Fendalton South Cluster Street Renewal (Helmores Lane)
I don't usually post street renewal consultations as there are so many of them going on. However, this one includes Helmores Lane which provides a good link into North Hagley Park for cyclists, and is part of a nice route through quiet Fendalton streets from the park to the railway cycle path (Helmore-Holmwood-Garden-Wroxton).
Basically its a street quietening job - Helmores is used as a bit of a rat run by cars coming off Harper Ave and looking for a short cut to Holmwood or Strowan. What is proposed looks acceptable, but the consultation is also asking for views on the section from the bridge to Harper Ave and about the long term use of the bridge itself (one of the oldest in the country). Currently the bridge is a bit of a squeeze point, the more so when rat runners are driving quickly through the area. If access to Harper Ave was closed off most fo the issues for cyclists would disappear. Closure would also be consistent with Spokes submission on the Hagley Park Management Plan.
The street quietening proposals generally look fine. One improvement that could be made would be to provide a flush median strip in Holmwood for cyclists turning into Helmores lane, as this is currently a bit of a squeeze point, partly due to parked cars on th north side of Holmwood at this point. Tidying up the entrance to the combined cycle and walking path on the SE side of the bridge would also be a good idea. If the Harper Ave entrance was closed the bridge could either become single lane, or revert to being for pedestrian and cyclists only.
A map of the proposals is attached below.
| Attachment | Size |
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| HelmoresAndDesmondMaps.pdf | 623.82 KB |
Helmore's lane email submission
I have sent the following email submission incorporating the above suggestions and comments to Jennie Hamilton at CCC:
Dear Jennie
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Helmore's Lane street renewal. Helmore's Lane provides a useful link into North Hagley Park for cyclists and pedestrians, and is part of a pleasant "family friendly" cycling route through quiet Fendalton streets from the park to the railway cycle path (Helmore-Holmwood-Garden-Wroxton).
Spokes supports traffic quietening of Helmore's Lane and proposals to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. However, our overall view is that, unless the Harper Ave entrance is closed, the design of the proposed works may not be sufficient to discourage through traffic and therefore permit these outcomes to be achieved. Currently, the combination of fast moving through traffic and use of the street for long term parking squeezes the road space available, and can be intimidating for cyclists. The bridge and the area to the north and south of it is of particular concern in this regard. We would like to see the Harper Ave entrance closed to cars and long term parking removed, or at least reduced to one side in the area around the bridge. If the Harper Ave entrance was closed the bridge could either become single lane, or be restricted to pedestrians and cyclists only.
The entrances to the combined cycling and walking path on the south side of the bridge, as well as the road crossing itself, needs to be improved. There is currently a very sharp turn (which can be slippery in winter) for cyclists entering the paths from the road, parked cars sometimes block the entrances, and views are somewhat obscured for pedestrians and cyclists crossing at this point (this includes large numbers of school pupils).
Another improvement that could be made to the overall design would be to provide a flush median strip in Holmwood Road for cyclists turning into Helmore's lane, as this is currently a bit of a squeeze point, partly due to parked cars on the north side of Holmwood opposite the entrance to the lane.
Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries or require further information.
Cheers
Rob
Helmores Lane
The plan as proposed is a bit of a cop out. The narrowing will possibly slow traffic? But the cobblestones at the intersections etc will be more decorative than anyting else and have little is any calming effect. The overall effect will make little difference to traffic speed would be my prediction. No attempt has been made to fix the problem from Rhodes St to Harper Ave which is used as a parking area by people choosing to walk across the park to work as well as general park users. Totally agree with you Robin that this plan does nothing to fix the problems on the south side of the bridge, where the shared path is very poorly aligned, no priority is given to users of it at the crossing point and the ends are often blocked by inconsiderate motorist who park over offset crossing point. It is a major pedestrian and cycling shared pathway, especially during the school term when it is heavily used by girls ay Christchurch Girls' High School.
Keith Turner
Helmores lane
Any further thoughts on this? Otherwise I'll email in a response noting the points I have raised above.