There’s one at the intersection of Queen Street and Victoria Street. There’s another where Karangahape Road meets Pitt Street.
There’s even one in Ponsonby, at the top of Franklin Road. What am I talking about? A ‘Barnes Dance’, or as described by Auckland Transport, an ‘exclusive pedestrian crossing’. It’s where all vehicles in all directions get a red light, allowing pedestrians to cross the intersection any way they want, including diagonally.
As traffic has returned to pre-Covid levels, I’ve really started to notice just how much more relaxing it is to cross Ponsonby Road at the top of Franklin Road, than it is at the top of Richmond Road. It’s so nice knowing there are no vehicles moving anywhere near you, especially not left-turning ones, slowly rolling forward, pushing you to hurry up and clear the crossing.
This may seem like a small thing to many, but ask any person with reduced mobility, or a parent wrangling young children, and they’ll almost certainly tell you they prefer a Barnes Dance too. So why aren’t these pedestrian-friendly intersections everywhere? Well, they were many years ago, but that was before traffic engineers decided that prioritising cars over people was the way of the future.
Auckland has been car-dominated for too long. Let’s imagine being able to cross diagonally at Ponsonby Road and Richmond Road, or Ponsonby Road and Williamson Avenue. Or both! Not only is it quicker, it’s safer, and simply a more pleasant way for locals and visitors to enjoy our neighbourhood.
If you agree, please write to (email address at AT) expressing your desire to have these traffic signals changed.
Jake Morrison, by email
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