Featherston Street cycleway construction to start in January
Published on 12 December 2023
Cycleway and pedestrian upgrades around one of our city’s most dangerous intersections are getting underway in January.
The Featherston Street cycleway and pedestrian upgrades aim to create a safer environment to encourage people to choose to ride bikes and walk. Featherston Street is a top priority in our Urban Cycle Masterplan as there have been 442 crashes in the past decade – of which 28 involved people on bikes and 19 involved pedestrians.
Higgins has been awarded the contract to construct the section of the Featherston Street cycleway and pedestrian improvements between Aroha and North Street.
The key changes for the project will see two new raised pedestrian crossings outside Central Normal and Palmerston North Boys’ High School, a separated uni-directional cycleway on both sides of the road, and changes to the lane layout and light phasing at the Rangitikei intersection.
This project is primarily funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, with Council contributing 10% of the total cost.
Construction is being carried out in two stages
- Stage 1 (Aroha to Rangitikei Streets): From 16 January to late-February.
- Stage 2 (Rangitikei to North Streets): From late-February to late April.
To minimise disruption to daily traffic, construction will take place at night, from 6pm to 6am Sunday to Thursday.
During these periods, road closures and detours will be in place. The road will return to normal during the day, but there may be reduced speeds and cones in some areas. There will be no work on Friday or Saturday nights, or on public holidays.
Businesses and schools along the construction route will remain accessible throughout the work period.
Cars must not be parked on the street within the construction zone after 6pm.
In a separate project, the NZ Transport Agency is making safety improvements at the SH3 Rangitikei Street/Featherston Street intersection. More information on this project is available on the NZ Transport Agency website
This construction is expected to start after the cycleway and pedestrian work on Featherston Street.
It’s important to note that construction of the cycleway along the rest of Featherston Street, and on Summerhill Drive, has been put on hold following a recent announcement from the NZ Transport Agency to pause funding for its Transport Choices programme. We will provide another update when we hear from the Transport Agency.
Acting Transport and Development Group Manager Bryce Hosking says these projects are part of our commitment to providing safer and more accessible transport options for everyone in our city, and they are top priorities in our Urban Cycle Network Masterplan.
"This project has seen some of the most significant community engagement our Council has ever done. At first, we sought feedback from the community, and met with more than 130 businesses, schools and organisations. Sixty-seven per cent of pedestrians told us they felt unsafe crossing Featherston Street, 86% of cyclists felt unsafe using the street and 285 students at Palmerston North Boys’ High School told us they avoided cycling due to safety concerns or inadequate cycling infrastructure.
"We then brought representatives from each of these key stakeholder groups together over a series of workshops to co-design the street. We used all that feedback to design the new street.”
In total, we received 431 submissions and had more than 210 people participate in co-design workshops.
Councillor Brent Barrett, Chair of Council’s Sustainability Committee, says construction of the Featherston Street cycleway and pedestrian upgrades between Aroha and North Streets marks the start of a key element in our city's transport network plans.
"This section of Featherston Street has become one of the busiest and riskiest stretches of road in our city, so we're excited to create a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders and motorists. Not only will this project improve safety, but it will provide options for everyone in our community to choose how they navigate our city. By expanding the road space dedicated to moving people around, we are improving accessibility for all types of road users. Our commitment to the Featherston Street cycleway extends beyond this initial section, and we’re committed to working alongside the NZ Transport Agency and our community to complete the remaining sections as soon as we can."
The full Council report, minutes and voting outcome of this decision is expected to available for the community next week once the contract has been signed. This will be available on our website.
We will provide another update to the community early in the New Year once the construction plan between Aroha and North Streets is confirmed, and we’ve discussed with schools, organisations and businesses within the area.