New pedestrian crossing at Royal Oak2 min read
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A new pedestrian crossing on Manukau Road allows people to safely cross to and from the Royal Oak Mall and the busy bus stop – and is the third crossing within 350m.
Even though the other crossings are within walking distance – outside Cornwall Medical Centre and Royal Oak Primary, Auckland Transport says a new one was necessary to ensure pedestrian safety in that spot.
“The latest crossing location has been chosen based on the number of crashes involving pedestrians, high pedestrian demand outside Royal Oak Mall, and the high number of commuters getting off at the bus stop opposite the mall,” says Head of Road Safety Engineering and Community Transport Safety for Auckland Transport, Michael Brown.
“A peak-hour pedestrian survey conducted on the site revealed that approximately 60 pedestrians cross Manukau Road every hour outside the mall, during the survey periods of 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm on weekdays and on weekends. The bus stop opposite Royal Oak Mall also has approximately 450 commuters on weekdays. This generates high crossing demand in the area.
“Furthermore, within the past five-year period, there were two crashes that resulted in serious injuries to pedestrians who were hit by vehicles on the flush median strip at the location on Manukau Road.”
A raised crossing was considered initially, but following public feedback on the use of raised facilities on main arterial roads, Auckland Transport has developed a new policy to install other types of devices where appropriate, meaning this one is unraised.
The area across the road from the Royal Oak Mall is due to get even busier too, with an approved resource consent for residential and commercial development at 740 Manukau Road, a large site on the corner of Turama Road.
Michael says this section of Manukau Road is extremely busy, and the new crossing will slow traffic down, curtail motorists from using the flush median for extended distances to merge with traffic and provide a safe passage for pedestrians.
He urges drivers to “exercise caution and be mindful of the new crossing facility designed to enhance safety for all road users.”
