Local businesses welcome Guyton Street roundabout
Published on 20 December 2023
New roundabout at the intersection of Guyton and Wicksteed streets
Several local businesses say the installation of traffic calming measures along Guyton Street – including a new roundabout at the intersection with Wicksteed Street – has had an immediate impact on reducing vehicle speeds and improving road safety.
The new road safety features were installed over the past week as part of Whanganui District Council’s Streets for People trial, which is 90 percent funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. As well as the new roundabout, several raised pedestrian platforms have been put in place on both blocks.
Local artist Sue Cooke, who operates a gallery on Guyton Street, said the new road layout has had an immediate positive effect on both driver and pedestrian behaviour.
“I’ve actually been up on scaffolding the past few days, as I’m installing heritage awnings on my building, so I’ve had a great view of the new road layout. It’s clear that it has already made a huge difference by slowing vehicles down and encouraging pedestrians to cross in safety on the new platforms.”
Haley Mallinder, who owns Me2uGifts Baby Boutique, said she’s also seen the impact on pedestrian behaviour.
“Previously people tended to cross Guyton Street in quite an ad-hoc way, anywhere along the street when they spotted a gap in traffic. That seemed pretty dangerous, given that the Wicksteed Street intersection was such a blind spot. With the new layout, we’ve noticed pedestrians are crossing on the raised platforms – which seems a heck of a lot safer.”
The team at Paige’s Book Gallery echoed the sentiments above and said they were over the moon about the changes on their street, especially the new roundabout directly by their shop.
“The new layout has not only calmed the speed of vehicles, it’s also calmed the nerves of our staff! We’d witnessed so many prangs and near misses over the years at the Wicksteed intersection – to the point where we’d often feel quite nervous in the shop. Thankfully the new roundabout seems to be working a treat, and team stress from this intersection has all but disappeared. So, for us, this new roundabout is the perfect Christmas present!”
With road safety improvements now installed, the next step for the Streets for People project on central Guyton Street will be urban design work to be carried out in early 2024. The new look Guyton Street will have seating, greenery, lighting and street art reflecting Whanganui’s history and culture.
As the Streets for People project is a trial, the council will actively monitor community feedback on the changes over the course of the next two years. People can have their say on the changes now by visiting: whanganui.govt.nz/streets-for-people