Installation of traffic slowing measures to start

Construction of traffic slowing measures will begin on Monday 29 May in Tawanui Road in Kaikohe, with a temporary road closure necessary to install raised platforms and other safety features.

This marks the start of a wider traffic slowing programme to be rolled out in various streets in Kaikohe and Moerewa over the coming months. Construction in Park Road, Kaikohe will follow and is also likely to require a temporary road closure.

The project aims to address unsafe driving and is expected to go district-wide eventually. Transport research and community feedback to the Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) and the council has indicated that the wide and straight roads in Kaikohe and Moerewa are seen by some motorists as an opportunity to drive unsafely and at speed.

A mixture of interim and permanent traffic slowing measures are being installed. These include raised platforms, footpaths, kerb buildouts, and road markings, as well as drainage upgrades and signage installation. Interim measures are lower cost solutions and will be monitored to gauge their effectiveness before a decision is made on making them permanent.

The council initially promoted the traffic slowing measures in Kaikohe and Moerewa through a poster campaign in January. These were distributed to local schools, businesses, council service centres and libraries. The council’s website also has a Slowing-traffic-in-Kaikohe-and-Moerewa page that details project information including maps of likely locations of the permanent and temporary traffic slowing measures. This information will be updated regularly during the works.

The works in Kaikohe and Moerewa are expected to be completed by October 2023 with residents on roads directly affected to be advised by letter ahead of works and temporary road closures.

Far North communities have told the council they want traffic to be slowed in order to improve safety near schools and marae, to improve access to neighbourhood facilities, and to continue the work of Innovating Streets For People (pilot project). 

Main photo - an example of a permanent treatment, concrete platform 

Photo below - an example of a permanent treatment, kerb extension 

Below - Kaikohe poster with indicative map of likely locations for traffic slowing measures. This map is also available on the project webpage.

Below - Moerewa poster with indicative map of likely locations for traffic slowing measures. This map is also available on the project webpage.