'Our children are not skittles': Community rallies for safer crossings

By Mary Afemata, Local Democracy Reporter

Manurewa community leaders are urging Auckland Transport to rethink its approach to the safety upgrade of a busy roundabout that has seen 50 crashes in five years.

Auckland Transport is planning to upgrade the Weymouth roundabout with painted red speed reduction signs and high friction surfaces later this month.

In 2021, raised crossings were proposed for the roundabout following community consultation.

However, a recent policy change means these safety measures have been scrapped - causing an outcry from safety advocates.

Community leaders want raised crossings to be reconsidered, but AT says the new design is safe and will slow traffic.

The roundabout has four roads - Weymouth, Roscommon, Mahia and Palmers - feeding into it and is busy with families walking to school and the local shopping centre.

Auckland councillor for Manurewa, Angela Dalton, is among those concerned after the raised tables were removed from the design.

Letters of notification were sent to residents a few weeks ago.

"A mother responded that she believes 'our children are being used as skittles'," she said.

Around 85 percent of vehicles are travelling 50-60km/h as they approach the roundabout, according to TomTom analysis.

Inside the roundabout, about 85 percent of vehicles travel at speeds between 35-45km/h, depending on the time and date of the month, Dalton said.

Within the past five years, there have been 50 crashes, including one fatal, and 11 crashes that have resulted in injury, she said.

"My understanding is that due to a change in policy direction from central government, these raised tables have now been removed from the original design consulted with the community in 2021."

AT has changed the design to standard-painted pedestrian crossings.

Manurewa and Clendon town centre manager Neil Punja said he was also troubled by the new design of the roundabout.

"The safety of our community, particularly our children, elderly, and those accessing schools and community facilities, should be paramount in any infrastructure project," Punja said.

"The data shows vehicle speeds in the area are too high for safe pedestrian crossings, even with high-friction surfaces and markings."

The original design, with raised crossings, was developed following community consultation and intended to address safety concerns, he added.

"We must listen to the voices of our community and implement solutions that prioritise the well-being of all users."

The affected area includes four schools, a large shopping centre, an Auckland Council community centre and a library.

The principals and board chairs of Weymouth Primary, Waimahia Intermediate, Te Mataraunga, and Finlayson Schools support the raised crossings.

Manurewa MP Arena Williams and Police area commander Adam Pyne are also backing Dalton and Punja.

But Matt Winiata, the chair of the Manurewa Local Board, said not all the feedback supported traffic slowing measures.

"I haven't heard the term 'skittles' for some years now but we have also had many emails opposed to the raised crossings and asking for them not to be installed from residents living around the immediate area."

During discussions with AT, the engineers said the raised crossings would be removed due to the volume of heavy freight as it was a dedicated route for oversized loads, he said.

"Palmers Road has three raised crossings between the roundabout and Finlayson Drive, where Te Matauranga is located and a new raised crossing was recently installed at Whakatakapokai, which would assist with intermediate students getting across Weymouth Road."

AT has deferred the project for two weeks to discuss safety measures with the schools, business association, and councillor Dalton.

In early September 2024, AT had a meeting with Finlayson Park School representatives regarding the roundabout project and other traffic issues encountered.

In an email to the Manurewa Local Board, ward councillors, Business Association and Finlayson Park School, Peter Naber, the elected member relationship partner from AT said:

"Our design team has taken on board the concerns from the school and have made a decision that no zebra pedestrian crossing will be installed near 255 Weymouth Road.

"With the new change, pedestrians willing to cross Weymouth Road East could either utilise the existing signalised pedestrian crossing near John Walker Drive, which is approximately 110m east, or use the existing underpass at the roundabout to go to the western side of the roundabout."

The location would be monitored post-construction and AT would proactively enhance the design as required if any safety measures or facilities were needed.

AT road network optimisation manager Chris Martin said safety improvements were incorporated into all their projects and the new design would reduce speeds at the roundabout.

"Making sure everyone gets home safely is always a top priority. We've always had a strong focus on safety for our most vulnerable road users.

"The policy regarding using raised tables on arterial roads has been updated and AT believes the new design for the Clendon roundabout is safe."

AT has applied "like for like" safety intervention measures in the design, including red speed reduction signage that says "slow" on the road, high friction surfaces on the approaches to the roundabout, and standard pedestrian crossing warning signs, he said.

But Dalton said traffic speed would still be too high when approaching a pedestrian crossing, even with high-speed friction surfacing and red markings.

In an email sent to the Manurewa Local Board and ward councillors, the new tentative start date is 16 September 2024. The construction is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

AT will monitor speeds after construction completion to ensure they have been reduced.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.