Street safety trial in Nelson South lowers speeds but draws mixed views

Thursday, 11 March 2021

Kawai St South resident Laurie Christian, has some concerns about the changes made in his street by the Nelson City Council using the Waka Kotahi Innovating Streets fund.

Nelson South residents are preparing for a new phase of street safety measures, but not everyone is convinced about the changes.

Since December, changes to Kawai St South have been part of a year-long trial to reduce speeds and make the area safer for pedestrians – with funding provided through Waka Kotahi NZTA's Innovating Streets Fund.

These include four-way stop sign intersections, speed humps, and picnic tables surrounded by planter boxes on the road itself.

Initially applied for to help make Nelson's CBD a more pedestrian-friendly space, the up to $1m of funding was redirected to Nelson South (and potentially other areas) after the city centre revamp foundered last year.

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Laurie Christian said while he supported initiatives to lower speed on Kawai St, some of the initiatives caused more problems than they solved.

Council manager for transport and solid waste Marg Parfitt said the intent was not to spend all the money, but rather what was required for the project.

She said the project came about in response to members of the community concerned the road was being used as a “rat run” by commuters wanting to avoid traffic on Waimea Rd.

According to monitoring of the site, speeds outside the Nelson South Kindergarten have dropped by 37.5 per cent since the changes were made – effectively reducing speeds to 30kmh.

The next phase of the project will focus on connecting the community with schools, Victory Community Centre and the Railway Reserve, including enhancing pedestrian and cycling safety.

One of the trialled changes was the introduction of two sets of picnic tables surrounded by planter boxes on Kawai St.

Some residents, however, say the new innovations have created more problems than solutions.

Long-time resident Laurie Christian said while he agreed in principle with the aim of reducing speed on the street, the four-way stops signs created confusion while the planter boxes seemed unsafe.

'I don’t think they meet health and safety regulations. They're in the middle of the street, forcing cars to the other side of the road – and there's no warning signs to say that’s happening.”

Christian said the whole development had come as a surprise to him, and in February started his own survey of residents on Kawai St, Tipahi St, and Tukuka St to see what they thought.

Just under 100 people participated, and Christian said while most people agreed the added speed humps were necessary, the majority of people did not support the introduction of four-way stop signs, planter boxes and removal of street parking.

Parfitt said it was important to remember the project was a trial, and that what was put in place would not necessarily be there permanently.

She said the project allowed for innovation, and trying things that traditionally hadn't been done.

“[With the trial] you can put things in quickly, and take them out quickly if they don't work.”

She said while there had been a small amount of residents who had been upset by the changes, there had also been plenty of positive feedback.

A public meeting was due to be held on Thursday night to discuss the next phase of the project, focusing on Tipahi St.

Parfitt said co-design was an important part of the process, and council wanted to hear from the community about their ideas to make the street better.