This article has raised quite a lot of discussion. Here are just some of the comments posted online.
Jason Christensen: The roundabout works fine. If people simply used it as a continuously moving give way and stuck to the correct lanes it would never be an issue. It's absurd that people still get it wrong. The lines are painted on the road! All the new format will do is create the same congestion it had before.
Lashae Mcardle: I think I'll reserve congratulating the council til I see the effect it has. Like Jason said, the only issue I have ever seen at that roundabout is caused by drivers. Something done with the intersection at the pioneer would be more useful I think
Gay W Murray: Thats the dummest idea I've ever heard FNDC! Its just fine the way it is.
Donna Reddish: Once again a classic example of the council wasting more money on something that doesn't need it. For gods sake what about putting the money that is going to be wasted on that into something that is needed like a roundabout at waipapa and make people actually read the signs on the lanes and learn how to drive properly. Next there will be a backlog of traffic up kerikeri road trying to get through the roundabout in one lane...something else for people to moan about!
Lois Flintoff: was going straight thru roundabout yesterday from countdown to hobson ave, could hardly get through as some WHACKER thought he had to stop at white line in middle of road NOT at giveway sign. Nearly had to mount trafik island to avoid car climbing in my boot
Karen Mudgway It is a badly designed roundabout as the straight through lanes tend to go around the corner. I have nearly been collected so many times by drivers not realising that the lane doesn't go where they think it does (and getting filthy looks if I'm in "their" lane). Having one lane only from the main road is going to cut down on those accidents. And yes, in a perfect world, everyone would be awesome drivers and there would never be any accidents anywhere. It's not a perfect world however and anything that can be done to cut down on accidents is a good time in my view.
Kaye Neely: It's not a "round" about - it's an "oval" about and also because of the way the contour of the whole area reaches a peak in the middle it makes visibility really difficult.
Kristen Curtis: Wow that really is going to stuff up the traffic flow in and out of town. Good one FNDC, maybe money should have been spent on educating idiots on how to navigate a simple round about properly! Changing it to one lane is not going to help anything. A lot of people in this town make there own rules on who has to give way anyway and patience is usually minimal, resulting in people making a mad dash in front of others. It would have been more effective to keep it as it is and put in traffic lights if there is such an issue with the minority that can't cope.
Evan Davis-Goff: The roundabout is not the problem. The problem is the people who dont know how to use it and aren't observant enough to read signs and arrows painted in the lanes indicating which lane is for which direction. Change the roundabout and poor drivers will still create problems. I guarantee it.
Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.
