Bryndwr Road Renewal

Submission from Spokes Canterbury

Reference: Bryndwr Road renewal | Kōrero mai | Let’s talk

August 2025

Tēnā koutou katoa

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Bryndwr Road Renewal

Introduction

Spokes Canterbury (http://www.spokes.org.nz/) is a local cycling advocacy group with approximately 1,300 followers. Spokes is affiliated with the national Cycling Action Network (CAN – https://can.org.nz/). Spokes is dedicated to including cycling as an everyday form of transport in the greater Christchurch and Canterbury areas. Spokes has a long history of advocacy in this space including writing submissions, presenting to councils, and working collaboratively with others in the active transport space. We focus on the need for safe cycling for those aged 8 to 80. Spokes also supports all forms of active transport, public transport, and has an interest in environmental matters.

Proposal

Bryndwr Road is a normally quiet cut through between Ilam and Glandovey Roads for cyclists. It is popular with children cycling to school to Tūora Fendalton School, St Patricks and Christchurch Boys’ High. The area has a lot of elderly, some using mobility scooters, who are slow crossing the road. You have to watch out for them at the Jeffreys Road intersection in particular. Bryndwr Road has got busier lately with vehicles moving faster than before. This has eased a little since Wairakei Road returned to two way but not completely.

Overall this is a good outcome for cyclists and pedestrians using Bryndwr Road.

Overall Spokes supports:

1. Resurfacing and flattening of the road camber. The road surface is poor where cyclists are likely to ride and the current road camber is disconcerting for less confident riders and those using three wheeled bikes.
2. Removal of deep-dish gutters to address ponding and flooding. Debris has been regularly blocking these gutters. Shallower kerbs are also easier for those with mobility issues walking in the area or accessing vehicles on the street.
3. Introduction of a give way control at the Ilam Road and Glandovey Road intersections, although we would strongly prefer a Stop control at the busy Glandovey intersection. We support keeping the existing Stop controls on Jeffreys Road.
4. The renewal and standardisation of the existing speed humps to 75mm at Ilam Road, Jeffreys Road, and Glandovey Road. The current humps are not having any effect on slowing traffic as they have subsided in places and are too low.
5. Road narrowing and yellow no-stopping lines for safer crossing points outside Fendalton Retirement Village and 31 Bryndwr Road walkway, with tactile paving for people who are blind or low-vision.
6. Kerb build-outs at the Jeffreys Road intersection, including outside #50 Bryndwr Rd, which will help slow motor vehicles and make the intersection safer for active transport modes.
7. Marking of no stopping areas at Jeffreys Road, Wai-iti Terrace and Glandovey Road intersections to make it clearer where vehicles are not able to stop.
8. Street tree planting, and landscape planting of a suitable height near intersections as this tends to calm traffic.
9. Timed parking outside the Bryndwr Road shops (60min and 15min)
10. Moving the location of the footpath to beside the property boundary, so that wheelie bins and power poles don’t obstruct the footpath. It is not clear why some exceptions have been made to this best practice.
11. Keeping the kerb location similar (or making it narrower) and not widening the road, which would lead to increased motor vehicle speeds and decreased safety for all road (including footpath) users.

Spokes Recommendations:

1. The kerb cutdown at the alleyway at #31 Bryndwr Road be shaped wider at the entrance to make it easier for cyclists to navigate. We note the crossing is off centre but believe this is probably a compromise that you had to do for visually impaired pedestrians and to avoid power poles.
2. Add reflective tape to the bollard and a painted diamond on the path at the alleyway entrance (#31) to make it easier to see. Also consider adding way-finding signage indicating the alleyway takes you through to Waiwetu and Jeffreys Reserves via Thornycroft Street.
3. Add sharrows to the narrowed areas of the street roughly near where the no parking has been added to show that this space has to be shared.
4. Better bike stands at the Jeffreys Rd corner shops would be appreciated.
5. When the opportunity arises, reduce the speed to 30 km/h. In the meantime, please consider dropping the speed limit to 40 km/h due to the quiet nature of the street and vulnerable road and footpath users in the area.
6. There is a pedestrian crossing/cut-down with two metal plates taking up half the space that are likely to be slippery when wet. It is hard to tell from the plan if this going to be fixed?
7. Please ensure the footpath is at least 1.5 metres wide, as vegetation often grows over into footpaths, making them too narrow. Please consider removing the strip of grass less than 0.5 metres wide from between the property boundary and the footpath.This is difficult for people to mow, often replaced with stones instead. It is also difficult for posties/Delivery Agents delivering mail (they aren’t allowed to ride on the grass).

Thank you for the detailed explanation of why the underground wiring is not happening at the same time as this work, and that you had made a proactive effort to resolve this with Orion. It is a lost opportunity to improve the usability of the footpaths and the accessibility of the neighbourhood. The poor placement of power poles blocking footpaths and intersections is an ongoing issue around Christchurch.

I would like the opportunity to talk to the Waimāero Community Board or staff about this submission and I am happy to discuss or clarify any issues that arise.

Ngā mihi nui,

Submissions Co-ordinator

Spokes Canterbury

submissions@spokes.org.nz