NPDC is planning to make the school run safer around New Plymouth Girls’ High.

A proposed safety upgrade along Mangorei Road between the Northgate intersection and Warangi Street, would see the installation of a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights and an off-road dedicated cycle lane.

In the five years up to April 2021, this key commuter route has seen 14 crashes not including those at the Mangorei/Northgate intersection, one involving a cyclist, and many more near misses.

“It’s a high-traffic road with lots going on before and after school, as well as during weekend sports. We want to make this section safer for all road users, especially the school’s students, while keeping the traffic flowing,” says NPDC Transport Manager Rui Leitao.

Other aspects being proposed as part of this safety upgrade include wider cycle lanes painted on the roads, a right-turn bay for northbound traffic turning onto Rimu Street, maintaining the majority of the on-street car parking & building partially recessed parking bays.

NPDC also plans improvements to the south of Warangi Street, but these will be consulted on at a later date.

Feedback on the proposed changes closes on Tuesday 19 April. For more detailed information about the proposed changes and to give feedback, please visit npdc.govt.nz/HaveYourSay.

Fast facts

• NPDC looks after 1,278km of roads and 529km of footpaths in the district.
• There are more than 500 million vehicle kilometres travelled on our roads.
• Let’s Go began at NPDC in 2010, to develop more active travel in the district.
• NPDC counts indicate that since 2016, the number of commuters using bikes has risen by 44%.

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