This submission made to CCC on 14.12.17
Spokes appreciates Councils efforts to improve safety and encourage students to cycle and walk to Te Waka Unua School.
To best realize the benefits of this project encouraging walking and cycling Council will need to make sure that the connections to both Linwood Ave and Heathcote Expressway MCR’s are safe, inviting and provided as those routes are developed.
The existing cycle lanes on Ferry Road are a mere 1.6m wide which leaves little room for errors, interactions with pedestrians, car doors being opened into the lane, or motorized vehicles straying from their lane.
Recommendations:
Continue green paint cycle lane on Ferry Road at zebra crossing to remind cars to stay in their lane.
Given the location on Ferry Road with commercial activity, a school and a park Cycle Design Guideline 3.2.3 “Local cycleways/Urban commercial centres/Cycle
lanes: Design principles” is instructive and requires cycle lanes to be a minimum of 1.8-2 meters in width. Narrowing of the median strip and/or grass berms can easily allow the cycle lanes to be increased to 2 meters. Alternatively a 900mm door buffer zone should be provided.
While the new shared path will be helpful for children accessing the school it will not serve the needs of those people cycle commuting on Ferry Road. Conflicts between users on the shared path may be limited by expanding the path width to 4 meters.
Spokes encourages Council to apply the Guidelines consistently. It is understood that some situations do not lend themselves well to application of best practices and that funds are limited. The concern is that substandard infrastructure aggrieves all road users while leaving the most vulnerable at mortal risk. Given that this route will be frequented by young children and is a main cycle commuting route the application of the minimum guideline is clearly indicated.
