New road crossing upgrades have opened around three Selwyn schools as part of a Selwyn District Council programme aimed at improving student safety in partnership with local schools.
Upgrades to add a raised zebra crossing outside Rolleston Primary School, relocate the raised zebra crossing outside Lincoln Primary School, and a new painted crossing outside Darfield High, have been installed in time for the new school term.
Council Executive Director Infrastructure and Property, Tim Mason said the Council was working closely with schools to ensure the upgrades meet each community’s specific needs.
The Council’s collaborative approach aims to ensure safer journeys for students across the district. A key part of the initiative is the introduction of variable speed limits around schools as well as looking at safer crossings and other infrastructure around schools, he said.
“We are working on a programme for further upgrades in the next financial year, which will be finalised before September. We will be connecting with the schools on what is planned and working with them on the upgrades,” said Mr Mason.
Te Kura Taurua o Tawera Darfield High School Principal, Andy England says the school and community were delighted with the crossing.
“We have been quietly working with Selwyn District Council to get the right solution to what is a very busy crossing for about 10 minutes twice a day,” he said.
“The previous confusion, with some drivers stopping to allow students to walk and other drivers not stopping, is a thing of the past.
“With a 30km/h limit also in place, our students and the drivers are now much safer. Big mihi to the Council school road safety team for getting cracking with this – they were great to work with.”
Te Kura o Tauhinu Lincoln Primary School principal, Chris Nord says he was pleased to see the relocation of the zebra crossing for his school.
“This is something our school community has been advocating for over several years, and it’s fantastic to see action being taken to prioritise student safety,” said Mr Nord.
“The new location, further down James Street, away from the busy North Belt intersection, makes a big difference for visibility and reduces congestion during peak drop-off and pick-up times.
“The raised crossing and improved signage also help slow traffic and make it much safer for our tamariki, whānau, and staff to cross the road.
“We’re grateful to the Selwyn District Council for listening to our concerns and making this positive change. It’s a great example of community voices being heard and real action being taken to support child safety.”
Currently, the Council’s programme is focused on improving school crossings.
“We also keep a list of general crossing locations, and improvements at these sites are carried out as funding becomes available,” said Mr Mason.
