Ban the Box (Planter Boxes - Mapua 'Streets for People' Project
This petition calls for the removal of the recently placed planter boxes from the streets of Mapua.
TDC recently installed a number of planter boxes along Aranui Road as part of the NZTA-funded Streets-for-People project being rolled out nationally. When asked what their purpose is, they have responded as follows:
They serve three purposes:
- On the roadside encourage slower vehicle speeds (improving safety) as it makes the road feel narrower.
- Protect sight lines at vehicle crossings and pedestrian crossings. Planter boxes are lower than a parked car, so this ensures drivers will always be able to see a safe distance up the footpath when turning into driveways.
- Add to the visual amenity on the road by adding some greenery.
Since their installation, the planter boxes have been the focus of a lot of community frustration. Frequently voiced opposition includes:
- Not visually appealling;
- Will require frequent maintenance and watering in summer months;
- Increased hazard in several key areas - i.e. outside the Mapua Hall, outside the Garage, outside the pre-school - where they reduce visibility to motorists coming onto Aranui Road;
- They block access for road sweeping machines which used to collect the leaves that regularly block the drains outside the playground, resulting in increased frequency of flooding;
- They make access to the roadside parking much trickier, resulting in fewer cars being able to park;
- When cycling, they create extra obstacle to be negotiated, often with reduced visibility of what's on the far side;
- As they are located where cars are usually parked, they have no effect on narrowing the road and no impact on vehicle safety;
- If needed to define parking zones, there are much better ways to do this - use of yellow lines or white painted parking bays, both of which have been used successfully in Mapua previously.
Sally Hargraves Contact the author of the petition