Every week, more than 4000 vehicles are exceeding the 50kph speed limit on Crosby Road by more than 12kph.

And the maximum speed recorded on the residential street is 135.8kph.

These figures mean that every week, more than 3600 vehicles are travelling at a speed which has a 90% chance of a fatality if a pedestrian is hit.

Accordingly, Hamilton City Council has come up with three options to make it much safer for people who drive, walk and cycle on Crosby Road to get to their homes more safely or for connecting from one part of the city to another.

The options include:

• traffic-calming measures
• safe walkways
• protected cycling paths.

Council has no preferred option at this stage and is seeking the community’s views to help decide which one best meets the needs of that neighbourhood.

Council’s Transport and Urban Mobility Delivery Lead, Martin Parkes, said vehicle speeds on Crosby Road are not appropriate for a residential suburban road.

“A pedestrian struck by a vehicle travelling 50kph will almost always be killed,” said Parkes. “One of the objectives of this safety improvement project is to introduce a lower speed environment through traffic calming and road narrowing that encourages safer and more appropriate speeds. Our data shows that travelling at 40kph would only add an average of 18 seconds’ travel time on Crosby Road compared with a speed limit of 50kph.”

As the Waikato Expressway and Wairere Drive projects near completion in early 2022, there will be increased volumes of traffic along Crosby Road. This makes it even more important that street safety is addressed – especially for people who walk and cycle and those with limited mobility.

The options all include a reduction in roadside space for parking, which could be up to 90 parks. This could be reduced depending on which option is preferred.

Council is holding a community event on Sunday 13 June from 2pm to 4pm on the grassed area in front of Porritt Stadium to provide more information and for the local community to share their voice.

You can also have your say, and/or let Council know which option you prefer, by:

• going to hamilton.govt.nz/haveyoursay
• checking out the display at the Crosby Road Superette.

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