All You Roosters - Look Both Ways Before You Cross
Wednesday 24 November 2010, 4:14PM
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Posters and flyers encouraging people - and possibly chickens - to take extra care crossing Willis and Manners streets from next week are being delivered to businesses along the new Golden Mile bus route, and kerbside reminders will be installed tomorrow (weather depending).
The "Look both ways" reminders will be put on the edge of the pavement in places along the new route to supplement other temporary signs urging pedestrians to look right and left.
The pedestrian safety flyers - which include a map showing the new routes and bus stops - will also be handed out in the central city for five days from Thursday to help raise awareness about the need to look both ways on the new two-way section of bus route.
Buses begin using the new route from early on Sunday (28 November) morning. The first bus to use the new two-way route will be the Airport Flyer that leaves from the Lambton interchange at about 5.50am.
The Council's Infrastructure Director, Stavros Michael, says people will be stationed at several intersections on Sunday and Monday to assist general traffic - including cyclists - to adjust to the changed traffic flows.
"Our primary concern though is making sure that pedestrians and people who work in this area are aware that there will be traffic coming from new directions," he says. "Council staff have already visited a lot of businesses, shops and organisations located in buildings on the affected parts of Willis and Manners streets offering them posters for their staff areas and lifts, and flyers for their staff or customers. We're not stopping at the ground floor - we've been up the Majestic Tower and other high-rises along the route - and will be getting to more buildings over the next few days.
"If we've inadvertently missed anyone - or others in nearby areas would like posters or flyers - please call us on (04) 499 4444."
As part of the campaign, three of the Council's triangular poster bollards have been repositioned along the new section of route as prominent streetside reminders that buses will be coming from new directions.
"As well as bus images, we're also using an image of a chicken - a species well known for crossing roads - on some of our safety material," he says. "We want Wellingtonians to be aware of the changes and get across safely and felt the handsome leghorn rooster from Wellington Zoo might capture some people's attention and help us do that.
"This isn't the first time the traffic direction on Wellington streets has been changed and we expect people will get used to the new environment fairly quickly. But we are asking everyone to take extra care during the transition. There are detailed maps showing the new bus route and changes to general traffic flows on our website. Check the Golden Mile page in our projects section: