Slow down on shared paths

Cyclists and scooter riders using two Central City shared paths are being reminded to lower their speed.

Pink “slow zone” decals have been installed as a trial at the Antigua Street footbridge near Christchurch Hospital and the Armagh Street entrance to the Botanic Gardens.

“These two spots along Rolleston Avenue in the Central City are particularly heavy with pedestrians, including people heading to and from Christchurch Hospital and Christ’s College,” Transport Operations Manager Stephen Wright said.

“So we’re trialling a new way to give cyclists and scooter riders a reminder that when they’re on the shared paths in these areas, they need to slow down a bit.”

“Anecdotally we’ve heard that the Antigua Street footbridge isn’t always comfortable place for pedestrians because of how narrow it is and the Armagh Street area can feel a bit overwhelming for people trying to walk through the area with the amount of cyclists and scooter riders,” Mr Wright said.

Speed counters were installed at both locations and found there were about 1,291 cyclists and scooters riders going 19 km/h on average at the Antigua Street Bridge and 1,269 cyclists and scooters riders going 16.9 km/h on average at Armagh Street Bridge.

“There were also quite a few people at these locations going more than 20km/h which is quite fast when you’ve got lots of pedestrians around you to navigate.”

Mr Wright said the Council will test the average speeds in the area again after the decals have been in place for a few months.

“We’d love to see the average speeds come down, particularly at the peak morning and afternoon hours when things are really at their busiest.”

Footpath markings have also been painted along the Te Ara Ihutai Coastal Pathway which is also popular with both walkers and cyclists.  

“It’s a good reminder that people riding bikes or scooter on shared paths across the city need told be aware of pedestrians and slow down,” Mr Wright said.