Lyttelton’s Canterbury, Oxford, and London Streets are gearing up for a series of improvements.

The construction work, scheduled to commence on Monday, June 26, will see installation of three new pedestrian crossings, along with new kerb buildouts and an increase in parking spaces.

The Christchurch City Council’s Transport Operations Manager, Stephen Wright said “we want everyone to feel safe on our streets, particularly around schools and local centers.

“One of our key focuses is on making sure that we have good safe access to community facilities. Everyone should be able to get where they’re going safely.

Concerns regarding pedestrian safety and accessibility in Lyttelton have been extensively discussed and identified.

These concerns were brought to light through various channels, including the Lyttelton School travel planning process, Community Board seminars, staff observations, and community feedback.

New kerb buildouts will be introduced in the North Eastern and South Eastern corners of the London Street/Oxford Street/Sumner Road intersection.

A new midblock zebra pedestrian crossing will grace London Street, stretching from Canterbury Street to Oxford Street, while two additional pedestrian zebra crossings will be introduced at the Canterbury Street/London Street intersection.

“We want to improve safety for all road users and allow everyone to confidently make journeys to school and around the community,” emphasized Mr. Wright. “These upgrades will prioritize people walking and crossing the street, reduce crossing distances, and increase accessibility.”

The construction will also involve revising road markings to support these changes, and there will be an extension of existing parking restrictions outside Lyttelton School, leading to the creation of two additional parking spaces in that area.

“The upgrade will encourage people to walk around the center of Lyttelton for local trips and will also increase access to public transport, resulting in positive changes to reduce carbon emissions,” added Wright.