Invercargill council hits speed bump over road crossing plan
A plan to install a raised safety platform at a busy Invercargill intersection has come to a crashing halt following objections from councillors.
On Tuesday, a follow-up report regarding upgrades to the Yarrow St-Lindisfarne St intersection was brought before the council, on the back of a robust discussion earlier in the month.
The intersection in question had been identified as “high-risk” by the council, with 18 crashes recorded over the past five years.
But councillors took exception to a proposed 75mm raised platform, and asked for consideration that it be removed from the design.
This week, Councillor Grant Dermody reiterated his discontent with the proposed design, saying he was supportive of installing lights at the intersection but not the “speed bump”.
“This is a major arterial route both ways,” he said. “It seems to me that we’re trialling something where we shouldn’t be.”
Councillor Ria Bond backed up Dermody, saying the platform would reduce speeds to 30kph in an area that was now 50kph.
She also feared installing the platform could create uncertainty for foot traffic.
“People treat those raised platforms like they’re actually pedestrian crossings,” Bond said.
“I’m really quite cautious about the fact we could be adding to some serious confusion.”
Mana whenua representative Evelyn Cook took a different view, saying the proposed design sent a message to citizens about being more careful on the roads.
“I don’t have any opposition to it, and I think it’s going to be one of those things which will become more common as we upgrade our city intersections.”
Ultimately, councillors voted to proceed without the raised platform, despite information from the Hamilton City Council showing the positive impact such crossings had had up north.
According to the Hamilton council, the number and severity of crashes had “dropped significantly” in places where the platforms were installed.
The council’s information also showed that the chances of an adult pedestrian surviving being hit by a car increased from 10% to 90% when the vehicle was travelling at 30kph as opposed to 50kph.
Upgrades to the intersection are budgeted in the council’s long-term plan and partially funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, provided they are completed by June30.
The cost of the upgrades – including the platform – was set at $400,000.