Raglan, a town well known for its Bohemian quirky approach, has lost another bit of its quirkiness. In the dark hours of Monday night, District Council contractors replaced the unique 2-step tee intersection in Bow Street with a roundlet. Painted on the bitumen, the roundlet provides one lane from either Wainui Road, Bow Street North or Bow Street South to drive around it. The roundlet is similar to ones encountered in Hamilton. As there is no traffic island, it is possible to drive over it. The roundlet has been funded as part of Waka Kotahi’s (NZTA) Innovating Streets fund. In Raglan the overall project has been driven by the Raglan Community Board and has been branded as Places for People – He Whenua he Tangata.
In addition to the roundlet, the overall project includes safety improvements (converting the raised crossings to legal pedestrian crossings), reducing the width of pedestrian crossings to single vehicle lanes with safety islands in the middle, diagonal parking in some parts of Bow Street, plus parklets (small wooden platforms with seats placed in former parking spaces). There is also road art. The Raglan Community Board says that the trial period for the parklets will run through until December, when they will evaluate the success of the project. If the feedback is positive the trial will continue until March 2022.
Comments heard on Bow Street about the project:
“It would have been better if the diagonal parking had been back in.”
“I felt safer walking around.”
“The deck thing will be an after yoty hang out drinking party spot.”
“Didn’t see that opportunity come through for the local contractors. I hope someone local is doing the work. Our council seems to farm everything out to out of town contractors.” (Raglan 23 comment: The WDC hired Christchurch company CityCare to make and install the parklets.)
The work will be completed on Wednesday evening. On Thursday the 24th June there will be an official opening of parklets and roundlet in Bow Street by Waikato Mayor Allan Sanson at 1 pm. Delayed from the 24th to 25th – now includes bike ride by Mayor around roundlet.
