Kawai Street South trial update

​The Innovating Streets for People trial in the area surrounding Kawai St South continues, with Council making small changes to the layout to help improve driveway access for residents.

We are now four months into the year-long trial and are pleased to have received lots of useful feedback from the community on the project. 

When the trial is over we plan to use this feedback to consider a permanent change to the way roads are laid out in this area.

The project, primarily funded by Waka Kotahi, came about after considerable engagement with the community, many of whom were concerned about the speed of cars using their roads as a ‘rat run’ instead of Waimea Road.

Speeds outside the Nelson South Kindergarten were monitored before, and after the changes were made. 

There has been a 37.5% reduction in speed on Kawai Street South, effectively reducing speeds on the road to 30 kilometres per hour.

Infrastructure Chair Brian McGurk says it’s important to remember the project is a trial, and what residents see now won’t necessarily be what happens on the street permanently.

 “That’s very much the idea behind the trial. It’s an opportunity to see what works for the community and what doesn’t. The end goal is to make the street as safe as possible for the people who live in the area, rather than those who use it instead of Waimea Road.

“Face-to-face conversations, people getting in contact, and feedback through Shape Nelson has been constructive and I am confident that once the trial is over we will have a much better understanding of what will work.”

 “These changes are all part of a trial that will allow us to see what works well, and what needs some extra thought when we come to consider making a more permanent change to the street. The speed reduction is a fantastic result for the project and has made the area safer for the people who live there,” says Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis.

“Residents have been kept informed by newsletter and had the chance to talk face to face with project leads at a community barbecue just before Christmas. At the barbecue, much of the feedback was positive, and we were also able to take on board suggestions for improvements.”

Some of the changes the community requested were able to be made straight away. This included closing gaps between the planters, which people had highlighted as a safety issue for children playing on the street.

Phase Two of the project will focus on connecting the community with schools, Victory Community Centre and the Railway Reserve, including enhancing pedestrian and cycling safety.

If you would like to provide feedback on the trial so far we would love to see you at our Phase Two community co-design drop-in session at Nelson Intermediate on Thursday 11 March from 5:30 – 7:30pm. 

Alternatively, you can fill in the form at Shape Nelson: shape.nelson.govt.nz/innovating-streets