Safety improvements planned for Mount Maunganui pedestrian crossing

Maunganui Rd retailers and neighbouring residents' calls for extra safety measures for a pedestrian crossing opposite Mount Maunganui Library have been answered.

Tauranga City Council has confirmed plans are already under way to change the crossing layout to provide an "improved crossing area" as part of an upgrade of Maunganui Rd.

Wear Together designer recycling boutique owner Yajna Morris said every day she hears screeching of brakes and loud toots, some which involved near-miss crashes.

"It's got so bad it makes me feel sick every time I hear the squeal of brakes and because the crossing is right there outside my store, I'm often the first person on the scene."

Morris said within the past two weeks ago a teenage cyclist was hit while crossing the road, and a motorist's car was rear-ended while waiting for a pedestrian to cross.

"Lots of motorists just don't stop for pedestrians waiting to cross and it's only a matter of time before someone is going to be seriously hurt or killed," she said.

Morris said the crossing either should be moved or lights added to make it more visible.

Rentals BOP owner Gary Prentice said this was an extremely busy thoroughfare especially with two nearby side roads feeding off it.

"This is a real trouble spot and the crossing should be moved further down the road or even better traffic lights added," he said.

Maunganui Rd mother Justine Baker said it was so busy she often could not even turn into her driveway and motorists and pedestrians all converged in the same area.

Judea truck driver Wiremu Henare, who regularly uses Maunganui Rd, said there were "too many hazards" in the same area and the crossing should be moved 100 metres south.

Tauranga City Council's transportation manager Martin Parkes said the council had received four complaints about the crossing since 2016.

This included one in June last year after an elderly woman was hit on the crossing, and two minor injury crashes in 2016 and 2017, he said.

Parkes said any incidents on pedestrian crossings resulting in personal injury were of concern to the council.

"This is why in recent years we've taken steps to improve safety at this particular crossing, with upgraded signs and road markings.

"We are also reviewing the layout of Maunganui Rd, including a redesign of the centre strip and changes to this crossing layout to provide an improved crossing area."

Parkes said the council planned to begin the work later this year, once the new Zespri building and surrounding works were completed.

Senior Sergeant Mark Pakes, the head of Western Bay road policing, said he planned to take a closer look at this crossing to see what could be done in the meantime.