Town centre roading layout

Traffic engineers Stantec and project landscape architects have completed the detailed design of the Rolleston town centre public realm and roading design for Tennyson Street upgrades, and the Wordsworth Street extension.

These detailed designs are based on community feedback gathered through prior consultation, along with input from Council staff and expert designers’ vision.

Tennyson Street upgrades

It is proposed that Tennyson Street has a 30km/h speed limit with 3.2m-wide traffic lanes, regular kerb extensions and raised platforms.

This design creates a safe environment for cyclists when sharing the road with motor vehicles, so cycle lanes have not been proposed. While vehicle speeds will be low, the road will still have capacity for the forecast peak hour traffic volume of 500 to 600 vehicles per hour.

The footpaths on each side of the road have been made as wide as possible, while still providing space for traffic lanes and parking. The paths on each side of the street have been shown as shared, as it has been recognised that some cyclists may prefer to ride on the pavement rather than the carriageway.

Wordsworth Street

The slow speed environment is also proposed in the Wordsworth Street extension. The Outline Development Plan (ODP), as set out in the District Plan, includes a cross-roads intersection at Markham Way. The proposed plans are consistent with the ODP.

The street cross-section provides space to accommodate two-way vehicle movement and on-street parking.

Regular raised platforms ensure that vehicle movement will be at slow speed. As with Tennyson Street, the design provides footpaths that are a minimum of 3.5m wide. This is more than the typical footpath width adjacent to a road for a town centre. The design provides some designated space for vehicles and in keeping with a shared space environment, it is expected that pedestrians and cyclists will be free to travel anywhere.

The proposed configuration for the southern section of Wordsworth Street has a 6m wide road with kerb and channel, a 1.8m wide footpath on one side of the road and 2.5m wide shared path on the reserve side of the road. This should service the current Playcentre and Scouts facilities well.

A total of 33 parking spaces is for users of the tennis courts, reserve and Scout den will be provided along the road in a mix of parallel parking bays and right-angle bays. A separate off-road car park with 12 spaces is proposed for near the Playcentre.

The configuration of the road has been designed to encourage slow vehicle speeds and incorporates a narrow carriageway and raised platforms at the primary pedestrian crossing points. The cul-de-sac turning head will be removed because the road will ultimately connect to the town centre and also to the existing Rolleston Community Centre car park.