'We need a change.' Residents call for pedestrian crossing in Waiake Torbay

Residents in Torbay are calling for an improvement in road safety along Beach Road before an accident between a vehicle and pedestrian happens.

A resident and mother, Paula Andrea Pardo Montenegro, is worried her children and others in the community are at risk.

“Vehicles drive at high speeds and don’t check if there’s a pedestrian waiting to cross," she told TWN.

“In that stretch, there are at least five bus stops and no crosswalks or traffic lights.”

Paula contacted Auckland Transport about installing a pedestrian crossing, and was told it would evaluate the situation.

“I hope they aren’t waiting for someone to get hit,” she said.

She shared her concerns online and said she has had good support from the local community.

Another resident, Anneke Hielkema, said she was also concerned for pets.

“I had one of my pets killed on the road there from someone speeding.

“I keep my cats inside when I'm not home now, because I don't trust the roads around here."

When Anneke posted online thanking the people who took her pet to the vet, she received comments that several other people also had their pets killed on the roads in Waiake.

Anneke said that it would be good to have a pedestrian crossing, and speed bumps before the corner further up the hill.

“I don’t know that one crossing is going to be enough,” she said.

Mandy Thackwray, at Comb N Curl on the corner of Beach Rd and Hebron Rd, said she thought the road could do with a pedestrian crossing.

“It is a busy road . . . some people go too fast,” she said.

According to data from Greater Auckland in 2024, the cost of a new pedestrian crossing in Auckland is several hundred thousand dollars.

Williamson Ave has a raised pedestrian crossing in Grey Lynn Auckland, which cost approximately $490,000 to construct.

A spokesperson from Auckland Transport said once a member of the public had put through a request, it would be investigated and sent to the correct internal team, and an engineer who would review the request.

“[The process] is roughly 10 working days, but the actual construction of it will be a lot longer.”

Once the request is in the engineer’s hands, Auckland Transport is no longer involved, but can provide updates to the person who logged the request.

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AI was used to transcribe audio from the interview.