Data collected for the Streets Alive trials show there’s less traffic on some Gore streets, and it's travelling slower.
This week, the Gore District Council met with a representative from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency to talk about what changes can be made to the Streets Alive trials before they end on 27 June.
Information from NZTA, along with a petition from residents and the results from the first of two project surveys, will be discussed at a Council meeting on Tuesday 8 June.
Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks said councillors pressed home to NZTA the need for some modifications to the trials now, given the depth of feeling in the community as shown by a petition and results of the Council’s survey.
“They (NZTA) are our funding partner, so we need to work with them. That said, NZTA was left with a clear understanding the tolerance of some sectors of the community for running the trial through to the end of June, without any changes, was all but exhausted.”
In the interim, the Council will be removing concrete planters around some of the courtesy crossings to better reflect what they could look like.
Roading Asset Manager Peter Standring said the planters would be replaced with temporary bulbous kerbs and refuge islands, as has been done at the south end of Broughton Street.
”Unfortunately, the concrete planters appear to have distracted from the intent of the courtesy crossings, which is to provide a safe place for people to cross our wide streets.”
For the last couple of weeks the Streets Alive team has been collecting data about the impact of the initiatives on traffic.
Traffic counters have been out in five streets – Wayland Street, Robertson Street, Broughton Street, Crombie Street and Anzac Street.
One of the surprising results was no change to the amount of traffic in Wayland Street, Mr Standring said.
“We’ve been told by the community traffic had increased in Wayland Street, but the data doesn’t support this.”
Other preliminary findings show a significant reduction in the number of heavy vehicles using Broughton Street, more heavy vehicles in Robertson Street and a significant increase in traffic in Crombie Street.
Mr Standring said the data would help the Council and community work together to co-design what Gore’s streets might look like after the trials and well into the future.
“We need to remember Streets Alive is for pedestrians and cyclists, not just people in cars.
“We’ve received emails from residents saying the courtesy crossings and other initiatives to slow down traffic has made it easier for them to get across Gore’s wide streets.”
Mr Standring said the Council would also look at a staged withdrawal of initiatives at its meeting next month.
