Engineer shortage delays consultation on proposed safety improvements to Palmerston North’s Vogel St

A raised pedestrian crossing was installed at the Vogel St shopping centre in April, but the garden bed remains unplanted. Photo / Judith Lacy

A report on possible safety improvements to Vogel St in Palmerston North has been delayed until next year.

Palmerston North City Council elected members were expecting the report in October but staff estimate it will now be ready in “early 2024″.

Chief infrastructure officer Chris Dyhrberg said the delay was due to a lack of resources in the transport team.

In April, the Economic Growth Committee noted officers would seek community feedback on two proposed safety improvement packages for Vogel St and report back.

At last week’s Economic Growth Committee meeting, councillor Lorna Johnson asked what had caused a two-month delay to the Fulton Hogan road maintenance report the council had asked for.

Dyhrberg said “up until very recently” seven out of eight positions in the transport team had been vacant. There is now one vacancy.

The team is focused on developing budgets for the long-term plan.

Dyhrberg confirmed this lack of resources was the same reason the Vogel St report had been delayed.

Johnson said she was concerned a report the council had requested about the road maintenance should be delayed for two months due to staff resources.

It had not been flagged that the department was so short of people. While the long-term plan is important, business as usual should not be slipping, Johnson said.

Mayor Grant Smith said it had been signalled there was an infrastructure staffing issue.

“We were eight out of eight down in terms of engineers.”

It was great the team had been able to recruit engineers in a difficult market, he said.

“I want it, like you do, as soon as but I think there is so much pressure on the organisation sometimes that we just have to accept there has been a bit of slippage.”

Deputy Mayor Debi Marshall-Lobb said if the council did not flag the issue other people would.

“The public will say to us ‘hey, have you just rolled over and accepted that that’s the case’.

Elected members were bound by conscience and professionalism to raise the matter as the public had been agitated about the road maintenance contract and road safety.

A council spokesman said last week he hoped to run the Vogel St consultation before Christmas “should resourcing allow”.

He said Vogel St would also be part of consultation for the council’s speed management plan. The consultation would run from November 1 to 30.

In January, the section of Vogel St between Featherston and Main streets was resealed.

The unevenness of the rest of the street to Tremaine Ave is often commented on by social media users and in submissions to the council.

The spokesman said there were no plans to undertake a full reseal, “though we will be looking at doing some isolated pavement repairs to improve the ride quality within this section”.

“This will take place after consultation on our speed management plan and the installation of more raised platforms to support reduced speeds (locations still to be determined).”

In April a raised pedestrian crossing was installed outside the Vogel St shopping centre.

From February, public buses will no longer go down Vogel St except for the short section between Haydon and Featherston streets.

Traffic builds on the corner of Vogel and Featherston streets as peak hour nears. Photo / Judith Lacy

Timeline

April 2022 - a petition calling for Vogel St to be made safer receives 568 signatures.

June 2022 - elected members ask staff to report on a staged plan to address road safety concerns in Vogel St.

October 2022 - elected members receive a report on the Vogel St safety investigation plan.

April 2023 - the council decides to seek community feedback on two proposed safety improvement packages.

August 2023 - elected members query the delay in potential Vogel St improvements.