Efficiency
on Cranford Street (encouraging drivers to stay on the main road during peak times)
Consultation closed
The decision making process
Staff are recommending that the Waipapa Papanui Innes Central Community Board approve the peak-hour clearway. However, the Community Board will only make their decision once they have read the staff report, considered all feedback and heard from those attending the meeting to speak about their submission.
You can read the staff report, including the full recommendations in the meeting agenda here.
If you would like to speak at the meeting, please contact the Community Board Advisor, Mark Saunders by emailing Mark.Saunders@ccc.govt.nz before 5pm, Tuesday 12 November 2024.
Meeting details
Date: 14 November 2024
Time: 10am
Venue: Papanui Boardroom, Corner of Langdons Road and Restell Street
This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend in person, or watch online.
The final decision is recorded in the meeting minutes, available online three working days after the meeting.
The Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) opened in 2020 to provide improved public transport options, safe walking and cycling routes, faster journey times, and reduced congestion from North Canterbury to Christchurch City. As we expected, the CNC introduced a range of downstream effects, including increased traffic on Cranford Street and throughout the St Albans area. To prepare for this, in 2018 we began early investigations into how we could improve efficiency on Cranford Street.
How we got to this point
In April 2018 we asked the public for feedback on several proposals aimed at easing the effects of the CNC. This included a proposal for peak-hour clearways on Cranford Street, between Innes Road and Berwick Street. The clearways would've used on-street carpark space to create a second southbound lane during the morning peak (7-9am) and a second northbound lane for the evening peak (4-6pm).
Of 407 submitters, 65% (263) supported the peak-hour clearways. Of submitters from St Albans, Edgeware and Mairehau, 63% (194) were supportive of the clearways.
In 2019 Council staff recommended a refined clearway proposal as the most effective option for managing the expected increase in traffic from the CNC. However, during this second round of consultation, we received feedback from partner organisations and key stakeholders, urging the Council to explore solutions that encouraged greater bus use.
As a result, the proposed clearway was not approved, and the elected Council directed staff to investigate options that would improve bus travel.
We've been operating peak-hour bus lanes between Innes Road and Berwick Street since 2021. This was implemented as a temporary road layout, and now a future road layout needs to be decided on and installed.
As part of the approval process for the CNC, the Environment Court issued a Notice of Requirement (NoR) to the Council.
It set out the following legal obligations. Christchurch City Council must:
- Mitigate the traffic effects from the CNC
- Appoint an independent expert (qualified traffic engineer)
- Engage with specific stakeholders regarding the recommendations
- Carry out ongoing traffic monitoring
In addition to the previous obligations, the NoR outlines that if traffic increases more than 30% on neighbouring streets surrounding Cranford Street, we’re required to introduce interventions. These need to either improve efficiency on arterial routes or calm traffic by using devices to manage vehicles taking shortcuts through side streets.
The Environment Court’s NoR directs the Council to prioritise keeping traffic on Cranford and Sherborne streets to prevent traffic from increasing through neighbouring side streets.
Other priorities for this project have emerged through the feedback we’ve received from local residents, businesses and commuters. Additionally, we’ve worked with the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board, the St Albans Residents’ Association and other partner organisations to understand their priorities.
Priorities for Cranford Street
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Safety
for everyone, regardless of how they travel
Read more about safety in the 'additional improvements' section.
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Travel choice
for local residents and commuters (supporting bus use and ridesharing) to reduce congestion and emissions
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Local connectivity
supporting people to easily move around their neighbourhood.
Cycling on Cranford
While confident cyclists may use the peak-hour lanes, the recommended cycle route through the area is the Papanui Parallel cycleway. Less confident cyclists can also use the shared path between Berwick Street and Westminster Street.
We have not included cycle lanes in the plans for Cranford Street, due to the lack of space on the road. Instead, we’ve prioritised accommodating the high volume of traffic travelling through the area, which also maintains on-street parking outside of peak times.
Option 1: Bus lane
This option maintains priority for buses. Traffic modelling shows that buses would travel faster than other vehicles, and cyclists will have more road space.
Option 2: Clearway
This option creates a second lane that all vehicles can use. Traffic modelling shows that all vehicles would travel faster, as congestion is reduced with traffic spread across two lanes.
Option 3: T2 lane
This option gives priority to vehicles with two or more people. Traffic modelling shows that vehicles with two or more people would travel faster, and congestion would be reduced due to fewer vehicles occupying the general traffic lane.
Future T2 extension
Currently, the southbound T2 lane on the CNC is on the right side, while the proposed peak-hour lane needs to be on the left side. This means all vehicles would be required to manoeuvre into the opposite lane between QEII Drive and Innes Road.
If a T2 lane is the preferred option, the CNC southbound lane may be reconfigured to address this concern. This would be done in collaboration with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. However, a T2 extension would require significant collaborative planning and resourcing, with certainty and timing not yet known.
A future T2 extension would involve:
- Moving the T2 lane on the motorway section from the right-hand side to the left-hand side so that it connects with the Innes-to-Berwick peak-hour lane, without any need for vehicles to switch lanes
- Aligning the peak-hour restriction time periods
- Extending the T2 lane through the four-lane, two-way section between QEII Drive and Innes Road
It would also require:
- An extension of the peak-hour bus lane trial until the T2 extension can be implemented in its place
- Mitigations for potential merging/diverging concerns at the motorway on/off ramps
- Approvals and resourcing from NZTA Waka Kotahi and Christchurch City Council
- Further public consultation
Additional improvements across all options
As part of the future road layout, we’re proposing to make additional improvements on Cranford Street.
We’re proposing to introduce a northbound peak-hour clearway on Cranford Street, between Berwick Street and Westminster Street.
This will help to address safety concerns raised by the local community about the signalised crossing by English Park. Two traffic lanes currently merge after the crossing, causing driver distraction and orange and red light running.
The peak-hour clearway will also improve traffic efficiency and allow for additional on-street car parks.
- Safety: Removing the quick merge after the English Park crossing will reduce confusion and increase driver attention, as drivers will have more time to react to the crossing without being distracted by the need to merge, making it safer for everyone.
- Efficiency: Two lanes of northbound traffic will be able to flow continuously from Berwick Street to Westminster Street during the evening peak (4–6pm, weekdays).
- Parking: An additional eight on-street car parks would be added to the two (P60) that are currently on the west side of this section of road. The ten P60 car parks would be available for use outside of the evening peak.
We’re proposing to install a high-friction, coloured road surfacing at the approaches to the signalised pedestrian crossing by English Park.
This, in addition to the peak-hour clearway, will help to make the crossing safer.
- Alertness: The coloured road surfacing will increase driver alertness and the visibility of the crossing. This will encourage drivers to slow down, check the traffic signals, and either stop or continue, while keeping a lookout for pedestrians.
- Braking distance: If a driver needs to brake suddenly to avoid a collision, the high-friction surface will shorten the braking distance, which may prevent a crash or reduce the impact.
We’re proposing to install high-friction, coloured road surfacing on all of the intersection approaches at the Westminster/Cranford Street intersection.
This will help to address concerns about safety raised by local schools, which is caused by drivers running red lights and travelling at unsafe speeds.
- Alertness: This change will increase driver alertness at the intersection and the visibility of the crossing, reminding them of the need to take caution. This will encourage drivers to slow down, check the traffic signals and watch for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Braking distance: If a driver needs to brake suddenly to avoid a collision, the high-friction surface will shorten the braking distance, which may prevent a crash or reduce the impact.
We’re also proposing to upgrade the southbound ‘no right turn’ signage at the Westminster/Cranford intersection to electronic signage. The sign would light up when enforced.
The turning ban is a mitigation to prevent morning commuter traffic from shortcutting through side streets.
- Improved visibility: The electronic signage will improve the visibility of the right turn ban for vehicles travelling southbound on Cranford Street during morning peak hours (7–9am). By improving drivers’ awareness of the restriction, the new signage will help to reduce confusion.
Could red light cameras be installed at the Westminster Street / Cranford Street intersection?
The management and enforcement of red-light cameras is transferring from the New Zealand Police to NZTA Waka Kotahi, who have better capacity to enforce them. This means we may be able to consider installing cameras at a later stage on the Westminster/Cranford intersection to address dangerous driving behaviour.
Currently, southbound traffic exiting the Innes/Cranford intersection merges into one lane before the peak-hour bus lane begins. Across all options, we’re proposing to extend the two traffic lanes further south, to meet the peak-hour lane.
This change would improve efficiency on Cranford Street, helping to keep traffic on the arterial route.
- For the bus lane and T2 lane options, the peak-hour lane would begin south of the Malvern/Cranford intersection. This would allow two traffic lanes to flow efficiently through the intersection. Vehicles not permitted to use the peak-hour lane can then merge along an extended merging zone.
- For the clearway option, two traffic lanes would flow continuously from the CNC to south of Berwick Street.
Due to the extended length of the peak-hour lanes, six P60 car parks will be added north of the Westminster/Cranford intersection and eight P60 car park spaces will be added south of the intersection.
CNC and Cranford Street layout
Watch our webinar
Too much information? Hear from our project team as they talk about the history of Cranford Street, the options and answer questions.
Tell us what you think
Your feedback will be considered before a decision is made.
