A community on Auckland's North Shore is calling on Auckland Transport (AT) to "immediately stop" using chip seals when resealing roads due to safety issues, which are causing "considerable concern and anxiety" for locals.
Kaipātiki Local Board, which encompasses suburbs from Totara Vale to Beach Haven and Northcote Point, made the proposal during a board meeting on Wednesday.
According to the New Zealand Transport Agency, chip seal is the most common type of road surface in New Zealand due to its economical, flexible and hardwearing nature. It's made up of sprayed hot bitumen, or cold bitumen emulsion and small, sharp-edged rocks (chips).
Currently chip seal must be used to reseal all roads unless specific criteria apply, meaning most suburban roads across Auckland will be resealed in chip seal - or be partially resealed in chip seal - under the AT Reseal Guidelines.
But residents of the Kaipātiki Local Board reported numerous health and safety issues with the seal, including:
- damage to vehicles including windscreens cracked and brake discs damaged
- cars, motorbikes and bicycles skidding on loose chips on the road and footpath users with scooters and bikes also skidding
- pedestrians being hit by chips
- loose chips accumulating in the gutter and stormwater network causing issues for cyclists
- increased noise.
More than 100 concerned locals contacted the board about the issues, with some residents branding the seal as "dangerous", "absolutely shocking" and an "absolute disaster".
"I used to ride my bike down Chelsea View Drive as it's a relatively quiet street. But since the chip seal has been added to the hill, it's an accident (or puncture) waiting to happen," one person said.
Another told the board they had recently slipped on the seal.
"A health hazard! Also, I['d] like to send you a bill to get my shoes repaired as the soles get damaged when walking on these roads."
Another person said for cyclists, the seal is "potentially fatal".
"Aren't they supposed to be encouraging cyclists rather than sending them to hospital with missing skin after slipping down the awful edge of or being hit by missiles kicked up by passing buses?"
A petition on Change.org calling for AT to stop using the seal has already gained more than 1800 signatures.
In a letter to the board, AT explained it's reasons for using chip seal, including the price. Asphalt costs on average $38 per square metre, while chip seal is only $8 a square metre.
They also have a similar lifespan.
AT said chip seal is normally placed on roads already using older chip seal.
"There is no agenda to downgrade our roads as suggested. After time, most chip seals look very music like an asphalt surface."
However, the motion was carried and the board is officially requesting AT to "immediately stop resealing suburban roads in chip seal" and update the guidelines to endorse the use of asphaltic concrete as the default surface.
It also asked AT and Auckland Council to prioritise ensuring all of Auckland's suburban roads are sealed to a safe, usable and quality standard.
Board chair John Gillon said the request is now "heading to the board of Auckland Transport, the Mayor and Councillors for a response".
