Safe School Streets

Safe School Streets is a pilot programme that AT is trialling with a number of schools around Auckland. The programme sees temporary measures installed around a school before any long-term solutions are introduced. The changes are designed to improve connectivity and increase safety outside schools. The aim is to reduce the number of vehicles during peak travel times, ask parents who drive to use park and walk zones and encourage more students and their families (whanau) to walk, cycle and scoot to and from school each day.

As part of the Safe School Streets programme, Auckland Transport (AT) has implemented a number of temporary safety improvements around Ōwairaka District School. These are being trialled to understand what permanent improvements should be introduced in final scheme.

In 2021, we sought feedback from the community about the changes and the impact they are having. We had also planned to undertake traffic monitoring; however, this was delayed due to COVID-19. In September 2022, AT made some modifications to the trial based on initial feedback from the school and people in the community. We have been monitoring the impact of these changes and also ran a public survey to get feedback on the changes. All this information will be part of the final evaluation report that will be publicised shortly but based on all the data and feedback collected AT is now returning 13 carparking spaces outside the school on Richardson Road to alleviate parking and traffic management issues due to infrastructure works in the area.


The changes trialled at Ōwairaka District School include:

  • Drop-off and pick-up/park and walk zones. Parents/caregivers have been encouraged to drop children off at a number of promoted drop-off zones away from the school gate.
  • Restricted parking. Parking had been restricted on the school side of Richardson Road, with parents and caregivers encouraged during drop off/pick up times to use the zones referred to above.
  • Unlocked gate. The school gate located in Murray Halberg Park will be unlocked and opened during the interim phase. Entry via this school gate is the quickest way to get to school from Murray Halberg Park .
  • Traffic calming. On-road treatments to slow traffic have been installed outside the school.


Public feedback

The trial is now open to the public to give feedback. Click the link HERE

Public feedback via survey ends: Sunday 4 December 2022

Email us at ATengagement@at.govt.nz with the subject line Ōwairaka District School survey.


What happens next?

Auckland Transport and their research partners have been busy analysing all the feedback and traffic monitoring data and using it to help refine the proposal. Based on the feedback from the school and community around the interim changes, we’ll confirm whether or not the temporary changes will be made permanent.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this proposal further, please contact us at ATengagement@at.govt.nz.