School ‘rapt’ with road safety upgrades

“I’m just rapt with the job they did,”

Tim Brenton, Richmond School principal

Richmond’s children are feeling safer now that significant road upgrades outside two primary schools have been completed.

William St, home to Henley School, as well as Cambridge and Dorset streets, by Richmond School, have each had improvements to their footpath and roadcrossing facilities in the past few months.

Tasman District Council conducted the work to increase the safety of students travelling to and from school, and to link in with its wider programme upgrading Richmond’s active travel network.

The roads around Richmond School have seen increased traffic and congestion over the past two decades as the availability of the town’s parking has changed and when traffic lights were installed at the intersection of Oxford St and Gladstone Rd.

The new upgrades have resulted in two new raised crossings that will slow traffic around the school while increasing the visibility of the children who use the crossings. Footpaths have also been widened and a small number of car parks that obstructed views have been removed.

In August last year, the school also received portable bollards to stop vehicles driving down Church St, which runs through the school, during school hours.

Richmond School principal Tim Brenton enthusiastically welcomed the changes.

“I’m just rapt with the job they did,” he said. “Now it’s so much safer for our kids without cars being able to go down [Church St], the widening of the footpath and … the pedestrian crossings now.”

One of the new raised pedestrian crossings, on Cambridge St outside the school gates, was put in at the suggestion of students.There was no pedestrian crossing in the location earlier, and

Brenton had previously stationed teachers at the location to ensure the children were safe when crossing the road.

“Now, I’m just questioning whether we need to have the road patrollers there because it’s a pedestrian crossing now. It makes car drivers more aware.”

Peter Kortegast, the design engineer for the project from WSP, said safer walking and cycling connections made life easy for everybody. “Particularly for the small ones. The skills they learn here about walking to school independently or cycling or scootering … makes such a difference, it sets up the habits for life.”

Work on another raised crossing across Church St, at its intersection with Gladstone Rd, is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Several raised crossings were installed in William St across or near the road, along with footpath-widening and some kerb build-outs to help slow traffic.

Council’s transportation manager Jamie McPherson said it was great to see people making use of the new facilities.

“As the different project elements get completed, and the larger ‘joined-up’ network of safer pedestrian crossing and cycleways emerges around Richmond, we expect to see even more people taking the opportunity to walk or cycle and experience the health and money-saving benefits of it.”

The two projects have a combined budget of about $2.92 million.

Garin College principal John Maguire has also recently welcomed the installation of cycleways outside the school on Champion Rd which, he said, will increase safety for students.