Māngere Bridge Community Is Being Made Safer For Pedestrians
After three years of public consultation, work on stage 2 of a $5 million safety upgrade for Māngere Bridge town centre is about to start.
Auckland Transport (AT) has listened to the Māngere Bridge community and is working hard to make the area safer for pedestrians - particularly children walking to and from school.
The work is part of AT’s Safer Communities programme.
After extensive consultation in 2018, just 13 respondents wanted to keep the town centre as it currently is.
The major theme in the feedback was one of general support for the proposed improvements to make walking safer around Māngere Bridge and the village.
Local resident and parent, Sanjay Theodore, agrees with the town centre safety improvements.
“I was a volunteer firefighter and I have seen the damage (from crashes) done - even at low vehicle speeds. We have an aging population who, along with our children, will need safety measures put in place sooner rather than later. I support this initiative.”
As part of the safety upgrade in the town centre, the second entrance of the free council-owned carpark will be closed to enable a new pedestrian crossing to be built on McIntyre Road. The carpark is managed by AT.
A crossing on Coronation Road, the main walking route between Māngere Bridge School and the town centre, will make it safer for children walking between school and their homes or the town centre.
AT’s executive general manager of service delivery, Andrew Allen, says the changes will help make the town safer for pedestrians.
“This is necessary work, as at the moment cars queue across the intersection and it’s really unsafe as visibility is blocked. In recent weeks, AT has been engaging with the owner of the local supermarket on a variety of options for the council-owned carpark, including widening the entrance off McIntyre Road and options for operation of the service lane for use by the business.”
“But if the second council-owned carpark entry is retained, it will be dangerous.”
See https://at.govt.nz/driving-parking/road-safety/safer-communities-programme/mangere-bridge/ for more information on the safer communities programme.