Proposals for safer crossing

New measures are being considered to help pedestrians safely cross Thomas Burns St, Dunedin, as more commuters seek free parks in the city's waterfront area, Dunedin City Council staff say.

Council senior traffic engineer Bruce Conaghan said the improvements would be added near the existing pedestrian railway overbridge, at the Dunedin Railway Station.

They could include construction of a $15,000 pedestrian refuge island in the middle of the road, or a more expensive set of pedestrian-activated traffic lights and crossing costing up to $100,000, Mr Conaghan said.

Visibility problems meant it was considered too dangerous to place a simple pedestrian "zebra" crossing across the road, he said.

A study, and efforts to identify funding, would begin later this year, and a pedestrian refuge could be built before the end of June next year, he said.

Pedestrian traffic lights could take longer, with construction more likely in the next financial year.

If a pedestrian refuge was built, the design would most likely allow for the future addition of pedestrian-activated lights, Mr Conaghan said.

It was apparent more people were choosing to park in the harbour area, but crossing Thomas Burns St could be "very difficult" in peak periods, he said.

Whatever solution was chosen, separate plans for the harbour arterial route project could eventually see an overbridge providing a longer-term link over the route, at an estimated cost of up to $300,000, he said.

Council staff were also planning to improve the pedestrian crossing across Andersons Bay Rd, near Woolworths, including pedestrian-activated lights, costing up to $15,000 and scheduled for later this financial year.

The George and Albany Sts intersection was also expected to get traffic lights during the 2010-11 financial year, as were the Kaikorai Valley Rd/Mellor St intersection and the David St/South Rd intersections, both later this financial year and costing up to $180,000, he said.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz

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