Ana Nicholls
From:
Soon Teck Kong
Sent:
Friday, 18 January 2019 11:53 AM
To:
Ashley Fry
Cc:
Ana Nicholls; Withheld under section ; Luke Benner; Si
7(2)(a)
obhan Procter
Subject:
FW: Red light timing
Follow Up Flag:
Follow up
Flag Status:
Flagged
Hi Ashley,
Following on from our meeting on Monday, I have collated the advice I have received from Withheld and
under section 7(2)(a)
Luke to respond to the customer as follows.
Traffic signals are designed to cater for all road users including pedestrians and cyclists.
Council is required to comply with the Nationwide Accepted Standards and Regulations as well as
Industry Best Practice in the design, installation and operational requirements so as to ensure road
users safety.
The traffic signal timing are also regulated for the Green, Yellow/Amber and All-Red phases.
The Yellow/Amber timing is provided to allow a vehicle enough time to stop at the Stopline/Limitline
following the termination of a Green display.
The All-Red timing is to provide a safe clearance time for vehicles to clear the intersection before the
start of the next phase.
Under the “Austroads – Cycling Aspects of Austroads Guides”, the existing Victoria Street
environment would sit in the “Mixed environments” category with a recommended design operating
speed of a maximum of 20km/h for cyclists as some part of Victoria Street has an uphill gradient.
With a Yellow/Amber time of 3 seconds and an All-Red time of 2.5 seconds, a cyclist travelling at
20km/h will have sufficient time to clear the intersection if the cyclist passes the Stopline/Limitline at
the end of the Green phase and the start of the Yellow/Amber phase.
It is not recommended that cyclists should proceed past the Stopline/Limitline on the Yellow/Amber
phase.
We will continue to monitor this intersection and the cyclists’ use in relation to the traffic signal
phases. At this stage, we are confident that the intersection is operating safely and efficiently for all
road users when they comply with the traffic signal phases.
If you wish to discuss, please contact me.
Thanks for your assistance.
Regards,
Soon Teck Kong
1
Manager, Network Operations | CPEng (Civil), CMEngNZ | Wellington City Council
P Withheld under section 7(2)(a) |
E [email address] |
W Wellington.govt.nz |
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From: Withheld under section 7(2)(a)
Sent: Thursday, 10 January 2019 6:33 p.m.
To: Info at WCC
Cc: Withheld under section Justin Lester
7(2)(a)
Subject: Re: Red light timing
Hi,
Would I be able to get an acknowledgement this was received and is being actioned?
Just to add to this, my workmate helpfully pointed out that to make it through the entire intersection before it
turns red (if you enter just before it turns orange), then you have to be traveling at 36 km/h which is a fair
achievement for a cyclist going uphill.
If you want to exit before other traffic gets a green light then you would have to be traveling at 19km/h which is
a bit more possible for an experienced cyclist going up a hill, but not really for your average cyclist.
Note that this intersection is at the end of a cycle lane, so it should be assumed that cyclists frequent this
intersection, of all abilities.
Cheers,
Withheld
under section 7(2)(a)
On Thu, 10 Jan 2019, 9:38 AM Withheld under section 7(2)(a)
wrote:
Hi,
This is in response to your OIA's that you sent today for the cyclist speed, and length of the intersection and
red light timing for the Victoria St and Karo Drive intersection, and a follow up on my repeated safety
concerns about cyclists and red light timings that have been dismissed by members of the council's staff. These
concerns have spanned several years with no action seen from the council.
Taking an average speed of around 4.3 meters per second (from the 15.5 km/h
at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_performance#Typical_speeds), in the 5.5 second between when a
light turns amber to the other path turning green, that cyclist would have travelled around around 23 meters.
Given the intersection is 30 meters this is not enough for an average cyclist to travel fully through the
intersection before other vehicles get a green light if they enter just as the light turns amber.
Can this please be fixed, and all other intersections in Wellington be audited to determine whether a cyclist
travelling at an average speed of 15.5 km/h can safely exit the intersection before other vehicles get green
lights.
2
Note that this is something I've brought up many times with the council before along with video footage of the
light turning red when I enter on a green. I was told verbally by Withheld under section in October 2018 that all the light
7(2)(a)
timings were designed so all vehicles can safely exit during the "all red" or "intragreen" periods. This is clearly
false given the above. This was also when I was verbally told by that staff member that as a cyclist I'm a
minority and my safety concerns don't matter. Hopefully this will change the councils opinion on that matter.
Cheers,
Hugh
3
