Riddiford Street-Russell Terrace roundabout improvements (Newtown)

We want to make it safer for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles, to use the intersection at Riddiford Street-Russell Terrace in Newtown.

The Riddiford Street roundabout at the South end of Newtown.

Updates

July 2024

The improvements of the Riddiford Street-Russell Terrace roundabout started in the second week of July. They are expected to be complete by the end of September.

This work is weather dependent and in the event of unsuitable weather or other unforeseen circumstances, the work could be delayed, and the above timeline altered.

Impact on residents, businesses, and traffic will be minimised and managed while work is carried out.

April 2024

Since November 2023 we have engaged with local businesses, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, residents, and community. The proposed changes have been updated to incorporate the feedback received.

The detailed design is being finalised. At the same time, the project team has started preparing for the construction work so it can begin in June 2024.

November 2023

We asked for feedback on the proposed safety improvements for the Newtown Riddiford Street-Russell Terrace Roundabout.

Submissions closed 5pm, Friday 24 November 2023.

Visit the Have your say page

Background

To look at ways we can make the high crash-rate intersection safer for all road users, the first step was to conduct a survey with the local community. The survey was to understand how safe they felt it was, what the main issues were with it, and how they felt it could be made safer.

We asked feedback during September and October 2021.

Survey results

There were 434 responses to the survey from people using or living near the roundabout at the intersection of Riddiford, Rhodes and Mansfield Streets and Russell Terrace in Newtown.

Most responses were online, though some mailed in the survey form left in community hubs nearby.

Most respondents agreed the roundabout was of concern, with 56% of drivers saying they didn’t feel safe using the roundabout. At the same time, 63% didn’t feel it was cycle friendly and 73% didn’t feel it was pedestrian friendly.

Most gave their main reason for not feeling safe as vehicle speeds, and other drivers not giving way when they should or not indicating correctly. A few reported being involved in a crash at the intersection, and many more reported near misses.

See more detail about the survey responses:

Newtown roundabout survey results (170KB PDF)
Newtown roundabout survey results presentation (700KB PPTX)

Contact us

If you have any questions or need more information, contact us.
Email: newtownintersection@wcc.govt.nz