Southern View: August 27, 2019
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4 Tuesday <strong>August</strong> <strong>27</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
News<br />
SOUTHERN VIEW<br />
Busy street to get pedestrian crossing<br />
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding<br />
A CROSSING will be installed<br />
on a busy Halswell street in a bid<br />
to improve pedestrian safety.<br />
But while city council staff have<br />
confirmed a crossing will be constructed<br />
it will not be controlled<br />
like a zebra crossing.<br />
Its transport operations<br />
manager Steffan Thomas said a<br />
controlled crossing is not suitable<br />
at this location due to the low<br />
number of pedestrians that cross.<br />
THe Halswell Pharmacy has<br />
been calling for the crossing<br />
since March last year following<br />
a boom in development in the<br />
street over the past two years.<br />
The city council is planning<br />
to install a dropped kerb 4-5m<br />
north of the car park driveway,<br />
signage and a marked crossing<br />
estimating to cost between<br />
$2000-$3000.<br />
It is planned to be installed in<br />
the next financial year.<br />
Halswell Pharmacy owner<br />
Karen Frater said while she<br />
while she would have preferred a<br />
controlled crossing, “something<br />
is better than nothing.”<br />
Pupil safety solution in progress outside school<br />
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding<br />
FLEXIBLE BARRIERS will<br />
remain in place at a busy<br />
intersection in Halswell until a<br />
permanent solution is completed<br />
to keep children safe.<br />
The New Zealand Transport<br />
Agency has gone out for public<br />
consultation over a proposed<br />
permanent solution for the intersection<br />
of Larsens and Halswell<br />
Rd, located next to Halswell<br />
School.<br />
The solution was sought after<br />
a petition was signed by more<br />
than 600 people calling for the<br />
intersection to be made safer for<br />
school pupils.<br />
Since May, traffic separators<br />
preventing vehicles from turning<br />
right when travelling in and<br />
out of Larsens Rd onto Halswell Rd<br />
have been in place.<br />
NZTA’s proposed permanent<br />
“As long as we have got safe<br />
signage so motorists know that,<br />
is all I am worried about.”<br />
The pharmacy’s concerns stem<br />
from disabled, elderly and families<br />
having to cross the road from<br />
medical centre Halswellhealth to<br />
the pharmacy following appointments.<br />
But Mrs Frater said she wants<br />
to make Ensign St safer for the<br />
entire community.<br />
IMPROVING SAFETY: Traffic barriers preventing vehicles from<br />
turning right when travelling in and out of Larsens Rd onto<br />
Halswell Rd will remain in place until a permanent solution is<br />
finalised.<br />
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER<br />
solution has a number of objectives<br />
including to install an electronic<br />
no-right turn sign which<br />
will only be active during school<br />
patrol times.<br />
An access ramp linking the<br />
Halswell Pharmacy with the<br />
footpath is also planned. In the<br />
past people climbing the steps<br />
into the pharmacy have occasionally<br />
tripped.<br />
“The access to the pharmacy<br />
is via steps only, which doesn’t<br />
appropriately allow for mobilityimpaired<br />
pedestrians. This forces<br />
mobility-impaired users to access<br />
the pharmacy using the<br />
A pedestrian refuge island will<br />
be installed and no-stopping<br />
lines will be extended.<br />
A raised painted island at<br />
Larsens Rd entrance will also<br />
IT’S<br />
HAPPENING:<br />
Halswell<br />
Pharmacy<br />
owner Karen<br />
Frater’s calls to<br />
have crossing<br />
installed on<br />
Ensign St to<br />
make the road<br />
safer will be<br />
answered. A<br />
crossing is<br />
planned to<br />
be installed<br />
over the next<br />
financial year.<br />
PHOTO:<br />
GEOFF SLOAN<br />
busy vehicular entrance,” Mr<br />
Thomas said.<br />
Mrs Frater said while she has<br />
owned the pharmacy for the past<br />
10 years, it is in the last two years<br />
the road has become busier.<br />
“I think it is a bit of a racetrack<br />
between Halswell Junction Rd<br />
and getting into town,” Mrs<br />
Frater said.<br />
Most recent traffic counts<br />
show 2688 vehicles travel on the<br />
be put in place to assist with<br />
safer pedestrian crossing and<br />
guide right-turning traffic onto<br />
Halswell Rd at off-peak times.<br />
In the meantime, the flexible<br />
barriers will remain.<br />
Halswell School principal Stuart<br />
Cameron said the solution is<br />
a good compromise between ensuring<br />
there is access for vehicles<br />
using the road and maintaining<br />
safety for children crossing<br />
Halswell Rd.<br />
Previous feedback NZTA<br />
received from the community<br />
showed the while the barriers<br />
increased safety, it also restricted<br />
access to join onto Halswell Rd,<br />
encouraged poor behaviours and<br />
increased travel times.<br />
“Obviously with the no turning<br />
in school hours, that is really<br />
important from our perspective<br />
because that is the key time for<br />
us and our children crossing the<br />
road each day.<br />
Mrs Frater said there are<br />
schools and kindergartens in the<br />
area including Oaklands School,<br />
The Lighthouse Pre-school and<br />
BestStart Nottingham Avenue<br />
adding to the busyness.<br />
The Oaks Village, which the<br />
pharmacy is part of has also<br />
been completed.<br />
The building complex holds<br />
four mixed-used commercial<br />
buildings for 10 tenancies, which<br />
includes a convenience store, Indian<br />
restaurant Roti Chai, Curves<br />
Halswell, Elite Physiotherapy<br />
Halswell and Domino’s Pizza.<br />
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton<br />
Community Board member Ross<br />
McFarlane said while it was a<br />
good outcome the crossing may<br />
not happen as quickly as it could<br />
of if he had put in a notice of<br />
motion.<br />
It was refused due to the city<br />
council already planning to take<br />
action on the crossing.<br />
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you<br />
think Ensign St is dangerous<br />
to cross? Email your views to<br />
georgia.oconnor@starmedia.<br />
kiwi<br />
road,” Mr Cameron said.<br />
Mr Cameron agreed while<br />
the trial is working well from a<br />
safety perspective, it has created<br />
access issues for the community.<br />
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton<br />
Community Board member Ross<br />
McFarlane said it was the best<br />
available option presently inside<br />
the budget constraints “that<br />
obviously everyone has.”<br />
But he said “ultimately” he<br />
would have liked to have seen<br />
a lighter pedestrian crossing<br />
installed.<br />
“During the rest of the time,<br />
the traffic flows unless somebody<br />
wants to cross. Thereby they<br />
push the button, they cross the<br />
road and across they go,” Mr<br />
McFarlane said.<br />
•Consultation runs until<br />
September 16. To have your<br />
say email larsensroad@nzta.<br />
govt.nz or phone 964 2800<br />
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