Langdons Road is home to Northlink shopping centre, which saw a traffic increase of 30% following the centre’s opening in 2020.
A traffic count completed by council in February 2021, saw nearly 12,000 vehicles using the road on an average day.
The upgrade will include two new islands, and associated ‘no stopping’ areas, which will be placed in front of the centre.
Council Transport Manager Stephen Wright says the development is to improve pedestrian safety, following the traffic influx.
However, a few residents are not seeing the necessity of this development.
A local who has lived in the area his whole life says the road is far too busy to add pedestrian crossings.
“The road is already congested, it needs to be widened or have lights, not more traffic islands.”
Resident Jacque Skinner thinks the traffic islands “seem a bit redundant”.
She claims she never sees people trying to cross the road, and thinks most people drive into the shopping centre as there is plenty of parking.
However Waipapa/Papanui-Innes Community Board Member Simon Britten says 27 out of 37 public submissions were in support of the installation.
The community board was briefed by council staff on the proposal in November, prior to public consultation.
“While the majority of submissions on the pedestrian refuge islands were in support, it's natural for there to be a range of views.”
The community board approved the proposal for the traffic islands in February.
Skinner also says traffic lights would make more sense at the major intersections on the road.
Funding for traffic lights at the Greers/Langdons Road is currently in the council’s draft annual plan, and Britten says a submission has been made in support of this.
“There is still much to be done to improve safety in the area and mitigate the impacts of increasing traffic.”
Wright says council’s network planning team is also investigating further developments for the area including signalised intersections, and a possible signalised entrance/crossing at the Northlink Shopping Centre.