Jake McLellan and Tyla Harrison-Hunt: Central City Councillor and Riccarton Councillor on the reactions to a proposed pedestrian crossing

A proposed pedestrian crossing's become a bit of a joke - after differing views were shared from two Christchurch community boards.

The southbound lane of Deans Avenue, near Al Noor Mosque, has been approved for speed bumps - but not the lane heading north.

It's the boundary between the Riccarton and Central City wards.

Central City Councillor Jake McLellan's side will have a bump.

He says it will look kooky - but it's better than nothing.

"When you add a crossing but you don't actually do anything to make people safe while they're crossing, it can become quite dangerous."

Riccarton Councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt agrees it's better than the status quo.

"At the end of the day, it's actually a massive, massive win for the Deans Ave residents - and a massive win for the everyday users of Hagley Park."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bryan Bridge staying in christ Church. A new pedestrian crossing
is going to have speed bumps, but only on one
side of the road. You see, Deans av runs right
down the boundary between the jurisdictions of the White Paper
and Whypoona community boards. The Wye Papa Community Board has
voted to include speed bumps in the crossing, but the
Waypona Community Board has not, so the speed bumps will

(00:23):
only be installed on the White Pupper side of the road.
Tyler Harrison Hunt is from the Waypoona board. Jake McClellan
the Wye Pappa Board. They're both with me. Good evening,
good evening, Ryan, Good to.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Have christ Church and the news for all the right reasons.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Yeah, no, just a couple of mentions today, Tyler mus
start with you. So you wait, you remind us, Tyler,
you're on the speed bump side or the non speed
bump side.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
We were the board that voted for the non speed
bump side.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Okay, do you need a speed bump? Well, clearly you
don't think so, why not?

Speaker 3 (01:01):
There's a whole lot of things in play here. I'm
the recording counselor so that's my jurisdiction, particularly for twenty
eight thousand residents in that area. But to be honest
with you, I wanted to make sure that we had
consensus across the board without any scraps, so that we
can get this done as fast as we could. There
was differing views at the board after getting a sort

(01:22):
of feel for the board, so I pushed through to
try and at least get better than the status quo,
which means putting in the crossing without the speed mumps.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Okay, how dangerous is it, Jake? How many?

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:34):
Look, it's dangerous when you add a crossing, which is
what we were proposing to do. So when you add
a crossing but you don't actually do anything to make
people safe while they're crossing, it can become quite dangerous.
I think Tyler's being modest. He really wanted the plan.
The air board ended up signing off, but unfortunately, because

(01:56):
of some colorful characters sitting around his table, wasn't able
to do so. So he did the best he could
under the circumstances.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Okay, so I'm just reading here. According to NZTA, there
were six crashes in the five year period between twenty
nineteen and twenty twenty three in the area on Dean's AV.
No one was injured in four of the crashes and
two people suffered just minor injuries and the others, I mean,
what are you farting around with this bit of road
for anyway, Tyler.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Well, the thing is that those are the reported incidents
is and the things that I've been dealing with. I mean,
Recording is the second busiest ward in the city behind
Central and on Dean's AV You've got fifteen thousand card
movements per day with around two thousand pedestrians. That was
scoped over a four day span, so it's quite a
lot of move in that area. So I just wanted
to make the space safer and outside the mosque, I

(02:45):
actually witnessed a near miss of a three year old
girl I'm nearly being hit by a van, so it
was sort of like drinking a cup of cold sick
when I had to push this through. But at the
end of the day, it's actually a massive, massive win
for the Dean's AV residents. I'm in a messive one
for the everyday users of Hagley Park and Dean's but.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Can you guys see Jake this to everyone else? I mean,
you guys have got your processes and your meetings and
your whatnots, But to everyone else, it just looks dumb,
like one side of the road has a bump and the.

Speaker 4 (03:14):
Other totally totally build What would be dumb, even dumber
as if as if neither side had a bump, because
as I said, it's not about.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
The incidences that are there.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
Now. If you add a crossing, you're encouraging people to cross,
and if you don't do anything to keep them safe
while they cross, you're setting them up for I was
going to say a fall, but you're sitting them up
to be hit by car.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Really okay, but but.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
We only know it should be on both sides of
the road, is what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Ryan. Okay, but it won't be Tyler because you know
that's a know from you guys.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Right. Yeah, Well, the board, the board had a different view.
But what I did do was actually after a twelve
twelve month review that there may very well be some
more implementation for those of review.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Okay, so what what will it actually look like? Can
one of you tell me what will just look like?
If I'm picturing a road, a normal road with a
normal you know, bump on it, that speed bump on it.
It will just be that but one side like chopped
off pretty much.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
But look, there'll be there'll be a there'll be a
crossing point in the middle. There'll be a crossing point
in the middle. And the scheme design has the platform
and and a kind of different orientation. But yeah, it'll
it'll look a little bit kooky. I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Not noting that it's not a it's not a platform.
It's a seventy five mil speed hum which is sort
of what they usually use in suburban area. It's a
bit lower, it's it's least some pinging on on a motorist. Again,
it extraly gets the down a little bit. Yeah, okay,
all right, you know.

Speaker 4 (04:44):
As opposed to the other side where there's no one pitch.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
But whatsoever, Well, exactly, I think what we need to
do is set up like you need to make this
a tourist attraction to the inefficiency of local government, and
people can come and take photos for their Instagram. It
can be like a new I think we should I
think we should provide it's going to bring tourists to
your area. Guys, Tyler Harrison Hunt from the Christiacht City

(05:07):
councilor also the Wipeur the Board, Jake McLellan Chrishchat City
councilor from the wipe Upper Board.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
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