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| Preparations on Salisbury Rd for the installation of new separated cycle lanes Photo Pigeon Post |
New Separated Cycle Lanes Test
Streets For People Project
This is the beginning of a project that comes with $2.4m in Government funding that will create a network of safe walking and cycling spaces across Richmond.
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| "More cones for Salisbury Rd" you might say, but this is a good test for road safety in Tasman |
Another project, which received $840,000 from the Government, is underway on Māpua’s Aranui Road.
Over the past three months, a group of community representatives have worked alongside council traffic engineers to produce their preferred designs.
Transportation Manager Jamie McPherson says on Salisbury Road, cycle lanes that are about two metres wide are being installed on either side of the road with 800mm high plastic separators creating a distance between the vehicle lane and riders.
The test area is between the two raised crossings outside Waimea Intermediate School.
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| One of the raised crossings outside Waimea Intermediate School |
“It’s a bit like planting a tree – many of the benefits will be reaped in the future rather than immediately. The real prize we are working towards is a comprehensive, linked-up network of safe paths and cycleways.”
To allow space for the new separated cycle lanes, the existing painted median is being narrowed.
Jamie McPherson says changes to street layouts can be confronting for people so we expect to receive a range of feedback, which will be carefully considered in the current and future stages of the project.
“We will install this infrastructure permanently in the future once we’ve received feedback and tweaked the layout if necessary.”
Year 11 Garin College student Nate Wilbourne faces the traffic every day when cycling to school so signed up for the community working group to try and improve the situation.
He says the Streets for People programme lays the foundations of safer cycling and walking into the future.
“It’s about seeing the long game and improving the situation now for future generations.”
Nate Wilbourne says being part of the working group has been very worthwhile.
“Interacting with other people from the community and sharing differing perspectives to achieve a worthwhile outcome is very pleasing.”
Nate is keen to continue as a member of the working group and is keen to encourage a few more of his college peers to join the Streets for People project.
Salisbury Road is just the first site of the Streets for People project. Wensley Road, Queen Street, Hill Street and Champion Road will be going through a similar co-design process in the coming months.
Once these cycle lanes have been on the road for a few weeks Tasman District Council will be asking you what you think about them.
For further details and background information, including a computer-generated video fly-through of the project visit shape.tasman.govt.nz/streets-people
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| The new proposed layout of Salisbury Road |
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| The new road layout |
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| Cycleway separated from the road |
Tasman District Council
Pigeon Post News, Richmond
-Separate cycle lanes don't stop accidents. Firstly cyclists have to use the lanes and not bike in vehicle lanes.
-Hmm, high plastic separators...? Interested in what they look like and have they been tried and tested somewhere else?
-Debbie Gardner the same as outside Harvey Norman maybe? (where there have been terrible cycle accidents)
-"existing painted median is being narrowed"
Huge mistake. The median is a huge safety feature. Would be an epic fail to render it useless
-Great idea. Make that road even more useless
-Of the 2.4 million gifted to the region how much will be spent on actual end results ( beneficial work) after it's been through the councils control?
Need to make footpaths more friendly. Ups and downs at driveways are not good news for older pedestrians even surfaces should be a priority
ReplyDeleteOf the 2.4 million gifted to the region how much will be spent on actual end results ( benefical work) after its been through the councils control?
ReplyDelete