Safety improvements on the way
Petition calling for work presented to council in 2022
Safety improvements are coming to Palmerston North’s Vogel St, two years after a petition highlighted residents’ concerns. Palmerston North City Council’s Economic Growth Committee has recommended to the full council that three raised pedestrian crossings be installed in Vogel St, Roslyn, and a right-turn bay for traffic heading into Featherston St.
The crossings at Rata St, Featherston/Haydon streets, and Rangiora Ave would be installed in the July 2024 to June 2025 financial year.
The full council was to discuss the recommendation yesterday but it was likely to be approved with 12 councillors voting for it at the committee meeting last Wednesday.
Transport and development acting group manager Bryce Hosking said installing raised crossings was “a winwin”. They are easy to implement and could be funded from the “low-cost, low-risk” programme.
He said the council might need to purchase “a little bit of property” or reclaim some of the berms to create a right-turn bay as the road was narrow.
Councillor Lorna Johnson asked Hosking why officers recommended cycle improvements not be proceeded with at this stage.
“Is it because there wasn’t a clear favourite from the feedback? Is it because we have just taken enough
punishment about cycle lanes recently?” she said.
Hosking said feedback on a shared pathway or separated cycleway was mixed with some residents concerned about trade-offs such as the removal of street trees and on-street parking.
The council received 146 submissions via online and paper forms. About 45 people attended a drop-in session at Roslyn Library last November.
Vogel St was a “few streets” down the order in terms of cycleway priority with Featherston St, Summerhill Drive and Botanical Rd more important, Hosking said.
The poor state of the Vogel St road surface is frequently mentioned on social media. The council plans to resurface the street but not until after the safety improvements are installed.
Comments in support of retaining the street trees included that they
provide Vogel St with its character, reduce noise and keep the street cool in summer.
One person said the trees are the only appealing part of the street.
Others suggested the trees be removed as they are not well maintained.
Church on Vogel said a separated cycleway would hinder people from parking on the street. The church hosts community programmes during the week as well as Sunday
services.
Some motorists said they use the on-street car parks to wait in before turning into their driveway.
Roslyn School principal Sam Bradnock expressed concern about the lack of a limited speed zone in Shelley St, especially given how fast vehicles can travel up the hill from the Keith St industrial area.
Some residents said raised crossings were needed on Rata and Haydon streets.