedestrians have priority.

Query about whether an assessment was done for the crossing outside the school as well as the crossing near the Russell Street and Calliope intersection, to assess which would provide best value, usage, and likely reduction in accidents?

• The improvements to the crossing at 15 Russell Street has been prioritised as part of our Safe Speeds Programme to support the 30km/h speed limit changes that have been proposed in the area.
• Our assessment of the crossing included site visits and observations along this section of Russell Street. There is a significant number of students crossing there and although most vehicles are travelling at safe speeds, there are a minority of drivers travelling too fast. For pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren to have a safe crossing it is important to slow vehicles down to 30km/h. The new raised zebra crossing will help slow vehicles down to safe speeds where pedestrians are most vulnerable.

Suggestion that funding should be spent to upgrade the crossing near the Russell Street and Calliope Street intersection instead as speeds are higher there and there are more pedestrians crossing there.

• Regarding how we fund and prioritise projects that are part of the safe speeds programme, we assess all proposed projects before ranking the sites based on their safety and operational issues. The improvements to the crossing at 15 Russell Street have been prioritised as part of our Safe Speeds Programme to support the 30km/h speed limit changes that have been proposed in the area.
• This proposal not only aims to improve pedestrian safety outside of Stanley Bay School, but also to promote active modes, like walking and cycling, in the area by providing a safe crossing point where pedestrians have priority.
• We appreciate you bringing to our attention the pedestrian usage of the crossing near the Calliope Road and Russell Street intersection. This has been added to our Improvements Programme for future consideration.

Concern over the environmental impact of vehicles slowing down and speeding up due to the raised crossing.

• When we propose to install raised safety devices or traffic calming interventions, safety is the primary rationale. We believe that the increased safety benefits for pedestrians are likely to outweigh any increase in vehicle emissions and can potentially help make it easier for people to choose other modes of transport such as public transport, walking, and cycling. These modes of transport have a lower environmental impact and can help offset the environmental impact of installing a raised crossing.
• Reducing carbon emissions is important to Auckland Transport and we are currently looking to better understand the environmental impact of raised pedestrian crossings and its implications on a broader scale.
• We are working alongside Waka Kotahi to review the effects of physical traffic calming measures (including intersection treatments) on vehicle exhaust emissions.

Concern over the long-term damage to vehicles slowing down and speeding up due to the raised crossing.

Vehicles travelling at appropriate speeds through the raised crossing will not be damaged.

Road safety

Suggestion to convert Russell Street into a road with 30km/h restrictions and install speed bumps, especially near the entrance from Calliope Road. The speed which many vehicles enter and travel down Russell Street towards the school is dangerous.

• As part of Phase 3 of our Safe Speeds Programme we proposed a 30km/h speed limit in this area. These changes will come into effect on 2 March 2023.
• While we will not be installing additional speed bumps in the area, we expect the speed limit changes to have a positive effect on reducing speeds and improving safety for everyone in the area.
• For more information, visit our Safe Speeds Programme page.

Concern over the unnecessary removal of the existing kerb build outs as they encourage road users to be more cautious.

• Removing the kerb build outs mean that cyclists travelling along Russell Street don’t have to enter the main traffic lanes and can continue along the shoulder at the side of the road.
• While kerb build outs can help reduce vehicle speeds by narrowing the road width, putting the new zebra crossing on a raised table will be significantly more effective in ensuring vehicles are travelling at safe and appropriate speeds through the crossing.

Query about whether traffic monitoring has been done by AT during 08:15-08:45hrs and 14:25-15:15hrs?

We have observed this crossing during school drop off and pick up times.

Concern over vehicles parking illegally on the broken yellow lines during pick up and drop off times which obstruct the view of children crossing, making it unsafe for them to cross the road.

We have found the most effective way to address illegal parking is with assistance from the public to report the matter when it is happening. Please contact our Parking Compliance Department on (09) 355 3553 whenever you face an illegal parking issue. This will allow us to dispatch a parking warden to the advised location as we can only take action against an illegally parked vehicle if one of our parking wardens witnesses this at the time of offence.

Street character

Concern that the bright raised crossing will be an eyesore. Suggestion that the raised crossing should be black and white to preserve the character of the neighbourhood.

The crossing will be black and white, like other raised crossings across Auckland. The raised crossing is red in the proposal drawing to help distinguish it from the pavement.

Other feedback

Request for a 'No Stopping' sign to prevent unsafe or illegal parking near the school during school pick up and drop off times. Previous monitoring by the community police constable was effective in reminding people not to park or drive inappropriately during school pick up and drop off times.

• We will not be installing any new parking restrictions near the school. When deciding to remove parking we consider the parking needs of the community and the safety concerns of the area and try to reach a balanced outcome that aims to minimise the number of parking spaces removed as much as possible. The existing parking restrictions ensure there is enough visibility from the crossing so that it can operate safely.
• Regarding police monitoring of this area, we will raise this with our Community Transport Team, who works closely with schools, to ensure students get to and from school safely.

Request for the walking school bus to be reinstated.

Stanley Bay School currently has 1 large active walking school bus coming from Patuone Place. We will continue to work with the school to help create a safe environment for all students.

Request for school to teach children to cross this area safely, and schedule student lead road crossing programme where all senior children are rostered to attend.

We will raise this suggestion with our Community Transport Team, who works closely with schools, to ensure students get to and from school safely.