Plans to improve the safety of children walking to Maraetai Beach School have Franklin Local Board support.
Auckland Transport (AT) will add a raised pedestrian crossing at Maraetai Drive in a bid to bolster the safety of young children after widespread concerns were expressed by the school and wider community.
Wairoa subdivision member Malcolm Bell says the board is pleased the project is set to get underway and is keen to see AT begin work as soon as possible.
“Clearly AT will need to continue to work closely with the school, but we want to see this work done so children making their way to school can do so safely with dedicated areas to cross the road.”
Auckland Transport consulted on improvements for the school, with most of the submissions received strongly in support of the work.
“We were not surprised by that because the community has long expressed concerns about safety,” Bell says.
After the consultation various changes were made to the initial concept, with a raised zebra crossing on top of a speed bump, raised to the height of the footpath. The speed bump will be flat and wide with a long off-ramp to make it more comfortable for larger vehicles and their passengers.
Other changes include a new footpath with a grass kerb extension, tactile yellow pavers as markers for people to find their way to the crossing, new road markings and signage, and the removal of four on-street parking spaces to allow for better visibility.
“Auckland Transport has told us it understands removing parking can be inconvenient, but it has minimised removals while still improving safety on Maraetai Drive,” Bell says.
Stay connected
Sign up for your Local Board E-news and get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month. Or follow us on Facebook.
