Devonport Town Centre safety improvements Devonport Town Centre safety improvements
Auckland Transport, in partnership with representatives from the Devonport community, has completed improvements to make it safer to walk, bike and drive around Devonport’s town centre.
Project status: Completed
Project zone: North
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Project overview
Devonport is getting ready for its next step, with a shared vision for a safer, easier-to-move-around town centre. Town centres are busy, with lots of people sharing the road, including shoppers, the elderly and disabled, schoolchildren and people using different transport options – all in close proximity to cars. Safer speeds create a better future for everyone.
Aerial view of Devonport Town Centre
Within the project scope, there were 44 recorded crashes between 2016 and 2020. Of these crashes, 14 resulted in injuries requiring medical attention, of which 2 were serious injuries. To improve safety in the town centre, we implemented improvements to encourage low speeds, which reduces the severity of accidents should they occur.
As a Vision Zero organisation, AT is committed to making the roads around Auckland safer and reducing the risk of serious injury and death on our roads. Devonport was prioritised under our town centre Safe Speeds Programme due to high numbers of vulnerable users – children, senior citizens, people walking, and people on bikes – interacting with motorists.
The improvements at Devonport Town Centre support the new 30km/h speed limit that took effect in March 2023. They included installing new pedestrian crossings, intersection and streetscape improvements, and improved bus stops and facilities on and around Victoria Road, starting at Calliope Road and continuing south down to Queens Parade, near Devonport Pier.
The public consultation period for this project ran from 15 July to 14 August 2022. The final design was approved in May 2023. The project is funded by the Regional Fuel Tax via Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport.
Upgraded pedestrian crossing on King Edward Parade near Devonport Library
In response to community feedback, our improvements included:
- upgrading 2 existing zebra crossings into raised zebra crossings on Victoria Road
- a new raised zebra crossing on Calliope Road
- 2 new raised zebra crossings on Kerr Street
- upgrading an existing speed hump into a raised zebra crossing on Flagstaff Terrace
- upgrading an existing zebra crossing into a raised zebra crossing on King Edward Parade, adjacent to Victoria Road
- a new zebra crossing on King Edward Parade, adjacent to Church Street
- upgrading the existing bus stop on Victoria Road, adjacent to Fleet Street
- new northbound cycleway facility on Victoria Road, between Kerr Street and Calliope Road
- wider angled parking spaces on Victoria Road, between Clarence Street and Queens Parade.
Learn more about speed calming measures and their benefits on our Speed calming measures page.
The improvements required the repurposing of 9 carparks in the town centre, 6 carparks on Kerr Street (outside Devonport Primary School), 4 on King Edward Parade (adjacent to Church Street) and one on Calliope Road, to allow for the installation of the measures above. The proposal saw the reintroduction of 4 carparks in the town centre and a further 5 carparks on Huia Street and Queens Parade.
To minimise disruption to local business, economic and recreational activities, we reworked the project designs and shift schedule to bring the main implementation timeline down to just 3 months. We timed our work to the winter season, when recreation and tourist activities are much lower and do not create such a big economic impact.
Construction
AT engaged Fulton Hogan to complete the construction of this project. All major construction works were completed in November 2023. The final works finished in April 2024.
Locations of road safety improvements
Download drawings for the improvements (PDF 2.7MB)
Construction newsletter and project update archives
During the construction period, we distributed monthly newsletters and posted regular project updates to keep area residents and community stakeholders informed of our progress. We also held weekly drop-in sessions at the Devonport Library to engage with locals and answer their questions about the project.
June 2023
Construction of Phase A was successfully completed in June, and the new raised pedestrian crossing is well used by Devonport Primary School pupils.
Download the June Newsletter (PDF 235KB)
Upgraded pedestrian crossing on Victoria Road, between Hastings Parade and Calliope Road
July 2023
Construction of Phase B was successfully completed in July. Despite challenging weather, both raised crossings on Kerr Street were completed during the school holidays. The Calliope Road raised crossing was also completed, and both are well used by the public.
Download the July Newsletter (PDF 1.2MB)
August 2023
Construction of Phases D and F of the project were successfully completed in August. The new improvements from these phases include a raised pedestrian crossing on Flagstaff Terrace and upgrades to the bus stop on Victoria Road.
Download the August Newsletter (PDF 2MB)
September 2023
In September, AT and Fulton Hogan upgraded three existing crossings around Victoria Road and King Edward Parade intersection and added in a new zebra crossing on King Edward Parade adjacent to Church Street (Phases E and G).
Download the September newsletter (PDF 6.2MB)
October to November 2023
At the end of October, almost all of the major construction works at Devonport Town Centre were completed. The last of the major works, which included some street lighting upgrades and installing a safety barrier at the Victoria Road bus stop, were completed at the end of November.
Download the October newsletter (PDF 8.7MB)
January to April 2024
During this period, construction crews performed minor patches and improvements to further support and ensure the effectiveness of the new crossings, bus pad, cycle lane and other safety improvements. The last of these minor works were completed in mid-April 2024.
Download our works completed newsletter
Project details
Objectives
As a Vision Zero organisation, our Safe Speeds Programme identifies high-risk town centres around Auckland for speed reduction and other safety improvements.
Reducing speeds at Devonport Town Centre has the greatest potential to reduce the risk of serious injury and death. Every Aucklander deserves a safe transport network where no serious injury or death is acceptable.
The project was partly funded by the Regional Fuel Tax.
Public consultation
Public feedback is one of the factors that Auckland Transport takes into account when making complex decisions like these. Community feedback is essential in making our projects a success.
AT consulted on the proposed Devonport town centre improvements from 15 July to 14 August 2022 and overall, 241 respondents engaged with consultation. After reviewing all of the feedback received, the project proceeded with a series of minor to intermediate changes:
- The existing right-turn bay at the Victoria Road and Calliope Road intersection is to remain in place and the proposed on-road cycle lane across Calliope Road is to be removed.
- A cycle ramp is to be provided where the northbound on-road cycleway on Victoria Road terminates.
- An off-road cycle path is to be constructed up to the new raised table on Calliope Road where a cyclist crossing will be provided.
- Based on public feedback, Cycleway Option 2 is being progressed.
- A cycle-lane with an approximately 15m long separator outside 105 Victoria Road with the removal of 3 car parks and footpath widening outside 64 Victoria Road.
- The proposed bus stop buildout (where footpath is built out to provide a platform for passengers to board and disembark from the bus) on Victoria Road will be relocated closer to Fleet Street to make it more accessible to passengers and to avoid constructability issues. To support this change, a median island will be introduced to prevent dangerous overtaking of buses.
- The proposed Swedish-style raised pedestrian crossing outside 63 Victoria Road will be converted to a single-stage raised crossing to accommodate delivery truck requirements on Victoria Road.
- The existing Queens Parade and Victoria Road intersection layout is to be left as is.
- Proposed parking space on Queens Parade will not be installed as it limits visibility for motorists exiting Marine Square.
- Proposed parking space on Wynyard Street will not be installed as it limits visibility between motorists and pedestrians at the zebra crossing.
- Proposed parking on Spring Street is to be removed.
For details, download Devonport town centre safety improvements feedback report (PDF 911KB).
Community working group
AT worked early in the project to form a community working group, which fed into the proposal that went out for public feedback. The working group was put together to represent the community and includes members of the Devonport Local Board, North Shore Ward Councillors, Business Association, Bike Auckland, Local Residents group, and other members from the wider community.
Safe speeds
Auckland Transport’s (AT) Safe Speeds Programme is part of an integrated nationwide road safety strategy (Road to Zero). The outcome is to make Aotearoa's roads safe where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads.
AT proposed to set new permanent speed limits on roads around Auckland, including Devonport, reducing the speed limit to 30km/h. 30km/h is the internationally accepted speed at which the risk of death or serious injury to people walking or cycling is greatly reduced.
The new 30km/h speed limit took effect in March 2023.
See full list of the roads with changed speed limits.
Vision Zero
Vision Zero is an ambitious transport safety vision that states that there will be no deaths or serious injuries on our transport system by 2050.
We want a transport system that prioritises safety, not a system that puts other measures ahead of human life. We will get you there safely, as efficiently as we can. The approach acknowledges that as people we all make mistakes; 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.