Improving travel links between Pāpāmoa and the Mount

Golf Road and Girven Road are the main access roads serving the Arataki area from State Highway 2 and are therefore busy at peak times and prone to congestion. Congestion is compounded by the inefficiency of the Oceanbeach Road to Maranui Street connection via a short section of Girven Road. To lower the number of intersections and therefore encourage a more seamless and safer traffic flow, a central roundabout will be installed at the Girven-Maranui Intersection and the right turn bay removed at the Oceanbeach-Girven intersection. This option should provide a high level of safety as roundabouts generally involve slower crash speeds than intersections controlled by traffic signals, stop, or give-way signs.

To help manage traffic congestion we need to provide our community with safe, reliable and easy choices to get around Mount Maunganui. There are gaps in the network for walking and cycling, so many people are not choosing these options. Dedicated infrastructure like separated cycle lanes and shared paths will increase safety, which in turn encourages more people to walk or cycle and helps normalise these travel choices. 

The additional space available on the road during the Oceanbeach Road clearway hours will enable safer cycling and pedestrian movement.

The improvements also incorporate new shared pathways near intersections and the new roundabout.

Seven new raised zebra crossings will be installed in the area to support pedestrian desire lines . This includes three on Oceanbeach Road, two on approach to the roundabout from Girven Road and Maranui Street, and two further along Maranui Street near Omanu Way. 

The benefit of placing pedestrian crossings near a roundabout include: 

• Roundabouts can be designed to ensure low vehicle speeds. 
• Roundabouts generally reduce the severity of pedestrian crashes due to the slower vehicle speeds. 
• Pedestrian islands can be incorporated into splitter islands dividing the crossing into two movements which reduces pedestrian delay.

As these crossings are raised, they will improve safety for all travelling through the area using any mode of transport by reducing the speed on Girven Road, Maranui Street and Oceanbeach Road to provide safe pedestrian crossing points to access the beach and shops. 

• Raised pedestrian crossings are like regular pedestrian crossings but sit on a platform raised above the road. They are obvious as a safe place to cross, give pedestrians priority to cross, help to reduce or reinforce slower vehicle speeds, and increase drivers’ give way rates. 
• Raising pedestrian crossings can eliminate grade changes from the pedestrian route and therefore the need for kerb ramps.

Pedestrian crossings concentrate pedestrian and cyclist movement to specific locations where they can safely cross the road. By placing these crossings at strategic locations, there will be less need for unpredictable crossing along the street making it safer for everyone. The seven new raised crossings have been placed at natural points on the travel network where either the demand for people to cross is greater or where the traffic naturally needs to slow for an intersection.

We know a clearway is inconvenient for residents, but we heard from several residents that the status quo is unsafe for kids cycling to school and residents entering and exiting their properties.
The clearway system is a compromise that will have the least impact on residents.  Other recommendations in the safety review recommended a full parking ban on Oceanbeach Road. With this option there will be parking available on one side of Oceanbeach Road at all times.  

This clearway will provide better visibility for everyone during the congested peak hours. The clearway system will still allow daytime parking to reach the beach along with overnight car parking, noting that only the northbound car parks require clearance by 7am.