School intersection ‘hostile’ to walkers
Hobsonville Primary School students face a ‘hostile environment’ outside their school after two new intersections were built, walking and cycling advocates say.
Auckland Transport (AT) has built two intersections on either side of Hobsonville Primary School on Hobsonville Rd, one with six lanes and traffic lights and another with a roundabout that allows traffic to go across it.
Transport advocate Matt Lowrie of transportblog.co.nz says the design is targeted at keeping vehicles moving, not getting children across the road but Auckland Transport says the school, Ministry of Education and parents are in favour of the change.
Lowrie says the six-lane traffic light intersection will make it difficult for children to walk or cycle to school while the roundabout encourages traffic to maintain speed.
‘‘We know this sort of design encourages car traffic and creates a hostile environment for people walking and cycling. It doesn’t make a safe environment. No-one will want their kids crossing there by themselves.’’
Auckland transport commentator Ben Ross says there is plenty of room on the road for dedicated cycleways and says the road project goes against AT’s aim of encouraging cycling, walking and public transport.
AT spokesman Mark Hannan says there was originally an uncontrolled ‘T’ intersection at this location without zebra crossings.
After a developer purchased and subdivided a block of land adjacent to the school AT worked with them to ensure the new road - Dowdens Lane - connected with Hobsonville Rd at the existing intersection, Hannan says.
‘‘This allowed the intersection to be signalised with phased pedestrian crossings on all four legs of the approach roads giving pedestrians the maximum protection when crossing the road - previously there was no protection.’’
He says the new $1.5 million intersection layout is the first stage of a much larger plan for Hobsonville Rd that includes shared footpaths, cycle lanes and bus priority measures.
The next stage of the project is currently on hold pending the review that is being undertaken as part of the TFUG study (Transport to support Future Urban Growth).