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The “excessive” and “exaggerated” plans for 12 speed bumps in an Auckland beachside suburb have been cut after public backlash.
Auckland Transport (AT) wanted to remove 40 car parks around St Heliers’ busy Tamaki Drive to make way for elevated road junctions as part of plans to improve road safety.
But the plans were met with uproar from the community.
Eighteen months later, and as a result of the “negative response from hundreds of St. Heliers residents,” AT is now seeking comment on a new proposal.
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That plan will see no loss of parking spaces and the number of elevated crosswalks has been reduced to just two.
There may also be four new zebra crossings within the village and some minor changes to the bus stops so that cookouts are less affected by bus fumes.
A wider and longer shared path on the offshore side of Tamaki Drive would also make it easier for bicyclists, those with wheelchairs and wheelchairs, to move around, AT said.
Randhir Karma, AT group’s network management manager, said he had formed a working group with local groups to make improvements in the area.
“By working alongside these community representatives for several months, we have shaped a new proposal that we hope better reflects the needs of the local community, but also meets our safety objectives.”
Chris McKeen / Stuff
Peter Jones, president of the St Heliers Business Association, believes the new proposal improves safety, but still leaves St. Heliers as a “vibrant, fun and easy” place to visit (File photo).
Mike Walsh, Acting President of the St Heliers and Glendowie Residents Association, said AT had “very seriously modified” the original proposal and that locals were happy with it.
“We have a good result. AT has listened and consulted properly, what it was not doing before, ”he said.
“It all means that local residents and visitors can continue to use the village as they do now.”
Ōrākei District Councilor Desley Simpson said she was “very happy” that AT has changed the way it conducts the consultation process as a result of St. Heliers’ proposal.
“They realized ‘this is what we’re going to do. We’re going to talk to people about it. ‘
Auckland Transport / Supplied
Artists impression of the revised improvements of the village of St Heliers.
Peter Jones, president of the St Heliers Business Association, said the new proposal was a “pretty good result for everyone.”
He felt the new proposal would improve safety, but still left St. Heliers as a “vibrant, fun and easy” place to visit.
“The new journey to get here has been good. The old trip was not good, like a train accident.
“But AT have listened, they have changed and they have realized that they were wrong.”
Feedback on the new proposal was open until November 2.
