Intersection layout reconsidered

Business owners Bob Shearing and Mark Lewis want a turning bay installed on Main South Rd off...
Business owners Bob Shearing and Mark Lewis want a turning bay installed on Main South Rd off Harvard Ave. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
Businesses frustrated by a lack of direct access into their shopping area may have their concerns eased.

The Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board has asked for its original decision to ban vehicles from turning right or making U-turns on Main South Rd, opposite Harvard Ave to be reconsidered.

RA Shearings Contractors director Bob Shearing, DA Lewis director Mark Lewis and Chipmunks Playland & Cafe Wigram business partner Dell Lu have been calling for a right-turning bay to be installed at the intersection.

They made a presentation on behalf of other businesses in the area to the board recently asking it to reconsider a report made by city council staff.

A new report made by city council staff concluded installing a right turning bay will have no benefit to improving the safety of motorists.

It instead planned to improve road-marking improvements and re-enforce no right turn and no U-turn movements.

City council staff were required to look into the issue after a petition of almost 150 signatures was collected calling for a right-turning bay to be constructed in the area in February.

Following the presentation of the report, the board asked the no right-turn and no U-turn sign to be reconsidered.

Mr Shearing, a former city councillor, said he would have liked to have seen the board a bit more “forceful” in getting the signs removed and a right-turning bay installed.

But he said: “At least we are still there and they can come back (city council staff) and hopefully something sensible can be made out of the situation and we will go back to the status quo.”

Businesses had raised concerns in the past that patronage would decline due to customers travelling into Hornby being unable to directly access their business.

In a presentation to the board recently, Mr Shearing said hundreds of vehicles need to make right turns and U-turns somewhere along this stretch of road.

“Prior to the installation of the signs in January these turns were spread between the four intersections, however, mostly were at the Harvard Ave intersection,” he said.

He argued there was never a safety issue at the Harvard Ave intersection.

New Zealand Transport Agency crash data one crash was recorded at the intersection.

City council is expected to report back to the board in the coming weeks with the review to take into account road safety and the impacts on commercial businesses.