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Painted roundabouts appear on intersections throughout Dunedin including in David and Thorn Sts,...
Painted roundabouts appear on intersections throughout Dunedin including in David and Thorn Sts, in Caversham, Aberdeen and Isadore Rds in St Clair, and Arthur and Russell Sts in City Rise. Photos: Gregor Richardson
New painted roundabouts popping up across Dunedin will improve safety, the Dunedin City Council says.

However, a resident has raised concerns, saying they could lead to accidents.

In recent weeks, painted circles have appeared on intersections throughout Dunedin including in Aberdeen and Isadore Rds, David and Thorn Sts, and Arthur and Russell Sts.

It is part of a nine-intersection council project also including Shetland, Chapman and Dale Sts, Tainui Rd and Dundonald St, Manor Pl and Melville St, Wickliffe and Church Sts, Musselburgh Rise and Shore St, and Halsey and Ward Sts.

The council says the $120,000 project is meant to improve safety at the intersections and would be completed by the end of the month.

Mosgiel resident Wendy Deans said she was ''very worried'' about how dangerous they could be.

She often drove through the Thorn St intersection and she thought it would lead to accidents, as there was little signage and the roundabout was not raised.

''They're not a roundabout, as such. It's just a white circle painted on the road.''

She called the council about her concerns.

Council transport engineering and road safety team leader Hjarne Poulsen said markings were installed first with temporary signs to indicate the road layout had changed.

''Standard roundabout give way signs have now been installed. Raised centre island speed humps are still to be installed at some of the intersections.''

The council would monitor the roundabouts and could do further work such as kerb buildouts, mobility crossings or changes to their sizes.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

 

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Roundabouts are great for traffic flows, shame they have to be painted to allow the Dunedin big buses which are virtually always (near) empty room to manoeuvre.

I just emailed you a photo of the Shetland St Chapman St Dale St intersection. This new layout makes an already dangerous intersection more dangerous. Pity the DCC didn't consult the locals before ploughing ahead. I thought DCC were all for community-building and resilient neighbourhoods. Roading engineers employed by the DCC might have good qualifications and theoretical knowledge but they don't have the same local knowledge that the long term residents do.

Spill the beans, why is more dangerous?

Loss of traction and road grip on a steep street especially when turning especially on slippery paint and in wet or icy conditions. Try reading this: https://blog.onspot.com/what-is-traction-friction-and-road-grip

I agree. I travel this road (shetland st) daily and it has always been a cautious intersection where all four giveaways used to stop until someone agreed for the other motorist to go ahead. Two days ago I was travelling up shetland street and a car just flew through without stopping to see me approaching. Accident waiting to happen if you are going to spend that kind of money at least raise the roundabout to an island where people cannot fly over?

Diane Yeldon Thank you! looks like another DCC great thought out plan, obviously they need to resign. This would have never happened 30 years ago, the people in power had clues in what ever industry they worked in.

They're a bugger on a bike too. You get pushed onto the paint by cars coming too close and that stuff is slippery in the wet :-(

My particular bitch about the DCC Roading Dept is that they will NOT put a pedestrian safety rail on the footpath under the Roslyn Bridge. Expensive non-slip surface yes. Safety rail no. This has been going on for nearly 20 years and the people in charge just say NO.

Get with the times Dunedin, put in proper round abouts and turning arrows at the lights in town, like other cities

Lots of these in the UK and they work fine providing the drivers are competent. We could well have a problem in Dunedin; remember the campaign that was needed to tell Dunedin drivers ow to deal with big roundabouts?

$120k for several painted circles? Was Len Lye commissioned to paint them with white truffle oil?

As a keen motorcyclist, I know that painted road surfaces are not my friend. Add rain and Dunedin's frosty mornings into the mix and it seems as if the council came up with this 'safety improvement' after passing round the bong while watching some Monty Python.

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