Two recent deaths of cyclists on the streets of Dunedin have prompted councillors to investigate options for rejigging parking and traffic management protocols on some of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.
The Otago Daily Times reported requests have been made to council and the NZ Transport Agency to investigate the option of increasing parking limits for certain areas to reduce the volume of cars coming and going. This strategy was devised after it was identified that a large percentage of accidents occurred due to the high frequency of car doors being opened in front of cyclists.
This move has caused much debate amongst councillors, saying that motorists were not consulted on the proposed changes. It is thought by some that increasing the length of stay on some streets will make it virtually impossible for people to find parking when needed, and may not have the desired impact of protecting cyclists.
Other longer-term solutions that have been tabled include creating a buffer between cyclists and car doors (pictured above) rather than relying on white lane markings to separate cars from the bikes.