Lights Change on Trial at Northgate/Devon St East

A minor change to the Northgate/Devon St East traffic signals in Fitzroy will be trialled from this Monday (11 June).

In an effort to reduce traffic build-up, NPDC will give more green time to traffic on Northgate and those on Devon Road that are turning into Fitzroy. To do this, the signals phase for traffic on Devon Street East that is turning right onto Northgate will operate only once every two cycles.

“Regular drivers know the traffic build-up that happens in this area every day,” says Manager Roading Assets Max Aves.

“We want to give priority to the busiest feeder roads to this intersection so that traffic can travel through it with slightly fewer delays.”

Of the three phases that are managed by traffic signals at this intersection, Northgate heading north is the busiest with an average daily total of nearly 11,000 vehicles.

The next-busiest is Devon Road turning right onto Devon Street East with more than 4,300 vehicles, then Devon Street East turning right onto Northgate with nearly 700.

Currently, each route gets a green light in turn. During the trial the Devon Street East to Northgate traffic signal will turn green once for every two green signals for Devon Road and Northgate traffic.

“People pulling up on Devon Street East to turn right onto Northgate will have a longer wait than usual. However, traffic on Northgate and Devon Road will have an additional 15 seconds in total – which might not seem like much but you can get a lot of vehicles through in that time, particularly during peak periods,” says Mr Aves.

The trial will last for two months. The Council will monitor the effects of the change including the traffic queue length on Devon Street East, and invites feedback from those who use the intersection.

This intersection, being on a state highway, is one of a number of signalised intersections that the Council manages on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency. The agency has given its consent for the trial to take place.