New crossing boosts safety
A new pedestrian crossing to minimise danger on a busy school road has been installed.
The crossing has been built outside Otumoetai Intermediate school, on the corner of Windsor Rd and Charles St. The road is travelled by thousands of students and vehicles each day.
School principal Henk Popping said there had been near-misses outside the school, including a parent who damaged his motorbike when he had to drop it to avoid three students who had run onto the road in front of him.
"At the end of the school day Windsor Rd is awash with 2000 Otumoetai College students, 750 Otumoetai Intermediate students and 300 or so Bellevue Primary students all travelling home by foot, skateboards, cycles, scooters, cars and buses," he said.
"We really needed this.
"I've been pushing for something like this for 12 years and now we've got it I'm really pleased."
The crossing was made possible through a partnership with the Tauranga City Council and police.
Council figures reveal on any given day, about 6500 cars travel along Windsor Rd, 5500 along Ngatai Rd and 4500 on Charles St.
Tauranga police youth education officer Senior Constable Ros Frost said the stretch of road outside the intermediate was "a worrying area" and the new pedestrian crossing would make students more visible on the street and slow passing traffic.
The school first approached the council in 2003 to build a pedestrian crossing.
The changes were approved last year, as part of the Minor Safety Works contract for 2012/2013.
Travel Safe coordinator Angela Joyes estimated it cost about $25,000 to finish whole project.
