Clark Road, Pahurehure - Raised Zebra Crossing
Consultation Outcome
We want to thank the community of Clark Road, Pahurehure, for their engagement and feedback on our proposal to improve pedestrian safety and on-street parking outside St Mary’s School (Papakura). We plan to achieve this by removing the existing zebra crossing and replacing it with a raised zebra crossing slightly further north.
After reviewing the feedback we received, we will be proceeding with the following change to the original design to better reflect community input:
- The adjusted grass berm will be reshaped to allow one vehicle to wait without blocking another vehicle exiting from the school or property at 52 Clark Road. The driveway width in the original design was 6.5 m, while the updated design shows a width of 9.5 m.
Clark Road, Pahurehure - Updated drawing
Click here for a larger image
What happens next
We anticipate these changes will be constructed by June 2026.
We'll be in touch with local residents before any changes take place.
Community Feedback
Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge.
We received seven submissions via the online survey and email. Five respondents either live near or own a property on Clark Road and three are parents or caregivers of a child attending St Mary’s School.
Summary of the feedback count:
- 2 people expressed that the changes would benefit the community.
- 3 people stated that the changes would benefit the community but also made a suggestion.
- 1 people advised the proposal would not benefit the community.
Most of the supportive feedback we received indicated this proposal would improve pedestrian safety, especially for young children and families near the school in the area. It would also help slow down speeding drivers.
Below is a summary of your feedback and our responses.
Suggestions to improve the project
Suggest keeping the current crossing location for the proposed raised zebra crossing.
The aim of this project is to make Clark Road safer for pedestrians, especially students from St Mary’s School. A raised table is proposed to ensure lower vehicle speeds, particularly during busy school pick-up and drop-off times. However, the current crossing location is not suitable for a raised table due to nearby driveways and a bend in the road, therefore the crossing will be positioned outside property no. 46 Clark Road.
Suggest installing a convex mirror or mounting one on the existing signpost outside 50 Clark Road, to improve visibility to the left and right when exiting the driveway.
Convex mirrors can be helpful in some places, but we often find that they are ineffective and can even be unsafe. They can make it hard to judge how fast or how far away a vehicle is, which can be risk to drivers and pedestrians.
We will not be installing a convex mirror. We hope this explains our reasons and appreciate the suggestion.
Suggest installing speed bumps, especially before the bend near the old crossing. The proposed new crossing from the Great South Road end will have good visibility, but the Hanover side poses a blind spot hazard, and drivers often approach the crossing at high speed.
Drivers approaching the crossing from the west will clearly see the crossing, along with its signs and road markings. Clear crossing signs are also planned near property no. 59 Clark Road to help drivers notice the upcoming change.
The crossing will be monitored post-construction to make sure it’s working as expected.
Concerns
Concern that converting the current paved area outside 56 to 52 Clark Road into a grass berm would eliminate a space used by vehicles to wait and give way at the narrow school gate. Please note that we have been in contact with the school and they too agree with this position.
We're converting part of the paved area into a grass berm to discourage drivers from parking or making U-turns during pick-up and drop-off. Parking or stopping on the berm is not allowed. This behaviour is unsafe, especially with small children around. The design now allows one vehicle to wait without blocking another vehicle exiting from the school or property no. 52 Clark Road. The updated plan reflects this change.
The proposed location of the raised zebra crossing outside 46 Clark Road will increase the risk of accidents.
- The driveways at 48,50, and 52 Clark Road have poor visibility of pedestrians due to a high hedge and high fence.
There are no proposed changes to the connection between the property driveways and the footpath. Drivers entering or exiting should continue to take care and drive slowly to watch for pedestrians, as usual.
We will ask the property owner to trim their hedge. This will help improve visibility when exiting the driveway.
- The proposed changes would increase pedestrian movement especially young children along this section, raising safety concerns.
The raised crossing is placed at the safest location on Clark Road to give drivers clear visibility of both the crossing and pedestrians. It’s also close enough to the St Mary’s entrance for easy access.
The raised table will help slow down traffic and make access safer and easier for people walking.
About the project
Kia ora, tālofa lava, mālō e lelei, kia orana, fakaalofa lahi atu, bula vinaka, nǐ hǎo, namaste, kumusta, néih hóu, and warm greetings,
St Mary’s School, on behalf of the school community, shared concerns that the current zebra crossing is unsafe because drivers often approach the bend too fast. Also, the wide concrete area connecting the school’s driveway and the neighbouring property is used by parents to turn around while children are walking across.
This is a dangerous situation for drivers who must remain vigilant about school children and for children who have to dodge vehicles turning in and out of the driveway.
To address these concerns, we propose removing the existing zebra crossing and replacing it with a raised zebra crossing slightly further north.
To accommodate these safety improvements, we need to modify street parking and formalise school pick-up and drop-off parking, as well as bus stop parking.
What we are proposing
Clark Road, Pahurehure - Proposal Drawing
- Removing the current zebra crossing near the bend in front of St Mary’s School entrance and number 55 Clark Road and paint broken yellow lines in its place.
- Installing a new raised zebra crossing outside 46 and 53A Clark Road. The new raised crossing will be wide and gentle and will help slow down vehicles as they approach the bend.
- Building a new footpath between the driveways of 56 and 52 Clark Road and reshaping the grass berm. This will improve the safety for students and pedestrians.
- Formalising school pick-up and drop-off parking outside 44 Clark Road, a P5 parking restriction will be installed for school days between 8:15am-9:30am and 2:30pm-3:45pm to manage parking more effectively.
- Formalising the redundant bus stop by installing broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) where the school has been using the coach parking outside 56 Clark Road to support school tour coach parking during school trips.
- Installing new signage and paint new road markings to support the proposed changes.
- Installing tactile pavers at the crossing points to guide people to and across the road safely.
Benefits and impacts
Auckland Transport cares for your safety and makes better use of on-street parking space for parents and visitors accessing the area. The proposed changes would create a safer road for everyone as they would:
- Addresses current pedestrian safety concerns by providing a safe crossing point for pedestrians, especially school children travelling to and from school.
- Slows down motorists to a safer speed.
- Raise pedestrians, particularly children, crossing the road to be at eye-level of approaching motorists, making them easier to see from a distance.
- Make it easier for drivers to see people waiting to cross the road.
- Remarking the parking spaces to create one extra parking space to the area. This would involve removing three on-street parking spaces, two outside number 46 and one outside number 51 Clark Road. Four parking spaces would be reinstated, two outside number 57 and two outside number 65 Clark Road.
What we want your feedback on
We value your local knowledge and would like to have your feedback on the proposed changes.
How you can have your say
Have your say by completing the online feedback form. The form will be open from 11 July 2025 to 28 July 2025.
If you would like to receive updates about the outcome of the proposal, please include your email address when filling out the online feedback form.
