CBD's zebra crossings go legit

AFTER years of being illegal, Wanganui's central business district pedestrian crossings are about to be brought into line.
For more than a year the Wanganui District Council has been faced with upgrading the 12 existing crossings or removing them.
Yesterday council infrastructure committee was told Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ) had accepted a modified upgrade.
Infrastructure manager Julian Reweti said the upgrade involved converting the existing herringbone-type bars on the crossings to a rectangular shape. The advance warning diamond shapes on the roadway would be maintained and advance limit lines would be marked only where it was practicable to do so.
Black-and-white poles with disc-type beacons would be inserted into the green bollards at the start of each crossing. Pedestrian bars, not centralised within the area between the green bollards, would be moved so that they were.
The modifications will cost about $40,000 of which 72 percent will be subsidised by LTNZ.
Work on the crossings is expected to begin this financial year, with council's share of the cost to come from its minor safety budget.
It may be some time before pedestrians don't have to play Russian roulette crossing Taupo Quay in the area bounded by St Hill and Wilson streets.
Mr Reweti said crossing the road there was extremely difficult, and there was no link to the river walkway. "The installation of a safe pedestrian access is problematic. Traffic volumes are high, there is multiple vehicle access from Trafalgar Square and across the road, as well as multi-lanes, particularly at the intersections. Any pedestrian crossing will have significant traffic impacts."
Cr Philippa Baker Hogan said she found it difficult to cross the road in that area "...and I am fairly athletic."
Cr Sue Westwood said the whole Ridgway St ? Taupo Quay block bordered by St Hill and Wilson streets needed to be looked at. She wondered if a solution might be for traffic exiting on to Taupo Quay to only turn left.
It was agreed a report on various options be prepared and discussed at the next committee meeting.
Road safety for pedestrians and children outside Durie Hill School is likely to improve shortly.
In March council was told by the school's board of trustees they were concerned for the safety of children crossing the road outside the school and also by cars using the school's turning bay.
Subsequently traffic engineers believed the situation could be improved by having a school crossing point and improved road marking within the turning bay.
The committee agreed the work should be done. It will cost about $5000, of which about $3500 will attract a subsidy. Council's share would come from the roading minor safety budget.