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703 Swanson Road, Swanson – Pedestrian safety improvements 703 Swanson Road, Swanson – Pedestrian safety improvements

Proposal status: Closed

Reference number: 20100515

Proposal outcome

In November 2022, we proposed to improve safety for people accessing the local shops in Swanson Road and going to Swanson Primary School by upgrading two existing pedestrian facilities.

After receiving community feedback, the work will proceed as proposed.

These works will help support our Vision Zero goal.

What happens next

The proposal will now progress to the next stage of finalising the design. We will be in touch with local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.

Community feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge. We have received a significant amount of feedback from the community where the majority was supportive of the proposal. Swanson Primary School and NZ Heavy Haulage have raised issues and we have responded to them with the assurance that the proposal was designed to address safety concerns in the area. Below is our response to the summary of comments and queries we received from the community:

Raised pedestrian crossing
  • Request for a gentler gradient on the raised crossings to prevent vehicle damage.
  • Concern that the raised crossings will be an issue for emergency services.
  • Request to make sure the raised crossings will not be too steep and inconvenient for cyclists

AT’s Response: The raised tables proposed are designed according to NZ road safety standards and are expected to provide minimum discomfort to motorists while providing adequate speed reduction and safety benefits. We are aware of the feedback about the steepness of ramps, for that reason, we’ve made some changes to make sure the approach ramps at all our crossings are gentle.

Congestion
  • Concern that the project would cause traffic congestion that would divert the traffic to Mettam Drive.
  • Suggestion to install just one traffic light system for the school and shops to avoid congestion while addressing road safety issues.

AT’s Response: The aim of the project is to improve safety for both Swanson Primary School and the Swanson Village local shops. Raised facilities are required under the Vision Zero Strategy, to reduce vehicle speeds and make interactions as safe as possible. Regardless of the type of crossing facility, both crossing locations would require a raised table to achieve the project goals. Traffic diversion to Mettam Drive is not expected as it requires significant detour and Swanson Road will still be the most direct route.

Proposal details
  • Concern that installing two pedestrian crossings so close together would not be beneficial and will only cause traffic and safety issues.

AT’s Response: As mentioned above, the aim of the project is to improve safety for both Swanson Primary School and the Swanson Village local shops. Multiple people are observed crossing Swanson Road between the shops unaided and uncontrolled. Reducing the speed environment through the shop area will improve safety for all users.

  • Request to address visibility issues raised by Swanson Oak residents due to parked vehicles on the parking bay just right before the school crossing.

AT’s Response: The proposed raised crossing at the school will lower vehicle approach speeds in advance of the side road and improve visibility for vehicles attempting to exit Swanson Oaks.

  • Suggestion that access to the Swanson shops should be optimized for car users on the proposal.

AT’s Response: The angle parking outside the shops on the southern side provides optimum car parking arrangement for customers. Therefore, there are no changes required to parking arrangement.

  • Suggestion to add refuge islands on the proposed crossings to make it safer for pedestrians.

AT’s Response: Refuge islands are currently proposed at the crossing location outside the school. Refuge islands are not proposed at the location by Church Street as the widened table requires longer islands than existing and would inhibit vehicles entering and exiting the adjacent property driveways.

Miscellaneous
  • Concern about slippery footpaths in the area that need water blasting.

AT’s Response: All affected/reconstructed footpaths will be broom finished to improve friction and safety for pedestrians. For nearby areas, we have created a request on your behalf, For the other areas, we have submitted a request for footpath maintenance on your behalf. Should you wish to follow up on the matter, kindly give us a call at 09 355 3553 using this reference number: CAS-684358-Z6K2J3.

  • Suggestion to address Church Road congestion and visibility issues due to vehicles parking on both sides of the road.

AT’s Response: Visibility exiting Church Road is satisfactory. The proposed raised crossing on Swanson Road by Church Street will lower vehicle approach speeds in advance and will provide more gaps for vehicles attempting to exit Swanson Oaks.

  • Suggestion to install additional crossing at the intersection of Swanson Road and Church Street due to the danger.

AT’s Response: Visibility exiting Church Road is satisfactory. The proposed raised crossing on Swanson Road by Church Street will lower vehicle approach speeds in advance and will provide more gaps for vehicles attempting to exit Swanson Oaks.

  • Request to address speeding issues at the corner of O'Neills Road into Swanson Road.

AT’s Response: The road layout and the intersection of O’Neils Road / Swanson Road is operating satisfactorily. We expect more traffic volumes in the area with the current housing development under construction. We will closely monitor this intersection. In the meantime, should you continuously observe speeding in the area, you may get in touch with the NZ Police to request for speed enforcement.

  • Request to rectify the pedestrian refuge with a sunken storm grate at 683 Swanson Road as it is dangerous for cyclists.

AT’s Response: We have submitted a request for this issue at 683 Swanson Road on your behalf. Should you wish to follow up on the matter, kindly give us a call at 09 355 3553 using this reference number: CAS-673390-B5F1S9.

  • Suggestion to apply 30kph speed limits to surrounding roads (i.e., Christian Road, Mettam Drive, Parklands, North Candia) due to a lot of speeding vehicles.

AT’s Response: Auckland Transport is continuously reviewing speed limits on roads across our network, this area included, to identify where change is needed. Due to the scope and scale of the programme, it is divided into multiple phases for ease of delivery. To know more about the speed changes happening now, visit the Speed changes happening now page.

We’re proposing improvements in your area  

We are proposing to improve safety for people accessing the local shops on Swanson Road and going to Swanson Primary School by upgrading two existing pedestrian facilities.

These changes aim to provide a safer place for people trying to access local amenities and school children who often cross the road.

We are proposing to:  

  • Replace the school crossing that is level to the road surface outside 703 Swanson Road with a raised zebra crossing. We have had feedback about the steepness of ramps. For that reason, we’ve made some changes to make sure the slope of ramps at our crossings are gentle. 
  • Replace the pedestrian island outside 711 Swanson Road to a raised zebra crossing.  
  • Install tactile pavers at all new crossing points, these are yellow guidance paving markers. These help visually impaired people find their way and safely cross the road.  
  • Install a new footpath to join the edge of the crossing outside 703 Swanson Road.
  • Install signage and road markings so oncoming motorists know they are approaching a raised crossing and to slow down.  

Download proposal drawing for 703 Swanson Road (PDF 1.55MB).

This will help:  

  • Encourage drivers to slow down and give way to pedestrians.  
  • To raise pedestrians, especially the school children, to be more visible from a distance, to approaching motorists.  
  • Improve visibility between motorists and people waiting to cross the road.  
  • Make it easier and more comfortable for people with prams and wheelchairs, to cross the road as the crossing is level with the footpath.   

Auckland Transport would like to work with you to deliver safer roads in your neighbourhood.

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. 

More information 

This proposal is supported with funding from the Auckland regional fuel tax. 

Swanson: Safe with us 

Auckland Transport cares for your safety. We want to make our roads safe for everyone. This proposal supports Tamaki Makaurau’s commitment to Vision Zero, an ambitious transport safety vision, with the goal of no deaths or serious injuries on our transport system by 2050.

This approach acknowledges that as people, we all make mistakes, however, a mistake should not mean someone dies or is seriously injured on our roads. It’s also an approach that values everyone using the road, not just those in vehicles. It is about caring for more vulnerable road users like people walking or cycling, children and the elderly. Vision Zero is the international benchmark for transport safety.