Foxton Beach speeding issues more widespread says resident

Skid marks on Andrews Street, Foxton Beach WGP 24May19 - Skid marks on Andrews Street, Foxton beach, where some local residents are concerned about speeding.

Amid reports of a residents' meeting about speeding in a Foxton Beach neighbourhood, a resident has spoken out saying the issue is more widespread and longstanding than people may think.

Lynda Dick said she had petitioned Horowhenua District Council in 2016 to install speed bumps on Queen St after a new subdivision at Forbes Rd appeared to increase traffic, especially with contractors in the area.

"There was back then an increase of traffic going up and down Queen Street and Edinburgh Terrace and the speed of some of the contractors was ridiculous. Add to this the local idiots who use these two roads like a race track," she said.

After she requested the assistance of local councillor Ross Brannigan, the council's roading division agreed to carry out a traffic study in the area, setting up counting devices.

Dick said the results came back that there was not enough traffic flow to warrant major investment into speed restriction and that the average speed was deemed "acceptable".

She said she had continued to pursue the matter unsuccessfully with Brannigan and the council for three years, but had got "sick of chasing up".

"Many felt then and still do now that it was a flawed study and it did not take into account weekenders and holiday makers," she said.

Last month, a meeting was held by another local resident Gary Stewart, due to his and other residents' concerns over the speed of drivers on Andrew St.
Around 45 people attended, along with Councillor Brannigan, and possible options were discussed.

Dick said the meeting was at times heated, with residents frustrated nothing had happened in three years.

"The concern is that a small child walking to school is going to be run over sooner rather than later and somebody is going to die because of these local idiots. Not all are young ones either. There are middle aged and older drivers also who think these streets are race tracks," she said.

"So many residents now are so angry they are threatening to take action themselves. We have seen so many close shaves, drivers racing down Edinburgh Terrace trying to get to the corner of Queen Street before their mates who are racing along Seabury Avenue to Queen Street - it is quite scary to watch.

"They cut corners run up on grass verges then when they get around the corner to Andrews Street they speed along there as well. We have seen them going down Queen Street passed our place racing two-abreast, just bloody stupid."

She said she was concerned that with several more subdivisions planned for the area, the issue was only going to get worse.

"People coming for a break think because it is a beach area you don't have to wear safety helmets on quad bikes, can sit in the back of trailers and boats while they are being towed around and drive up on people's grass verges as they please."

"We love the beach life and love seeing other people enjoying it too, but the lack of respect for other people is beyond a joke at the moment and the lack of response from the council does not help."

Brannigan said the Forbes Rd subdivision had caused increased traffic volumes, but confirmed that the traffic study results meant the view of the roading team was there was no case for immediate action.

"Speed humps were not recommended with a good case put forward that they would cause more issues than solve," he said.

"Council's roading team has committed to reviewing all traffic movement matters in Queen St and surrounding areas through the master planning process that Council is currently working through in regard to the new subdivisions at Foxton Beach [that are] currently going through the planning process. I expect that will provide some relief to the amount of traffic that does transit through Queen St currently."

He said he was unsure of the claim the traffic study three years ago failed to take into account weekend and holiday traffic as he did not have the timings of the survey, however he believed every street in Foxton Beach would be subject to extra loading at peak times, not just Queen St.

Brannigan said he also disagreed that many residents were feeling so frustrated they were considering taking their own measures to slow traffic, as had been claimed at the meeting.

"We all spoke about a number of measures that could be taken and in the main, most there were very supportive of the suggestions and realised there are no immediate or easy solutions to these kinds of issues," he said.

"Only two people were making those kinds of threats [and] their rhetoric was not supported by the other attendees."

He said while he understood the frustrations, Council was committed to improvements in the traffic movements in Foxton Beach streets as part of growth planning.

"[The] bottom line is, like our main highways and motorways, some of our streets weren't built for the amount of traffic that [is] now transiting along them and we will need to play catch up, but that can't happen overnight or in isolation and has to be done as part of an overall strategy," he said.

"There are a number of roads and streets in Foxton Beach with the same issues due to a rapidly growing community, not just Queen St - ask Seabury Avenue residents. Like I told the residents at the meeting we all need to take a role in this and local policing needs to be part of the solution.

"Residents can lobby police for more road policing resources as I have and will continue to do, and local residents themselves need to slow down. By previous experience local drivers and residents are quite often the worst offenders."