Creating community-focused streets together

From April 2021, a series of temporary trials were rolled out in stages on King Street and Devon Lane in Pukekohe town centre.

This project focused on trialling a series of temporary activities to enhance the vibrancy of Pukekohe’s town centre. This included making it safer for people to walk around Pukekohe as well as creating space for outdoor dining and trialling the market in the town square.

These trials were part of the ‘Pukekohe Streets for People’ project – led by Panuku Development Auckland (Panuku) and Auckland Transport. The majority of the project is funded by Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) through their Innovating Streets programme, which funds community-based initiatives to make streets safer and more liveable. The concepts were informed by a series of co-design sessions with a local stakeholder advisory group, local businesses and youth. Public feedback on the trial closed on 12 June 2021.

The temporary trials

The temporary trials were focused on King Street and Devon Lane and were designed to bring safe streets and vibrant places to the heart of Pukekohe.

The trials were informed by feedback gathered in late 2020 and early 2021 through a local advisory group, business and youth workshops, and drop-in sessions.

King Street trial

King Street trial – removed

During April and May, we have received a huge amount feedback on the changes being trialled on King Street. Thank you to everyone who took the time to tell us what worked, what didn't, and how we could make it better.

Panuku listened to this feedback and King Street was reinstated as a two-way street in June 2021. Some road paint has remained in place. This could be used to widen the footpath for events or pop-up outdoor dining occasions in the summer months. In the interim, the painted parts of the road can be used for parking.

Panuku is working with the Pukekohe Business Association on other ways to increase the vibrancy and attractiveness of lower King Street. There have also been requests for pop-up outdoor dining elsewhere in Pukekohe which will be investigated in the summer.

Devon Lane upgrade - outcome of trial

During the trial, Devon Lane has become a shared space, creating more room for people to walk safely, while improving road safety for drivers.

Since the trial began, almost all vehicles using the lane are now travelling under 30km/h and 89% are travelling under 20km/h. We’ve also seen less use of Devon Lane as a ‘rat-run’ with a reduction in vehicle volumes.

Using video analysis, we also investigated people’s (non-vehicular) movement within the lane and found it well used. On a June 2021 weekday, we counted 1,148 north-south movements along the crossing outside the Farmers building, connecting with King Street. We also counted an additional 306 movements walking east or west along Devon Lane.

The current plan is to maintain Devon Lane as one-way, with some further changes to support its longevity over the next year or so, while we talk with the local community about the longer-term vision for Pukekohe. Based on our analysis of vehicle speeds, keeping the changes on Devon Lane will improve safety for pedestrians.

The following changes are planned once we move to Level 3, to enhance the current look and improve access for loading:

• Red circular concrete planters will replace the existing concrete cubes.
• New P5 signage and the removal of the ‘no stopping’ broken yellow line on the southern side of Devon Lane, supports the lane’s use as a loading zone.
• Loading is not permitted around the pedestrian crossing and at either end of the lane, where broken yellow lines remain.

Changes will be implemented overnight within a Covid-safe work environment and only once we move into Level 3.

Market and event trials – complete

The Franklin Market relocated to the Pukekohe Town Square for five Saturdays in May. Three different potential market layouts were trialled during that time, including holding the market on King Street during the Veggie Basket festival. Further market trials are being planned for summer 2022, incorporating feedback we have received.

Trial approach

We are taking a ‘trial’ approach which means we will test and tweak ideas to see how well they work. The trial started in April 2021 and the projects were installed in stages, starting in King St and moving on to Devon Lane.

Throughout the trial, we’ve listened to feedback from the Pukekohe community and make adjustments based on what they tell us. We have also surveyed people and monitored things like traffic flow and numbers of people walking as part of the trial.

The long-term future of these projects is being assessed from the end of June. If the Pukekohe community is happy with these changes, we’ll keep them.

Questions and answers about the trial

Iterations made to date

We’ve listened to ongoing feedback from the community. As of Monday 10 May 2021, the following tweaks have been made to the trial:

King Street

• We’ve removed some of the low blocks and replaced them with taller planters or ‘hit sticks’ to make the space safer and more attractive. Other low blocks have been moved so bigger vehicles can get around them easier
• The outdoor dining areas have been made more appealing with new planting, tables, chairs and umbrellas

Devon Lane

• We’ve moved some low blocks so bigger vehicles can get around them easier, and to improve access to surrounding properties
• There’s a new street graphic to encourage people to drive slower and prioritise pedestrians
• More signage has been added to let people know about the changes

Due to feedback and our observations, further changes were made to the Devon Lane layout in early June. These changes included:

• Making larger vehicle access easier by reducing the number of concrete blocks.
• Retaining some physical obstructions to provide areas where people walking along the lane are separated from traffic moving along the lane.
• Improving safety at the zebra crossing by Muffin Break by placing some blocks and planters to narrow the lane at this point.
• Encouraging slower speeds by increasing the number of speed humps.
• Improving visibility by removing the large fruit boxes.
• Increasing visibility of the concrete blocks for drivers.
• Making changes to the Queen Street end of Devon lane to encourage a single lane exit.
• Highlighting the one-way direction by adding some new road markings.
• Improving vehicle access to the Farmers car park by removing some of the blocks near the entrance.

Pukekohe Farmers Market

• We’ve created better access to properties and parking areas
• The electricity generator was moved because it was disrupting a local business
• More signage has been added to let people know about the changes

Involving the local community

The Pukekohe Streets for People project has been working with and in the local Pukekohe community from late 2020.

The initial plans were developed through a series of co-design sessions with a local advisory panel held in late 2020 and early 2021. This panel includes representatives from Pukekohe Business Association, local organisations such as Toimauri Collective, the Franklin Markets, Vakatautua and various Auckland Council departments (Franklin Arts Centre, Panuku, the Franklin Local Board and Community Empowerment).

There were also co-design sessions with local businesses, a workshop with youth, and drop-in sessions in the town centre. The feedback gathered from these workshops have informed the Pukekohe Streets for People plans. Feedback from the trial was gathered from this page and through intercept surveys of street users and businesses before, during and after the trial.

We are still interested in working with Pukekohe residents to understand what you want for your town centre in the future.

Please sign up to the updates on the right-hand side of the page to stay informed of future opportunities to tell us what you think.