Ben Donaldson
After a public outcry over the poor layout of a roundabout at the bottom of Neville Street in Warkworth, Auckland Transport (AT) has come up with a new design.
AT delivery manager David Nelson says several changes have been made to meet the requirements of both large vehicles and pedestrians.
“At last commonsense seems to have prevailed,” Warkworth Area Business Association chair Chris Murphy says.
“What was originally proposed simply did not work and demonstrated a lack of consultation and fore thought.”
The new design incorporates filling the roundabout curb with concrete so that it is mountable and removing the traffic island that was originally going to be built on Baxter Street.
But not everyone is happy with the re-design.
“If the construction was to improve pedestrian safety then how is the new design, without the Baxter Street island, addressing this?” Tahi Bar owner Ian Marriot says.
“This could have been better planned; heads would have rolled if this was anywhere else.”
Local Board member Steven Garner defended AT on Facebook following a post from local board member Greg Sayers, which stated that the project was a waste of rates.
“The question of pedestrian safety and improving pedestrian access and amenity is addressed well by this!” Mr Garner’s post said. “Arguably, the largest trucks shouldn’t be in this part of town anyway.”
The work is expected to be finished later this month.
