Submission from Living Streets Aotearoa

On draft guidelines for facilities that assist blind and

vision impaired pedestrians (RTS 14)

 

Organisation:               Living Streets Aotearoa

Contact person:           Carina Duke

Address:                       PO Box 1696, Christchurch                               

Email:                          carina.duke at livingstreets.org.nz

Phone:                         (03) 375 4303

Date:                            22 January 2008

 

About Living Streets

 

Living Streets Aotearoa (LSA) is a national organisation with a vision of “More people choosing to walk more often and enjoying public places – young and old, fast and slow, walking, sitting and standing, commuting, shopping, between appointments, for exercise, for leisure and for pleasure.”

The objectives of LSA are:

·        to promote walking as a healthy, environmentally-friendly and universal means of transport and recreation

·        to promote the social and economic benefits of pedestrian-friendly communities

·        to work for improved access and conditions for walkers, pedestrians and runners e.g. walking surfaces, traffic flows, speed and safety

·        to advocate for greater representation of pedestrian concerns in national, regional and urban land use and transport planning.

 

 

For more information, please see: www.livingstreets.org.nz

 

  

Submission

 

• Front cover – it would be great to see the yellow tiles on the front – the grey will give Councils the impression that these meet contrast requirements in all situations.

 

• LSA would support the content of RTS 14 being compulsory not just best practice

 

• LSA is pleased to see the Universal Design Principles being incorporated into the document and agree that the walking environment should be inclusive.

 

• 2.1 NZ Disability statistics – have the latest Census results become available for this document?

 

• It is noted that the directional tiles can be an issue for pedestrians (whether in wheelchairs or walking) and we would support further research into the design of these tiles to ensure safety for all pedestrians.  We accept that fully sighted pedestrian would have the ability to make decisions as to their safety and best route around tactile tiles.

 

• 3.5 We support the concept of kerb radii being the width of the continuous accessible path to enable alignment of the kerb ramp and crossing area.

 

• Moving the Kerb Ramps: we agree that keeping the crossing perpendicular is important but would like it noted that moving the crossing too far into the intersection reduces the visual and auditory warning for the pedestrian as well as the warning time for the driver.  The corner radii should be designed to fit a perpendicular crossing point as part of the continuous accessible path of travel.  The preferred option at larger intersections is for separate crossing ramps, not a single blended kerb which complicates the installation of the tiles.

 

• 4.3 Contrast – the Australian/NZ figures are quoted with the request for 70% luminance with low saturation and hue contrast.  Perhaps this should also be in bold for significance.

 

• 4.7.4 needs a diagram to show the installation of directional tiles to a central warning indicator when there are three crossing points on the slip lane.

 

• 5.2 it would be good to see photos showing alignment of arrow with crossings that are angled for guidance of what is expected.

 

• 5.3.4 should Councils have the ability to turn off the locator signal – this assists those travellers who veer while crossing to maintain/realign during the crossing?

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission.