PERMANENT ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL CITY SCHOOLS CLUSTER

You’ve probably noticed yellow posts, bright signs and red street crossings around Otago Boys’ High School, Arthur Street School, Kavanagh College, Otago Girls’ High School and St Joseph’s Cathedral School. These were part of a trial of options to improve road safety. Now we’re making these permanent, following feedback from schools and residents.

Assessment shows the measures have slowed vehicle speeds and improved safety for pedestrians.

The permanent work will include removing temporary posts, roads markings and signs and installing more crossing points, kerb buildouts and pedestrian refuge islands at existing crossing points. The layout of parking in parts of Cargill Street and York Place will be changed from parallel to angle parking to create more car parks to offset any loss due to gateways or crossing points. The introduction of part time 40 km/h speed zones during school pick-up and drop-off times will aim to reduce traffic speeds. Electronic signs near schools will help enforce the 40km speed limit.

Signs at entry points to the central city schools’ cluster area will be replaced with electronic signs to indicate to drivers they are entering the schools cluster. Posts at entry points will be replaced with kerb buildouts.

Entry points are on:

• Arthur Street (east and west)
• Brown Street
• Cargill Street
• View Street
• Rattray Street (south and north)
• Smith Street
• York Place (east and west)

To get an idea of the look of the new permanent crossings, you can visit the roundabout intersections of Brown Street and Elm Row and Brown and Duncan Streets which have been improved using the new crossing design, kerb buildouts and pedestrian islands. Parking has been changed from parallel to angle in parts of Elm Row and Duncan Street.

The project is expected to take seven months to complete at a cost of $1.5 million.

The DCC aims to keep disruption to a minimum during construction work and will keep schools and the community informed about progress on this project.

For more information see www.dunedin.govt.nz/central-city-schools-cluster.