This is the intersection Councillor Arron Keown has built a political career on. On offer are 2 options. The first deals with the real problem for children trying to cross the road to get to school.  The second option, favored by drivers, provides another rat run which will simply spread congestion.

Due 10 June

CCC link https://www.ccc.govt.nz/the-council/consultations-and-submissions/haveyoursay/show/240

Draft Sub

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Harewood Road, Gardiners Road, Breens Road Intersection.

Spokes Canterbury supports option 1. Option 2 is incompatible with Council’s efforts to encourage multi modal transport, interested but concerned cyclists and climate change goals.

Spokes understands the community concerns for this intersection. The priority is to help school children get to Breens Intermediate School safely through traffic. This is best achieved by Option One.

This intersection is not a top priority for cyclists. A higher priority is pedestrian/cycle crossing lights on Harewood Road at the railway crossing (near Restell St). This would benefit a greater number of people.

Option One: Signalised Pedestrian/Cyclist Crossing
The crossing should go straight across the road. The zig-zag crossing discourages cyclists, scooters and skateboarders and encourages risky avoidance behaviour. It also does not work well for a shared space with pedestrians and faster moving forms of transport. It does not work for cyclists with trailers.

Please retain a central refugee space for slower pedestrians and parents with small children and prams.

The timing of the lights should allow a cyclist to get fully across the intersection in one phase. The tree in the intersection median strip may block the view between cars and pedestrians.

The raised humps and road crossings are better 50M from the intersection on both Breens and Harewood road further away from turning traffic with a shared cycle/pedestrian path from the crossing to the lights. It will still be reasonably safe for pedestrians to cross at the intersection if they feel more comfortable.

Option Two: Traffic Signals
This option is not preferred because it prioritises cars over pedestrians, cyclists, scooters and other forms of travel.

Traffic lights at this section will encourage traffic to use Breens and Gardiners Road to get to and from the Sawyers Arms, Johns Road roundabout which can back up at rush hour. This increased volume will create problems for the school and the awkwardly angled Wairakei Road Breens Road intersection.

The double lanes in Breens and Gardiners provides little space for cyclists. It does not provide people on bicycles a hook turns option. The zig-zag crossings encourage some to go around the end of the median strip to get across quicker and are not cycle friendly.

Some other alternatives are:
• Enforce the speed limit more strictly – cars are routinely traveling closer to 70km in a 50km zone
• Reduce the lanes from two to one on Harewood Road.