Pegasus Post: February 26, 2019

PEGASUS POST Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday February 26 2019 3
News
Further traffic concerns raised
• By Matt Slaughter
SPEED LIMIT changes on roads
around the new Shirley Boys’
and Avonside Girls’ High School
site in QE II Park will not go far
enough to keep students safe,
some say.
The Coastal-
Burwood Community
Board
approved plans to
reduce the speed
limit to 40km/h
on Travis Rd and
Evan Smith
Bower Ave and
50km/h Frosts
Rd at a meeting
last Monday.
However, Avon-Otakaro
Network’s spokesman Evan
Smith and Avonside Girls’ High
School’s board of trustees chairwoman
Monica Davis said the
New Zealand Transport Agency
should turn its attention to the
two roundabouts between Anzac
Drive New Brighton Rd and
Travis Rd.
Mr Smith said these roundabouts
were very busy and the
70km/h speed limit through
them would make crossing the
road dangerous for students.
Both Mr Smith and Ms Davis
said they wanted the speed limit
reduced to 50km/h through the
roundabouts.
CONSTRUCTION: Concern has been raised that students at the new Shirley Boys’ and Avonside
Girls’ High School will be at risk of traffic.
“Even high school kids on
bikes and walking going across
those roundabouts is just an
accident waiting to happen, said
Smith.”
Ms Davis said potentially hundreds
of students a day would be
crossing the roundabouts every
day to get to school.
“We expect to have about 2500
people on site so if it’s 25 per cent
of that who cross the road . . . so
we’re really concerned about the
safety of road users during those
peak times when people are going
to and leaving the school.”
Both Mr Smith and Ms Davis
said NZTA should replace the
roundabouts with traffic lights as
well as reducing the speed limit
However, NZTA senior traffic
and safety engineer David
Scarlet said traffic lights tended
to be much more dangerous than
intersections.
Crashes at roundabouts tend
to be of much lower severity than
traffic signal crashes, where a
driver crossing on the red light
can cause a fatality.
Mr Scarlet said NZTA was developing
different infrastructure
to keep pedestrians using the
roundabouts safe.
“NZTA has been working
with the Ministry of Education
and city council to address the
transport needs of the two new
schools.”
“Is currently designing a
pedestrian and cycle facility to be
used on the Frosts Road leg/side
of the roundabout.”
But, Mr Smith said this was
not good enough.
“Motorists often speed through
those roundabouts.”
“I think, at the end of the day,
traffic lights on those corners are
likely to be the safest option for
the kids crossing there.”
Local
News
Now
In Brief
Fire rages, homes at risk
BUS STOP UPGRADE
The Papanui-Innes
Community Board has
approved a proposal to
upgrade the bus stop and
shelter on Shirley Rd in front
of the Palms Shopping Centre.
The decision was made at a
community board meeting
last Monday and will involve
extending the existing bus stop
to allow and installing a new
8m bus shelter to allow for
more passengers.
SOCCER GOAL INSTALLED
A soccer new goal has been
installed in Aston Reserve.
The reserve had previously
only had one goal. The North
Shore Residents Association
purchased the goal and
received permission from the
Coastal-Burwood Community
Board to install it.
FESTIVAL FUNDING
The Coastal-Burwood
Community Board has
provided funding for the
new Duck Down to the
River festival for residents
in Dallington, Avondale and
Burwood. The event will be
hosted by the Dallington
Residents Association and
include activities in and
around Kerrs Reach.
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