Have Your Say On Gowing Drive Road Safety Improvements

1 November 2019

At last we have the proposal from Auckland Transport (AT) for improving road safety on Gowing Drive. AT has extended the deadline for feedback, which is now open until 29 November 2019. See the letter form Auckland Transport about the proposal distributed to households in Gowing Drive and surrounds, and also the map with detailed plans for more information. Auckland Transport are also holding a community drop-in session on Saturday 2nd November between 11am and 2pm at the Meadowbank Shopping Centre, 35-47 St Johns Rd, St Johns. AT’s project team will present plans, answer your questions and talk through concerns you may have.

Detailed information is available on Auckland Transport’s website with an online form you can complete – just two questions, don’t wait and do it today!

We are grateful for the time and expertise that AT have spent on this project and we are cautiously optimistic that it will address many of the safety issues that have been raised. The main issue that the plan does not address is the safety of pedestrians crossing Gowing Drive – we had advocated for a pedestrian crossing, and we will consider whether there might be other options we can pursue to convince AT that this is is important for our community and our school children.

As well as reducing traffic speed, a pedestrian crossing between Rutherford Terrace and Archdall Street provides far safer pedestrian access for:

  • Children and parents walking to and from local primary schools; this will support the development of a walking school bus as well as lead to reduced congestion at the Temple St/Lucia Glade entrance-way to Mt Carmel Primary School, which serves the majority of the school’s roll.
  • Family groups walking or using scooters to and from a popular picnic spot, Scout hall and playground at Rutherford Reserve on Archdall Street.
  • Residents walking to the dairy and popular food outlets on the busy corner of Dorchester Road and St Johns Road, or to the Meadowbank shopping centre.
  • Commuters taking buses from either St Johns Road or Gowing Drive.