Ask Phoebe: Brown's cow pedestrians get one motorist's goat

When I went to school the local traffic cop used to visit us to teach us the rules of the road. One thing we were taught was that, when using a pedestrian crossing, we were to stop, look right, look left, look right again, and if the way was clear, walk briskly across.

Has this law changed? Today pedestrians seem to believe they have the right to use pedestrian crossings at any time they want.

This is particularly bad at the crossing at the front of Middlemore Hospital. This crossing links the main staff entrance and the railway station and bus terminal. Commuters dawdle across like Brown's cows, and bank up traffic to the roundabouts at each end of the hospital. Does the council have any plans to install lights or to extend the overbridge to go across the road? Brian Collis, Papatoetoe.

I remember traffic cop visits to school too - Mr Heaven visited us, as I recall.

But to clarify - yes, pedestrians can cross at pretty much any time, and vehicles do have to stop for them. Having said that, pedestrians should not step out on a crossing if there are vehicles so close that they cannot stop. And motorists should slow down and be ready to stop at a crossing.

The road through the hospital grounds is the responsibility of the Counties Manukau District Health Board, who say they have no immediate plans to put lights at the crossing here. If there were lights, the same problem would happen, with no safe way for the traffic to bank up.

However, when the western side of the hospital complex is redeveloped, there will be considerable change to the way staff get from one side to the other. The possibility of a third railway line will mean an extension or replacement of the overbridge, which does not belong to the district health board.

In late January (I think) the Redoubt Rd onramp southbound was changed from a left-turning clover leaf to a right-turning light-controlled onramp. The signs for this onramp are abysmal. We have had numerous visitors complain that they have been in the left lane to turn left and then find they have to drive up Redoubt Rd until they are able to do a u-turn so that they can turn left. The only sign indicating the right turn is at the traffic lights and so low down only the first motorist can read it. When will improved directional signs be installed? Neil Barker, Manukau.

You're not alone, Mr Barker. Don Howarth has a similar problem, but in reverse - he would like bigger signage on Redoubt Rd as he approaches from the east to head south.

The NZ Transport Agency says it has put the word around in the local community, and also let car and campervan rental companies at the airport know of the changes.

They also say there is a large overhead sign before Great South Rd heading east, as well as the signs at the traffic lights, to let drivers know which lane they should be in. There were some gaps in the road markings on the night the onramp opened, but they have been plugged.

It's what you might call a fluid situation at Redoubt Rd. There are further changes to come before the SH20-SH1 link is finished. The southbound offramp to Redoubt Rd will move west to line up with the new onramp traffic signals, which will make the existing extra set of lights redundant.

When the new motorway opens, it should remove much of the traffic from the existing route along Wiri Station Rd and Roscommon Rd.