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Summerhill Drive cycleway and safety improvements

Image shows aerial view of Summerhill Drive.

We are making Summerhill Drive safer for all road users – whether you walk, bike, catch the bus or drive.

We’ve designed a separated cycleway between Tennent Drive and Pacific Drive, connecting Summerhill and Aokautere with the Fitzherbert Bridge and Manawatū River Pathway.

This stretch is dangerous, so our design focuses on improving safety for all road users by providing a protection barrier on the cycleway.

We painted the new cycleway design onto the street when it was resealed in early 2024. However, construction and installation of the cycleway separators have been put on hold following a funding pause from NZ Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi. With the design phase complete, this means the project is ready for construction when funding becomes available.

Officers will continue to work closely with Waka Kotahi – NZ Transport Agency on speed limits and pedestrian crossings on the State Highway section that is controlled by them outside the Summerhill shopping centre.

Artist's impression of how the cycleway will look as cyclists travel up the hill on Summerhill Drive

We designed a separated cycleway on both sides of the street

Elected members used your feedback to design a separated cycleway on both sides of the street, as well as some other minor changes to parts of the street.

This is the option where bike riders travel in the same direction as vehicles, and is the most intuitive for all road users. It is also considered three-times safer than the alternative option and is New Zealand and international best practice. It’s also what was primarily already in place on Summerhill Drive already, but without a separator.

You can find a full summary of the changes below:

Coffee in Box/Landscape Yard area

This is how the cycleway will look outside Coffee in a Box/Uku Designs/Landscape Yard, the cycleway will be moved to the berm behind parked cars.

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Retaining an indented parking space here, with the cycleway running behind. There will be slightly more parking space here.
There is a small protection space between passenger doors and the cycle lane to avoid conflict with opening doors.
No changes to the courtesy or pedestrian crossings on Summerhill Drive.
Bus stop near the paddock is retained.

Summerhill Shopping Centre

Artist's impression of view from Pacific Drive, looking towards Ruapehu Drive and the Summerhill Shopping Centre.

Pedestrian crossing

Adding pavers to improve access from the crossing to the footpaths on both sides.
Kerb lines are being shortened on both sides – and the middle island is getting bigger – making the total crossing distance smaller.

Removal of left turn lane

Vehicle lanes will be narrower
Left turn lane into the shopping centre will be removed, so cyclists are not exposed to turning traffic for a long distance without a physical barrier.
This will lower vehicle speeds on the State Highway as turning into the facility will be much tighter.
Waka Kotahi asked for these design changes to lower speeds in the area after the key themes from public consultation were raised with them.
Delivery trucks will still be able to access the centre using both the State Highway and Ruapehu Drive entrances

Your feedback is helping us with the design

We received your feedback in early-2023 about how the street works, what needed improving and the type of cycleway you wanted to see. Thanks to your feedback, we will have a design that best suits most peoples’ needs.

Read the Summerhill/Aokautere Drive Engagement Summary March/April 2023(PDF, 1005KB)