There has been one fatal and one serious crash in the stretch of highway since 2010. Photo / Andrew Warner
There has been one fatal and one serious crash in the stretch of highway since 2010. Photo / Andrew Warner
Ngongotahā could have a reduced speed limit and central-village roundabout if new plans presented to the council get the public green light.
A new proposal to address long-held traffic safety issues in the village will soon be available for public feedback.
The proposal suggests three options, each costing $150,000, $600,000 and $2 million respectively.
At a Rotorua Lakes Council committee meeting on June 4, council infrastructure manager Stavros Michael said the local community had expressed "significant concerns" about the "environment of safety" with State Highway 36 running through the village for some time.
Nearly 4 per cent of the traffic moving through Ngongotahā village was heavy traffic, he said, and his presentation stated about 10,000 vehicles a day passed through.
He said it was expected that the area would experience population growth so it was important to proactively address traffic issues.
A report in the meeting's agenda stated that option one had "minimal effect on reducing the likelihood of death or serious injury" while option two had "moderate" effect and option three "significant" effect.
The report, written by the council's safe and sustainable journeys manager Jodie Lawson, stated option three was the "preferred future-proofing concept" that combined service and safety and allowed for projected growth and would cost $2m.
The report said costs were "indicative only" as they were conceptual options.
Michael said he expected NZTA should pay "the lion's share" of the cost of any upgrades, as it was responsible for state highways.
Nearly four per cent of traffic through Ngongotahā are heavy vehicles, according to the council. Photo / Andrew Warner
The area was the scene of one fatal and one serious crash since 2010, as well as four minor and 16 non-injury crashes, according to NZTA's crash analysis system.
In a rare moment of consensus between the two, councillor Reynold Macpherson asked if a bypass from the railway crossing on State Highway 36 to Lake Rd would be possible, and mayor Steve Chadwick asked if the proposed options were "just a short-term measure".
"Councillor Macpherson, that's absolutely right. It looks too small, it looks rather underwhelming to me. I've been saying ... we need to start planning the Western Corridor and thinking of light rail link to Auckland one day.
"We've had to nibble away at Te Ngae Rd, that's driven us all nuts. I don't want to nibble away at this road."
Michael said the council was in the process of finalising plans of changes to the Ngongotahā roundabout that would mean a slip lane for the turn-off to Hamilton, with two lanes on the exit to the north and south.
He said that was designed to improve the flow of traffic to the north and south but did not rule out the case for bypass in the future.
Proposed changes to the Ngongotahā roundabout. Graphic / Rotorua Lakes Council
"We need to continue to work to gain maximum improvements where we can.
"If money were not an issue … the ideal solution is to do all these things in one go.
"A staged approach that incrementally and securely improves a known problem is preferable to nothing at this point."
The council unanimously agreed to instruct staff to initiate the public consultation process on the three concepts.
Speaking to the Rotorua Daily Post, Progress Ngongotahā member Bob Martin said he was "definitely keen" on a 30km/h speed limit, but he favoured crossing options that meant pedestrians had to give way to traffic.
"We need to keep it moving."
Martin, a former councillor who runs Ngongotahā Life Memories on the main street, said shop owners and shoppers would not like heavy vehicles idling in the village waiting for lights to change.
He also preferred the $2m option and said Ngongotahā had been "neglected" since council wards were discontinued.
Hardik Rokadia owns The Village Shop, a convenience store in Ngongotahā.
He said traffic was heavy on the state highway between 7.30am and 9.30am.
"Thirty km/h would be good for the community. There are so many kids, so safety-wise it would be very, very good."
Rokadia had owned the shop for three years and had not seen any particular increase in traffic over that time, and did not support the idea of a bypass as it would mean a possible loss of income for his shop.
Public feedback will be collected by council officers and reported back to the council, where a final decision will be reached.
A council spokeswoman said there was "no start date [for consultation] at this stage".
• Reducing the speed limit through Ngongotahā village to 30km/h • Reconstructing ramps at existing pedestrian crossing points • Widening existing pedestrian crossing points at accessible car parks Improving visibility the State Highway 36/Hall Rd/Taui St intersection • Re-marking the edge line on the western side of State Highway 36, between Ngongotahā Stream bridge and Western Rd, to be parallel to the flush median - removing the localised widening of the traffic lane adjacent to the parking spaces.
Option one, plus: • A raised pedestrian platform in the median between the intersections of State Highway 36 with Western Rd and Hall Rd/Taui St. • Moving the existing zebra crossing further north and reconstructing with a raised pedestrian platform • Extending the raised median north of the Hall Rd/Taui St intersection • Raised safety platforms across the road intersection approaches of Hall Rd, Taui St and Western Rd. • Widening the footpath to be a shared path on the western side of State Highway 36 / • Ngongotahā Rd, from the intersection with Kōkiri St and Domain Ave to Western Rd.
Option Three: $2m
A major reconstruction of the entire corridor, which could include:
• Raising the road surface to be flush with the adjacent footpath, from Ngongotahā Stream bridge to just north of the curve at the Gull service station. • Changing the form of the existing maze pedestrian crossing between the intersections of State Highway 36 with Western Rd and Hall Rd/Taui St, to be a signalised crossing • Extending the raised median north of the State Highway 36/Hall Rd/Taui St intersection, to just south of the Gull service station. • Constructing a mini-roundabout at the State Highway 36/Hall Rd/Taui St intersection - or a signalised intersection • Wider, shared footpaths on both sides of State Highway 36 / Ngongotahā Rd from the intersection with Kokiri St/Domain Ave to the intersection with Western Rd. • Wider, shared footpaths on the eastern side of State Highway 36/ Ngongotahā Rd from the Gull service station entrance through to the pedestrian crossing point • Urban design and landscaping reinforcing motorists' understanding that they are entering a village area with increased risk of pedestrians and manoeuvring vehicles
