Bureta Road/Vale Street intersection safety upgrade

The addition of a roundabout and moving the existing zebra crossing from the intersection on Vale Street to a new location in front of the Countdown carpark is the best design option to increase safety at the Bureta Road/Vale Street intersection for pedestrians, cyclists and cars. These changes will: 

• Improve crossings and paths for pedestrians, mobility scooters, and cyclists 
• Slow drivers approaching the pedestrian crossing and intersection
• Improve the safety of the intersection
• Future-proof other potential projects in the area, allowing for multi-modal travel and urban growth.

The roundabout design at the Bureta Road/Vale Street intersection has been modelled and shows good traffic flow through Vale Street and only minor delays on Bureta Road. This minor delay happens now, as Bureta Road traffic must give way to Vale Street traffic.

Roundabouts are the safest form of intersection control for people travelling in motor vehicles. Numerous studies have shown that, in general, fewer casualty crashes involving only motor vehicles occur at roundabouts than at intersections controlled by traffic signals, stop signs, or give-way signs.  Because roundabouts generally involve slow crash speeds, the forces exerted on people inside motor vehicles involved in crashes at roundabouts are generally below the thresholds at which serious injury is likely to happen.

Single-laned roundabouts

When you approach a roundabout that has only one lane in each direction:

• Slow down as you approach the roundabout and be prepared to give way
• Give way to all vehicles that will cross your path from your right as you enter the roundabout (including cyclists?).

More advice on how to use roundabouts is available on the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency website.

• Entry speed – the faster the entry speed, the less time drivers have to scan for cyclists entering the roundabout at different entry points, and the greater the severity of any crash that does occur.  Lowering entry speeds (negotiation and exit) is the focus of designing roundabouts that are safe for all users, including motorcyclists, vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.  Lowering entry and operating speeds of roundabouts means that all users who are on the road (cyclists, motorcyclists, cars, buses etc), are travelling at the same speed, so it is easier for cyclists to ‘claim their lane’ and not be pushed out of the way.  
• Visibility – if drivers approaching a roundabout can assess gaps in traffic too early, they are less likely to see a cyclist, and less likely to slow down.
• Alternative route – for less confident cyclists, there will be shared paths on the outside of the roundabout so that cyclists can use these to negotiate the roundabout separated from the traffic.  There will be improved crossing opportunities and slower vehicle speeds, so picking gaps in traffic will be easier. 

The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency website has more information on roundabouts and cycle safety.

This has been modelled using a standard size bus. Findings are that vehicles up to the size of a bus should be able to navigate the roundabout with ease. This would include utility vehicles pulling a boat or trailer, trucks, campervans, and utility vehicles pulling caravans.

• There have been motor vehicle crashes at the Bureta Road/Vale Street intersection, however, most crashes have been non-injury crashes. A pedestrian fatality occurred at the pedestrian crossing on Vale Street adjacent to Bureta Road in 2017
• Based on crash history, key safety issues in the area result from crossing/turning crashes due to vehicles failing to give way
• Pedestrians and cyclists are at the highest risk of a fatality or serious injury if involved in a crash. As our community becomes more active, and with potential development proposed in the area, there is likely be an increase in the number of active road users in the future
• The new location in front of the Countdown carpark better meets the needs of users, particularly the school and elder housing users which are our most vulnerable.  Pedestrians will still be able to cross at the intersection, however if they need a safer option, it is still within 40m of the Bureta Road/ Vale Street intersection. 
• High vehicle speeds on Vale Street/Chapel Street/Ngātai Road.  The new crossing will be on a raised table, reducing the high speeds in this mid-block section, where there are still private accesses (driveways) and the Vale Street entrance into the shopping centre carpark.  
• The speed environment is inappropriate for the number of vehicles and vulnerable road users. People are currently travelling at a much higher speed than what is considered safe in an urban/residential area.

Moving the pedestrian crossing further along Vale Street will reduce some of these risks. 

Most pedestrian crashes occur while pedestrians are attempting to cross the road. A range of solutions can help pedestrians to cross safely, including the use of formal crossing points.

The Ngātai Road and Bureta Street intersection upgrade will be part of a separate project at a later date.