New speed cap for pedestrians to cross, just don’t call it a crosswalk

When is a crosswalk not a crosswalk?

When is a crosswalk pointof course.

The Kaikōura District Council is trying to explain the difference to road users after a new feature appeared at the end of the city’s main street.

A council spokeswoman said the new crossing was in response to ongoing requests to increase pedestrian safety and improve traffic flows from the West End to State Highway 1.

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“The crosswalk is part of a works program by Waka Kotahi NZTA to develop a series of safety improvements for pedestrian safety and accessibility to downtown,” he said.

“This is not a crosswalk, but a point for our most vulnerable residents to cross without a high step on the sidewalk.”

However, some of those vulnerable residents have almost been hit by vehicles while trying to cross, and they fear a crash is inevitable.

Darlene Morgan spoke to council members at a meeting this week, expressing concerns about visibility, the platform spanning three lanes and the fact that it encouraged pedestrians to cross.

The design did not meet NZTA guidelines, he said, which state that this type of crossing point should only cross two lanes of traffic and be less than 20 feet long. The crossing that had been created ran through three lanes.

The NZTA guidelines also had safe distances for driver visibility, which had not been met, Morgan said.

It had the potential to be “seriously dangerous” if traffic entering the city from the highway decided to stop for pedestrians.

Morgan said that if the intention was to provide a safer crossing for pedestrians, authorities chose the wrong location.

“It would have been better to try to stop people crossing here and direct them towards the city.”

It is also concerned about the lack of public consultation before the changes are made.

The city council spokeswoman said several projects were identified in December 2019 to improve access to the city center.

“The companies that were directly affected by the proposed works were consulted … and elected members were asked to approve the final works program before construction could begin.”

NZTA North Canterbury Senior Network Manager Richard Topham said the speed cap was a safety measure, intended to slow down drivers.

“In the event of a collision, it is much better if it is a low speed collision with less serious or life-changing consequences for the people involved.

“People should not expect cars to stop, as the elevated area is not designed to stop traffic, just to give pedestrians more time to cross safely as vehicles travel more slowly.”

Topham said people would get used to the changes.

When asked if the platform was contrary to NZTA guidelines, the agency said it was built on a municipal highway, so questions should be directed there.

The council spokeswoman said the NZTA guidelines were relevant to State Highway 1, while the West End was a local highway with a low speed environment, so the council was the highway control authority in this case.

“As for the three lanes, the road has not been widened and is the same width as before.

“Consequently, the raised platform that creates a traffic calming device spans the same width of the road and is located in a low-speed environment with adequate visibility.”

It is not the first time that road markings are all the rage in Kaikōura. In 2017, the red lines painted on SH1 created confusion for motorists and pedestrians, neither of whom knew who had the right of way.

NZTA admitted that the lines had “potential unintended consequences” and removed them shortly after.