Crash schools TCC safety officers

Wet weather accidents and traffic congestion outside Welcome Bay School is serving up an opportune reminder for Tauranga City Council to seriously consider upgrading road and safety infrastructure, says principal Nik House.

Nik met with TCC's Travel Safe Team yesterday morning to assess road safety outside the school on Welcome Bay Road.


An ambulance leaves the congested scene of yesterday's accident outside Welcome Bay School.

The meeting, part of a lengthy discussion process between the parties, proved timely when an accident took place in front of their eyes.

A young person, not affiliated with the school, was knocked off their scooter after colliding with a vehicle turning into the school's staff carpark, as TCC officials were on site.

'I think it was a very timely visit for them and what happened. I guess is it was a rainy day and traffic always increases when it's raining,” says Nik.

'It shows when there is an issue out there actually what a problem it can be, because there was traffic backed up either way for about 30-40 minutes.”

With Welcome Bay's increasing population, the road outside the school is becoming progressively busy, and something needs to be done ensure the school's pupils and wider community are kept safe, he says.

'That's what we are about. Obviously we are a community school and want the best for our community.

'They [council] need to look at it and make sure there are things they could perhaps invest in or review to make it a little bit safer and a little bit more able to cater for growth.”

Tauranga City Council Travel Safe coordinator Ang Joyes says following consultation with the school and Board of Trustees, work will begin on recommended safety improvements during the summer holidays.

The timing is to avoid any unnecessary disruption, she says.

Improvements include relocating the existing Bay Hopper bus stop further along the road – away from the main entrance of school, installing cycle lanes on both sides of the road, and upgrading the existing crossing at Village Park Drive.

The existing bus bay will then become a suitable ‘Pick Up - Drop off' area for parent/caregivers. Existing parking spaces on Welcome Bay Road will remain.

The work is part of the TCC Travel Safe team assisting with the development of a Safer Journeys for Schools Guidelines, developed nationally for NZ Transport Agency.

Travel Safe will work with the school for several years to develop and update their School Action Plan, says Ang.

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3 comments

Suggestion

Posted on 23-09-2014 17:07 | By panda

Why don't kids walk to school anymore? That would relieve the congestion. There was no such thing as the 'school run' when I was at school.....and it wasn't THAT long ago!


Walking!

Posted on 23-09-2014 19:18 | By Blogger

My daughter is 6 and half, I will not send her across 3 main roads to get to Welcome Bay School. It takes 20 minutes to walk one way, up some serious big Welcome Bay hills. That is 40 minutes out of my busy day. I drive, park on Village a Park Drive, and walk her across the crossing. Parents just don't have time to walk their kids and get to work on time.


Downward spiral

Posted on 24-09-2014 09:43 | By thegoodlife

Kids don't walk or bike because they don't feel safe, that means more cars which makes roads even less safe. Build off road walking and cycling with safe places to cross main roads, like over bridges. Invest in the health, safety and sustainability of the communities!


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