Feedback closed on Sunday 10 December.
Last year, we were asked by a group of residents to make it safer to walk, cycle and drive on Vogel Street.
One of the submissions included a petition we received during consultation on our 2022/2023 Annual Budget. As part of that process, elected members asked us to report to them with a staged plan to address road safety concerns on Vogel Street.
We’ve identified two options to improve safety for all road users on the street – and now we want your feedback on which option you’d like us to consider. Public feedback has closed.
We'll ask our road maintenance contractor Fulton Hogan to address any pavement issues between Tremaine Avenue and Featherston Street in the interim. We'll consider resealing or resurfacing the street after we determine which proposed safety package will proceed to construction.
There have been 50 crashes on Vogel Street in the past five years.
- 15 crashes caused injuries
- 14 crashes involved drivers losing control
- 25 crashes involved rear end accidents at intersections
- Two crashes involved pedestrians
Proposed safety improvement options
We believe a combination of the solutions outlined below will make Vogel Street a safer route for people to walk, cycle and drive.
We’ve identified two proposed safety packages or options that could make Vogel Street safer. Both options include raised pedestrian crossings and a right-turn bay into Featherston Street.
Vogel Street is included as a priority route in our Urban Cycle Network Master Plan, however, designing a cycleway will require reallocating road or berm space as there are currently no cycle facilities on the street. We’d like your feedback on the type of cycleway you think should be implemented on Vogel Street.
Raised pedestrian crossings
- Raised pedestrian crossings provide a visible platform for people to cross the road. They raise pedestrians above the level of the road, making them more visible to drivers.
- We’re proposing to install three raised pedestrian crossings near the intersections of Rata Street, Hayden Street and Rangiora Avenue.
- We recently upgraded the crossing outside the Vogel Street shopping centre to a raised pedestrian crossing and our data shows the crossing has slowed vehicle speeds – making it safer for people crossing the road and motorists using the shopping centre car park.
Right-turn bay
- Right-turn bays provide a designated space for vehicles turning right into a side street to move out of the main flow of traffic.
- Right-turn bays are used on high-volume roads to reduce rear-end collisions that can occur when turning vehicles slow down or stop in the middle of the road. Right-turn bays are good for streets or intersections with more than 3000 vehicle movements per day.
- We are proposing to install a right-turn bay at the intersection at Featherston Street as this has the worst history for rear end crashes.
Option 1: Raised pedestrian crossings + right-turn bay + shared pathway
This option includes:
- Raised pedestrian crossings at three locations near the intersections of Rata Street, Hayden Street and Rangiora Avenue
- A right-turn bay into Featherston Street
- A shared pathway for pedestrians and people on bikes
Shared pathways are spaces for both pedestrians and cyclists. This design works well in recreational areas, such as along the Manawatu River walkway. They can create safety issues on busy urban roads as they run through driveways and side streets and drivers are not used to looking both ways to check for people on bikes.
This option would cost significantly higher on Vogel Street as it would require the removal of street trees, relocation of streetlights and widening the footpath. There are 37 street trees and 14 streetlights on the street.
Option 2: Raised pedestrian crossings + right-turn bay + separated cycleway
This option includes:
- Raised pedestrian crossings at three locations near the intersections of Rata Street, Hayden Street and Rangiora Avenue
- A right-turn bay into Featherston Street
- A separated cycleway with a physical barrier between the cycle and traffic lanes
Separated cycleways provide a physical barrier between cyclists and traffic to reduce the risk of accidents and collisions. This option is safest for cyclists but requires the removal of on-street parking. To build a separated cycleway within the existing space, the cycleway would need to be bi-directional due to the narrow width. Bi-directional cycleways are where cyclists are on one side of the street but can travel in both directions. The change will require the removal of on-street parking and require bus services to operate within the traffic lane which will slow down traffic.
You can see an example of this design on Main Street – Pioneer Highway. Similar cycleways are being constructed on Featherston Street and Summerhill Drive early next year.