Increasingly busy with cars, buses and bikes, and pedestrians from Hagley Community College, the hospital and the sports grounds along the west side of Hagley Park, the avenue is an accident black spot, with 100 accidents recorded in the last five years. These have included seven accidents involving cyclists and seven with pedestrians, and the avenue has been the subject of increasing calls for safety improvements.

After talking to people and business operators in the area, a plan has been formulated. Among the suggested changes are:

• Improved and safer crossing points for pedestrians near the netball courts and at Hagley Community College
• Cycle lanes running the avenue's length and continuing onto the Moorehouse Ave intersection, a full-length flush median strip and right-turn bays for drivers turning into Selwyn and St Asaph streets
• Changes to the Moorhouse Ave intersection to make it work better and to remove the very dangerous right turn into Hagley Ave
• A bus stop on Hagley Ave would move to allow more parking near the netball courts car park. Another drop-off zone will be added on the south side of the avenue and there would be a built-out kerb to make it safer for pedestrians crossing to and from the courts

If the proposed changes to the bus routes explained on p1 are adopted the avenue would host a new bus layover and traffic signals may be needed at St Asaph St, in which case the zebra crossing would removed and replaced with a pedestrian island. If traffic signals are not needed at this intersection, a signalised crossing would be installed in front of Hagley college to provide a safe crossing point.

For more information about the proposals and how you can give the Council your feedback, visit www.ccc.govt.nz/ HaveYourSay or call on 941 8999. The consultation runs until Wednesday, 10 December