Rutherford School

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 introduced around a school before any long-term solutions are implemented. The changes are designed to increase safety outside schools, reduce the number of vehicles during peak times and encourage more students and their families to walk and cycle to and from school each day.

Auckland Transport is taking a Vision Zero approach to road safety. This means we are striving to have zero deaths or serious injuries on our transport system by 2050. To achieve this, we are working to create a more forgiving road network that recognises that we are human and make mistakes. But those mistakes should not mean someone dies or is seriously injured on our roads.

From November 2019, interim changes were made to the streets around Rutherford Primary School and Rutherford College, and these changes were monitored and adjustments were made to the layout after feedback from the schools and community.

The interim changes included

• Kotuku Street was narrowed by the use of planter boxes. The southern side of the street became a ‘no stopping or parking zone’ for parents and students. This was to reduce the number of cars and turning movements on Kotuku Street and make it safer for those walking, cycling and scooting.
• Pick up/drop off zones were located on the school side of Toru Street and the top of Titoki and Karamu Street to reduce vehicle congestion in and around the school gate. There are also park and walk zones on Gloria Avenue and Old Te Atatu Road. These zones are not for student parking.
• New pedestrian crossings and speed calming measures: New courtesy crossing locations were tested at either end of Kotuku Street and Toru Street. During this interim installation these are raised courtesy crossings, not zebra crossings so pedestrians do not have priority over traffic, but they will slow vehicles and allow us to test the location.
• New bus stop locations were trailed for Rutherford College Students

In early 2021, all of the feedback from the community surveys, and the traffic monitoring was collated into a final report. This information was used to determine which parts of the infrastructure should be built permanently to improve safety and encourage active forms of transport to and from school.

This trial informed and shaped more permanent solutions which were installed in Kotuku Street, Gloria Ave and Old Te Atatu Road. The permanent infrastructure was installed starting June 2021.

Some of the key changes include:

• The location of the Rutherford Primary crossing was finalised and a raised crossing built
• A raised pedestrian table across the entrance to Rutherford High School, and another further up Kotuku Street, to encourage slower speeds and safer crossing points for students and community.
• The foot paths on the school side of Kotuku Streets were widened to safely cater for the large numbers of students who are leaving school at the end of the day.
• At each end of Kotuku Street, the corners were rebuilt to encourage drivers to enter the street safely and to allow safer crossing for pedestrians.
• Some road markings to indicate a school area were installed on Old Te Atatu Road to let drivers know they are approaching a school zone
• A Walking School Bus was established from the primary school to a pick up location at the Church on Old Te Atatu Road
• Some wayfinding footpath art was planned to highlight the presence of young students and to encourage students to walk safely to school.