Have your say  |  27 Jul 2022

Christchurch City Council is proposing changes to busy Waterloo Road in response to safety concerns raised by Hornby High School students.

Students from the school, which is on Waterloo Road, approached the Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board worried about the speed and volume of traffic, including heavy vehicles, using the road.

Council staff have since done an assessment of the road and proposing a number of changes to make it safer for the community and for students walking and cycling to the schools in the area.

The changes, which are now out for public consultation, include:

  • Adding a new pedestrian refuge island on Waterloo Road between the entry points to Hornby High and the new Hornby Centre.
  • Constructing a shared 3-metre path on both sides of Waterloo Road to provide access to the local schools and the new Hornby Centre.
  • Constructing kerb buildouts on Smarts Road at the Waterloo Road intersection to slow trucks entering pedestrian areas.
  • New parking restrictions outside Hornby Primary and Hornby High schools to help with the flow of drop-off and pick-up traffic during school hours.

Find out more the proposed Waterloo Road safety improvements.

The Council will review the speed limit on Waterloo Road later in the year as part of a citywide review of speed limits around schools.

Council Transport Operations Manager Stephen Wright says the proposed changes on Waterloo Road will make the road environment safer for everyone.

“Waterloo Road is a very busy road and because there is both a primary and a secondary school on it, there are often large groups of children and young people walking, cycling or scooting along it. We want to make it safer for them and for the whole community,’’ Mr Wright says.

The community can give feedback on the proposed Waterloo Road safety improvements until 15 August.