The Kaipātiki Local Board has unanimously called on Auckland Transport to remove, relocate or replace the Onewa Road transit lane camera poles due to safety concerns. AT are currently looking at installing tactile strips/reflectors and extending the width of the footpath in some locations, rather than properly fixing the problem.
Below is some background to the situation and the full resolution of the Kaipatiki Local Board:

Background:

Auckland Transport have recently installed 17 poles, each housing 4 cameras, to monitor the T3 transit lanes on Onewa Road.
Upon installation, it became evident that the camera poles were set well-back from the kerb, in many instances almost in the centre of the footpath (northern side) and shared path (southern side), effectively becoming a hazard to pedestrians and cyclists. The placement also makes it more difficult for wheelchairs, prams, double-prams, groups of people, etc, to navigate around.
The poles also have a large metal box with sharp edges protruding from the pole at head/shoulder height that could cause injury to a pedestrian or cyclist. And bolts protruding from the ground, creating a trip hazard.
The placement of the camera poles has raised considerable community concern, and runs counter to the use of the shared path on the southern side of Onewa Road by cyclists. It also runs counter to the Kaipātiki Local Board’s long-held ambition of a shared path on the northern side of the road, to which the local board recently allocated seed-funding.
Auckland Transport have advised in a memo, and verbally at a recent Kaipātiki Local Board workshop, that the camera poles have been installed at 900mm setback from the kerb, which is above the minimum 700mm setback. However, due to the differing widths of the path and shared path on Onewa Road, in many instances this means that the poles have effectively been installed at or near the centre of the path. This reduces the amount of usable space for pedestrians and cyclists to the point where the poles are in breach of Auckland Transport’s Footpath & Walking Guidelines (2014). The thickness of the poles (compared to other poles) exacerbates this reduction in usable space.
Auckland Transport have also advised verbally at a Kaipātiki Local Board workshop, that a different design of camera pole installed at the fenceline (rather than back from the kerb) with overhead cameras could feasibly be installed in the future, which begs the question as to why they were not installed in the first instance.
Auckland Transport is proposing that “The transit lane poles will be made more visible to pedestrians and people on bikes by using tactile strips/reflectors” and also that the footpath will be widened in the vicinity of the poles where required.

Resolution:

Resolution number KT/2021/243
MOVED by Chairperson J Gillon, seconded by Deputy Chairperson D Grant:

That the Kaipātiki Local Board:
a) express deep concern over the safety to pedestrians and cyclists over the location of transit lane camera poles within the footpath (northern side) and shared path (southern side) on Onewa Road, that in many cases are almost in the middle of the path, in breach of Auckland Transport’s Footpath & Walkway Guidelines.
b) express concern that the design of the camera poles includes a large metal box with sharp edges protruding from the pole at head/shoulder height that could cause injury to a pedestrian or cyclist, especially as the poles are located within the path.
c) formally request that the Onewa Road transit camera poles are removed, relocated or replaced with a different design (such as an over-head design installed closer to the fenceline), to maximise the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
d) express concern that Auckland Transport’s proposed remedy to this issue is the installation of tactile strips/reflectors, and an extension of footpath in some of the pole locations, rather than the removal or relocation of the poles, or replacement with a different design of pole.
e) acknowledge the high level of safety concerns from the public over the design and installation of the transit lane camera poles.
f) note that as per the tabled memo from Auckland Transport, all street furniture must be set back from the kerb at least 700mm, and that the Onewa Road camera poles have been set back 900mm from the kerb.
g) request a copy of the external safety audit of the camera pole installations that is referred to in the tabled memo from Auckland Transport.
h) request that Auckland Transport work to minimise the abundance of poles in the Onewa Road footpath and shared path, as there were already a high number prior to the installation of the transit cameras.
i) note that while Auckland Transport is empowered with governance, management and decision-making of Auckland’s road corridors, it does not own the roads (Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009, Section 46, Clause 4), and it is the duty of elected members to raise concerns about Auckland Transport’s decisions and
management on behalf of the people of Auckland who do own the roads via the Auckland Council.
j) request that this resolution and the associated Notice of Motion report and attachments are circulated to the Auckland Transport Board, the Mayor and Auckland Council Governing Body members for their information.