Traffic islands trial postponed

A trial of traffic islands to block some movements at several Hamilton East intersections has been postponed after the suburb’s residents voiced concerns about the impact of the proposal.

Hamilton City Council’s City Transportation Unit has identified Hamilton East as one of 25 areas in the city where a range of initiatives are proposed to make it safer for residents who live there, and for anybody choosing  to walk, cycle or catch a bus.

Residents in the suburb attended a public meeting this week to look at the proposals, and have asked Council staff not to proceed with a trial of traffic islands which would have restricted vehicle movements through several of the neighbourhood’s intersections.
General Manager City Infrastructure Chris Allen says Hamilton East residents who attended the meeting were worried about the impact of these islands.

“We’re really encouraged by their support for our initiatives, particularly lowering the speed limit to 40km/h, but they felt the traffic islands we proposed would have caused problems, so we will not be proceeding with trialling them at this time,” says Mr Allen.

“The residents have also made some really good suggestions about alternative methods to make their neighbourhood’s streets safer. We’re going to explore some of those options to see what could work. It’s great to see they are so positive about this project in their neighbourhood and are sharing their views with us.”
Mr Allen encouraged residents to visit www.hamilton.co.nz/transport to find out more about the transport proposals and give their views through an online submission form.