By Andrew Bydder, Hamilton City Councillor
Hamilton City Council’s Infrastructure committee meeting on 8 August 2024 reviewed a proposed new roundabout, and yet again, it had raised pedestrian crossings.
Raised crossings are speed bumps that came from European urban planners’ idea to use children to slow cars. The crossings are deliberately located in places of danger at intersections. We used to have crossings set back from intersections because their purpose was safety. Now the purpose is to slow traffic. Children who don’t understand traffic are likely to run over raised crossings under a false impression of safety. For drivers approaching roundabouts, the rule is to give way to the right. The driver does not need to look left. A child approaching from the left is in real danger. Additionally, car drivers have to break to leave the roundabout because of the raised crossing in the exit lane. This disrupts traffic flow and increases the number of accidents. In densely packed narrow lanes of European cities, there is some sense with cars peaking at 30 km/h anyway, but it does not translate to New Zealand conditions.
The location of the new roundabout is the Silverdale Road/Morrinsville Road/Matangi Road intersection. For those not familiar with the intersection, it is at the bottom of a gully with steep fast approaches from all directions. It has always been a difficult problem to resolve because Matangi and Silverdale Roads are offset. A roundabout and re-alignment of Matangi Road is a sensible solution. However, those familiar with the intersection will know that pedestrians simply don’t use this area. The gully takes up two sides and there are simply no destinations for walkers to go to. The nearest house driveway on Morrinsville Road is 600m away, Matangi Road serves a rural catchment, and Silverdale Road has a safe route for both pedestrians and cyclists through Jansen Park.
Councillor Andrew Bydder proposed an amendment to remove the raised crossings from further design. This was seconded by Councillor Geoff Taylor. In addition, Bydder questioned new cycleways on both sides of Morrinsville Road from the intersection up to the Cambridge Road roundabout. This would require removing street parking in the same way Rifle Range Road was affected. Not only will residents be impacted, but Berkley Middle School will lose the ability for parents to drop off kids safely by car.
Bydder also raised concerns about cost overruns. The project is currently fully funded by NZTA, but council is liable for costs over the budget. No geotechnical work has been carried out in coming up with the budget. Bydder noted that the Ohaupo Road roundabout had massive cost blowouts because of soft ground in what was once the bottom of a gully. The new roundabout is also at the bottom of a gully, so it appears nothing has been learned.
The vote was lost 6-7, meaning the speed bumps and cycleways stay in. There will be another opportunity to fight it before final approval, so watch this space. Those voting for Bydder’s amendments were Bydder. Geoff Taylor, Ewan Wilson, Emma Pike, Tim Macindoe, and Mark Donovan. Those against were O’Leary, Thomson, Southgate, Tauriki, Cox, Van Oosten, and Hutt.
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Further reading on this issue
Waikato Times article: Firefighters spark up at loathed traffic calming measures
What are the disadvantages and negative impacts of “traffic calming”?
