Submission from Spokes Canterbury
Reference: Courtenay Street renewal | Kōrero mai | Let’s talk
Date 30 Nov 2025
Tēnā koutou katoa
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Courtenay Street Renewal initial consultation
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.
Response
Courtenay Street is an important “local” connector cycle route used as a way to join the Papanui Parallel into town or to Northlands, or go down St Albans Road to Merivale, or to travel NE through to Shirley.
It is not possible to address the issues in Courtenany Street without considering the effects on Westminster Street and Trafalgar Street. A change on one has a significant impact on the others.
Courtenay Street is very busy during school pickups as well as peak commuter times. The increase in traffic has been noticeable since the changes to Cranford Street.
Courtenay Street is already very narrow, including the footpath, so there are not a lot of options for improving the design or adding trees. Vehicles often cross the centre line where there are parked cars (see some examples at the end of the document). Vehicles are also crossing the centre line when they turn left out of Westminster St.
Spokes supports:
- Replacing the deep-dish kerb and channel and renewing the road and footpath
- Maintaining a safe speed along Courtenay Street with traffic calming
- Adjusting parking along Courtenay Street, which may remove parking along one or both sides of the street to improve safety and traffic flow.
- Further investigations in the surrounding area to manage traffic volumes.
Spokes would like to see:
- Courtenay St made one way with a wide shared cycle/pedestrian/scooter path (two way) on the east side using build outs to calm and guide traffic. You might be able to let some residents at the south end go two-way where the street is wider, however if it was one-way from the intersection of Trafalgar Street it could allow more on-street parking and improve the safety of the crossing. It would also allow the shared path to be wider approaching the intersection. Travel to St Albans Road from the intersection at Westminster and Cranford could be done via Westminster Street. If Courtenay Street was made one-way, it could also improve safety at the intersection of CourtenayStreet and Westminster Street for people crossing.
- Ideally we would like to see all parking removed but that may simply increase the speed of vehicles travelling along Courtenay Street and increase the rat-running in this neighbourhood.
- Proving a cut-down for cyclists to get to the path at 38R Courtenay St which goes to St Albans School and English Park. Add no-parking lines over the entrance.
- Encouragement for more children to use active transport, cycling, scootering, or walking to school which would reduce the number of vehicles when schools open and close.
- Speed limit reminder signs are needed as some vehicles are travelling over 40km/h.
- Speed humps on Courtenay Street.
Other
- A full pedestrian / cycle crossing on Westminster Street at the entrance to the St Albans School, including humps to slow speeds. The current crossing point is on a bend and has inadequate protection for children. (Some places in England and the USA have created “school streets”. During drop off and pickup times you can’t park or drive your car through certain parts of streets)
- Reconsider a double cul-de-sac on Trafalgar Street as in the original Papanui Parallel cycleway consultation drawings to stop rat-running in the area.
- Stopping the right hand turn from Edgeware Road into Trafalgar St would also help reduce rat-running, encouraging vehicles to use Springfield Road or Abberley Crescent.
- Better signage of the path to and from Cranford St to Sheppard Place might encourage more cyclists to go this way instead of using Courtenay St.
Westminster Street School crossing should have full pedestrian / cyclist crossing
Courtenay Street – Vehicles travelling on the wrong side of the road in a 5 min period – there were more!
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People regularly cross over the Courtenay St / Westminster St intersection. When traffic is queued up, pedestrian visibility is obscured.
I am happy to discuss or clarify any issues that arise.
Submissions Co-ordinator
Spokes Canterbury
submissions@spokes.org.nz
