Whanganui cyclists say cars not stopping at new Glasgow St crossing

Margi Keys waits for a safe moment to cross Glasgow St. Photo / Bevan Conley

The new Glasgow St pedestrian crossing is one of the most advanced in Whanganui but cyclist Margi Keys doesn't feel safe when she uses it.

She is urging motorists to stop for cyclists and for those on bikes "to have your wits about you".

The crossing is the intersection of the Te Tuaiwi shared walking and cycling pathway and a busy Glasgow St with two supermarket entrances. The road has a high volume of traffic with an estimated 11,400 vehicle counts per day.

The crossing is shared with a KiwiRail crossing and connected to rail controllers as well as traffic signals.

It's monitored 24/7 by the Wellington Traffic Control Operations Centre.

The lights there were switched on in September last year, after being installed but unused for nearly a year.

A push-button on either side of the street stops vehicles to allow walkers and cyclists to cross.

Keys uses the crossing a lot, and said despite her high-vis jacket and "spectacular" helmet, some cars are not stopping.

"I push the button. The lights are quite quick to respond. I get the green light to go across and the motorists don't stop," she said.

"It's annoying and it's scary."

Even with high-vis gear and traffic stopped, Margi Keys doesn't feel completely safe crossing at the new Glasgow St lights. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui District Council notified residents before the lights were switched on and variable-message signboards were placed at each side of the intersection as the first school term started this year.

In an email to Keys, the council said it had raised the issue with police.

"Driving behaviour such as ignoring a red light at a controlled intersection is a matter of the police as it is an enforcement issue," the email said. "We have raised the issue at the location with Whanganui Police."

The former convenor of the Whanganui Bicycle Users Group, Lyneke Onderwater, said she had similar experiences to Keys.

"I have definitely seen it happen more than once," she said. "All the ones who use that pathway regularly will probably recognise the issue.

"I have never been knocked over. I make sure everyone stops before I cross."

On the wider subject, Keys said the shared pathways and cycle lanes painted on Whanganui roads were great and she was seeing more people biking.

But people must learn how to use shared pathways, she said. They need to keep to the left, and be aware of how dogs on leads can block the way for cyclists.

"You have to have your wits about you. You have to be a competent rider. It's just like being behind the wheel of a car."

Whanganui District Council has been approached for further comment.