Carlyle Street Crossing

Published: 20 March 2024

Napier City Council is taking a ‘gently, gently’ approach when it comes to installing a new pedestrian crossing on Carlyle Street.

The raised crossing is part of a suite of safety improvements being made to Carlyle Street as part of the NZTA Waka Kotahi Streets for People programme. Construction began this week.

Owen Mata, project manager explains that this is a new type of rubber raised crossing, the first of its type to be installed in New Zealand.

“It’s different in that it has a much more gentle gradient than usual, so it’ll be quieter and gentler for pedestrians and for vehicles to use,” Owen says. “This section of Carlyle is very close to a kindergarten and it’s been a priority to make it safer and more enjoyable with lower speeds and traffic volumes.”

Last year, a series of meetings with locals helped Napier City Council’s transportation team better understand the issues and look at possible solutions in more detail. A pedestrian crossing at the west end of Carlyle was one of the top requested changes. There is currently only one pedestrian crossing in this one-kilometre stretch of road.

The new crossing will be modular, which means it can be in place for a trial period while further feedback is collected from residents and road users. The impact on vehicle volumes and speeds will then be assessed. If the trial is a success, the crossing can be replaced by a more permanent solution.

Prep work and construction of concrete ‘buildouts’ has begun. Installation of the crossing itself will commence from next week. Due to the volume of traffic on and around Carlyle, this will need to be constructed outside peak times including the evening. This phase of the work is expected to be completed quickly.

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