Project update - 20 May 2021

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board has decided to end the Onehunga Low Traffic Area pilot project. The decision was made under the board’s urgent decision-making process after a briefing this morning around serious concerns to public safety after vandalism and disruption at the project site.

Removal of the project installations are expected to take up to four days, however unforeseen delays and complications due to the level of damage from vandalism has resulted in further delays. The community is being advised to be mindful of road safety as contractors work in the area and changing roading patterns. Read the full statement here

Local Streets for Local People

We are trialling changes to the street layout in Onehunga as part of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood trial funded by the Waka Kotahi Innovating Streets fund. The goal of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods is to redirect cars from narrow residential streets, like Grey, Arthur, Cardwell and Cameron, back on to main arterial roads like Mt Smart in order to create quieter local streets where people feel it is safer and more pleasant to walk or cycle.

The changes being trialled are the outcome of community engagement that took place from December through February and included an online survey, a community workshop, a pop-up stall at the Onehunga Festival, and a postcard maildrop to residents.

Both online and at the workshop, the community voiced their frustrations at the increasing amounts of through-traffic filling their residential streets. We heard a universal call for 'safer streets that are easier to move around on by foot, scooter or wheelchair.

Project update - 12 May 2021

At an extraordinary business meeting last night in Onehunga, to discuss the future of the Arthur Grey Low Traffic Area pilot project, the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board agreed to continue the trial but to remove barriers on Grey Street.

The move will create two small low traffic areas on either side of Grey Street and address most of the concerns raised by the community around road access, while still providing a Low Traffic Neighbourhood project as stipulated by the project agreement with Waka Kotahi.

The project is one of several in communities across New Zealand funded by Waka Kotahi as part of the Innovating Streets initiative. In this case it is run by the local board in partnership with Auckland Transport.

Local board chair Maria Meredith acknowledges the strong feeling in the community from opponents of the pilot, but believes it is important to continue the course to ensure local roads are safe and accessible for all users, not just cars.

“I am pleased to see this continue and that none of the learnings to date have been lost. Looking forward, this decision means that the project team have clear direction on the next stage and therefore contributing to the long-term goal of people-friendly streets, lower speeds and a brighter future for all New Zealand neighbourhoods.”

The board had several options before them and voted 4-3 in favour of option 3B (which can be found here).

Kathryn King, Urban Mobility Manager at Waka Kotahi is pleased the pilot will be continuing. “The community has provided high levels of feedback on the changes and the data collected also gave the project team a good picture of what the pilot has achieved so far. The ongoing collection of data, as well as the community feedback, will allow further adjustments to be made to improve the pilot layout, while also helping New Zealand reduce carbon emissions and be a safer place to walk and bike in.”

The Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board would like to thank everyone for their involvement in this project, and continued engagement in the feedback channels.

Full media release can be found here.

What this project is all about

The Arthur Grey Low Traffic Area is a project to enhance road safety for many Onehunga residents. It will trial some possible solutions and test new ideas, which if successful may become more permanent.

The Arthur Grey Low Traffic area will aim to:

• reduce traffic speeds and volumes on certain residential streets
• improve walking and cycling connections in the neighbourhood.

High traffic volumes are common on several streets in the concerned area, increasing the risks to many of our most vulnerable residents. This area includes several churches, early childcare centres and connections to the town centre and train station.

Who is behind the project

The project is funded through the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's Innovating Streets Programme and will be delivered by the Maungakiekie Tāmaki Local Board and supported by Auckland Transport.

What we want feedback on

We want to hear:

• what it's like living on the streets within the proposed Low Traffic Area
• how residents feel about road safety, traffic speeds/volumes and sense of community.

We will work with residents and local businesses throughout the project to come up with possible improvements.

The final design could include:

• places where the road narrows
• road designs that restrict the passage of certain vehicles
• road art
• mini-roundabouts
• planter boxes
• changes to the road layout.

Community engagement will be open during the entire trial period from 7 December 2020 to June 30 2021