Ensors Road, Brougham Street, Opawa Submission

Cycling across Brougham at Ensors Road needs your comments to be made safe. CCC needs to receive lots of submissions echoing and supporting the issues Spokes identifies in this draft submission.

Spokes Canterbury thanks CCC for the opportunity to provide much needed improvements to this proposed project.

It is appreciated that cycle lanes are provided and that the free left turn lane from Brougham is to be controlled by a ‘give way’ sign. No stopping hash lines may be required to remind cars not to que across the cycle lane. People on bicycles have been ‘cut off’ by motorists and/or left to ride between the lanes when traveling across the current free turn lane. The extension of green paint across the left turn lane on south bound Ensors to Brougham is also appreciated. No stopping hash lines may also be required there to remind cars not to que across the cycle lane.

Ensors Road north of Brougham

Cycle lane widths on Ensors are unclear. There is more than enough room to easily provide 2 meter wide cycle lanes on both sides.

Ensors Road between Opawa Road and Brougham

The width of the cycle lanes provided is inadequate. Spokes notes that a 1.1 meter wide central median is provided to separate motorised traffic while people on bicycles are offered a too narrow lane and a 10 cm painted line. Please insure that cycle lanes are at least 2 meters wide. This provides a slightly increased buffer from traffic; provision for cyclist passing and for queueing at the signals. This minimum width will also help ‘future proof’. The interested but concerned cyclists so much the goal of CCC cycle planning will be dissuaded by a 1.6m cycle lane hard up against traffic and likely competing with cars encroaching on the cycle lane while queuing for left turns.

Reducing the central median to 90 cm and north bound lanes to 3 meters will allow people on bicycles a full 2 meters of width. The southbound lane can be reduced to 3.3 m allowing people on bicycles a full 2 meters of width. Reducing the motorised lanes and the median separation visually signals drivers to slow down and take care. Better road safety through better design serving all road users is thereby accomplished. As vulnerable road users’ people on bicycles require this more than motorists require the extra 20 cm width of the median separator.

The north bound left hand lane of Ensors Road will require bollards to keep cars and trucks from using the cycle lane as a turn lane. An advanced stop box for cyclists would reinforce this.

Opawa Roundabout

Please extend the green paint of cycle lanes well in to the roundabout to signal drivers that people on bicycles have a right to this space and should not be run down.

Closing Comments:

Reinstatement of the Cycle Advisory Panel would allow Spokes and other community members to provide much needed input such as we have provided here prior to plans being too far advanced to easily accommodate changes. It is our observation that the momentum of published well advanced plans can leave needed changes un-adopted.

Email your submission to: lori.rankin@ccc.govt.nz 

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