We’ll skip the controversial Te Moana Road to Martin Street section changes for the moment as discussions on it are still happening.
Martin Street is the first intersection encountered on the left after passing New World.
As for south of the town centre, the main change is the repainting of the traffic lanes to include the Politically Correct lane for cyclists on each side.
After Hemi Street, the next intersection on the left, you’ll need to slow down to 80 km/h because of the narrowed traffic lanes.
The following NZTA statements are reproduced verbatim:-
- New road layout to suit the traffic movements and lower traffic volumes since the Expressway opening.
- Re-configuring the road markings to cater [for] a single traffic lane and an on-road cycle lane in both directions.
- The street parking along the west side to be retained.
- Widening the road/pavement on both sides to accommodate the on-road cycle lanes. The property driveways from 9 to 55 Main Road will be reinstated.
- New drainage infrastructure in the locations of the pavement widening.
- Reducing the speed from Hemi Street to the Peka Peka Link Road from 100km/h to 80km/h.
- New road signage appropriate for a local road.
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As it looks now
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After narrowing the road traffic lanes to include the cycle lanes
Does anyone else think the narrowed road looks less safe? The median provides a safety margin that is just missing with the obligatory cycle lanes.
Definitely; another case of “just leave well enough alone.”
This is utter bullshit! Spending money where it doesn’t need to be spent. Am I the only one who feels we are somehow bring penalised for living further away from the access to the expressway, by dropping our speed down to 80 kph? For goodness sake, the road is safer now than it’s ever been when it was 100 kph! Why are we rolling over and letting this happen? Has our get up and go, got up and went? Our Council and NZTA need stringing up! Grrrrrrš
We are trying not to roll over and let this happen. That’s why we undertook a survey and met with NZTA and KCDC to get them to review at least some of this lunacy. KCDC, however, maintain a virtuous ‘we’re right’ tone with this as with most of what they foist on us so the chance of substantial change sits solely with NZTA and they have their own political will and agenda.
My advice would be to follow Karl Webber in the run up to the next council elections in 2019 – choose wisely, choose differently.
Is this joke? Ok council so we now have a motorway which takes a lot of the traffic going through to Wellington or North. Why on earth do we need to drop the speed limit to 80km? There’s less traffic on it, it’s safer than it’s ever been. Who in the council is dropping all the speed limits around the place? From Paraparaumu to Waikanae we need to re open back at 100km. Over seas is aiming to have open roads, more lanes and more roads. Yet here in NZ we are dropping speed limits to 80km and 60km and 50km. Why dont you focus on actually making the roads smoother or fixing the pot holes. There’s been 3 potholes just at the north section of Waikanae for I think a year now but they’re not important enough to fix even though if you want to save your wheels you drive to the left of them. Plus there’s spots on the north part of Waikanae that if you go over in a van, truck or anything study. It near throws you through the roof no matter what speed. You have to hug the left side of road not to go airborne.
Please can we start improving our roads not restricting them even further, improve the driving courses and licensing as well would greatly increase our road safety.