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Point England Self explaining roads

Making roads safer for everyone

Design solutions to make residential streets safer will be explored in a joint study between Auckland City Council and Transport Engineering Research New Zealand (TERNZ) scheduled for July 2008.

The study will be carried out in Point England, part of the Tamaki ward which has the highest crash record in Auckland city, with 445 accidents in the last six years.

The council is working to create an urban roading environment where drivers are aware of pedestrians and cyclists. The road environment will be improved so that it encourages people to drive safer. The emphasis is on changing behaviour so that it improves and drivers  considerately manage their speed.

The council will be working with the local residents, community boards, the Ministry of Transport and other road safety organisations to ensure that local residents agree with the changes trialled during the study.

The experience in Point England will be applied to other suburbs and wards once the study is complete and the findings clear.

The main objective of the study is to find ways to improve roads so they encourage people to drive to suit the conditions and are aware of pedestrians and cyclists. The council wants to ensure that people who would want to walk or cycle feel that their neighbourhood roads feel safe to do so.

The study will measure whether speeds and crash rates drop, and shifts in residents and driver's perceptions.

Similar studies in the Netherlands have shown that urban design improvements to roading can reduce casualties by as much as 60 per cent.

The study aims to create safer residential roads where drivers are aware of pedestrians, cyclists and where the road environment will encourage them to manage their speed.

Karen Hay, Auckland City Council road safety manager says, "this is an important study with national implications".

"It is vital for residential streets to be safe. The study is looking into ways to improve roads so they encourage people to drive to suit the conditions and prioritise pedestrians and cyclists so they are safe to make sustainable transport choices. We want to change driving behaviour intuitively and creatively, and develop alternatives to traditional solutions such speed bumps."

The transport safety, assets and operations team will be working with other council groups, the local residents, community boards, the Ministry of Transport and Land Transport New Zealand.