Reducing accidents plan’s aim

Press, 11 October 1985, Page 5

Reducing accidents plan’s aim

More than 40 per cent of the accidents at six Bealey Avenue intersections in the last five years involved right-turning vehicles. Of a total of 90 recorded accidents at the intersections of the avenue with Victoria Street and Papanui Road, Montreal Street, Durham Street, Colombo Street, Sherbourne Street, and Manchester Street, 39 (43.3 per cent) involved cars turning right Separate right-turning slots at these intersections have been suggested by Christchurch City Council staff but plans to install the extra lanes at the expense of trees along the median have been opposed by city councillors. In reports to two council committees this week the

council’s deputy general manager (works), Mr Harold Surtees, said right-turning lanes on the avenue would make it easier for drivers to distinguish between straight-through and turning He believes the extra lanes would reduce the accident rates at some of Bealey Avenue’s worst corners. Easily the worst corner in the seven-block section for which extra lanes have been proposed is the Victoria Street-Papanui Road-Bealey Avenue intersection. In the last five years, according to City Council records, there have been 31 accidents. Fifteen involved right-turning traffic. Between 1980 and 1984 the Ministry of Transport recorded 26 accidents at the

corner, 10 involving serious injury.

A right-turning lane from Bealey Avenue into Victoria Street for eastbound traffic was installed some years ago and council records show no accidents involving vehicles making that turn since then. The Colombo Street - Bealey Avenue corner tally is only slightly less. Council records show 26 accidents in the last five years, 12 involving right-turning traffic. The Ministry of Transport records 24 accidents from 1980 to 1984, 10 serious.

Records for the other intersections show two accidents in the last five years at the Montreal Street corner (both minor), eight at the Durham Street intersection (five involving right

turns, one serious), 15 at the Sherborne Street corner (five involving right turns), four at Springfield Road (one serious), and eight at Manchester Street (two involving right turns).

More statistics on the number and severity of accidents at corners along the avenue have been called for by councillors before they make any decision on plans to introduce right-turning lanes.

They will be included in a detailed report for next month’s parks and recreation committee meeting. If the present proposals for the extra turning slots are approved 22 of the trees along the avenue will be removed. The trees are in the median near intersections where the median will

have to be narrowed to provide the space for extra lanes.

Others might also be affected by the excavations needed for the road work and might have to be removed.

The work on the Bealey Avenue median was included in contracts already let for the street, but provision was made to change the final plans for alterations to the ends of the median at intersections.

The present proposals include right-turning lanes on both the south and north carriageways of the avenue. They also take the median across the present gap at the end of Springfield Road, and change its alignment at Montreal Street.