Crossing saga has ended

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 29

Crossing saga has ended

Parliamentary reporter

The controversial pedestrian crossing on the Main North Road north of Daniels Road, in Redwood, has been removed by the National Roads Board. This ends years of debate within Waimairi County over whether the hazardous crossing should stay, be removed, or be replaced with a set of lights. The crossing was approved bv the Roads Board in February. 1975, as a result of three bad accidents involving pedestrians in the preceding five years. Traffic surveys since 1975 show that pedestrian and traffic counts have risen only slightly. Seven serious accidents involving pedestrians have occurred since, and numerous complaints made to the Waimairi District Council of near misses on the crossing. In May, 1982, the District Council mounted a study With the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Works to see what could be done. The resulting report found that the crossing was not working properly because:

• Pedestrians were readily able to find gaps in the stream of traffic to cross with little delay; as a result, 30 per cent of pedestrians crossed within 50 metres of the crossing. • Few drivers stopped for pedestrians waiting to cross; in most cases the pedestrian using the crossing had to wait for a gap in the traffic. • The roadway has four lanes with a 3.65 m dividing median.

"The most dangerous and frequent situation occurring is when a vehicle in the lane nearest the pedestrian stops but thosein the median lane do not.” said the Chief Highways Engineer of the Ministry of Works. Mr E. J. Burt.

“It is this situation which has the most potential for serious accidents. Pedestrians using the crossing tend to do so with a confidence that they can be seen by motorists and will be given the right of way." he said. The local committee had decided that ample opportunity existed for pedestrians to cross safely, given the length and frequency of gaps in the traffic. Pedestrians often tended

to cross by the shortest route, over a length of about 60 metres. This was because of short-term parking at the Redwood shopping centre. The committee decided that pedestrians using the crossing were at risk from the reluctance of motorists to stop. Last September, the Dis-

trict Council supported the removal of the pedestrian crossing. Should traffic and pedestrian numbers rise high enough, lights might be considered. The National Roads Board decided that the "no stopping" restrictions should be continued, even without the crossing.