Traffic light phasing and lane marking incongruent

Reported in the Road/highway category anonymously at 23:37, Fri 11 January 2013

Sent to Auckland Transport 24 sec later.

At Sandringham Road Extension's northbound approach to its intersection with Mount Albert Road, there are two lanes, the left lane for left-turn and straight-through traffic, and the right lane for straight-through and right-turn traffic. However, the traffic light phasing is a leading right-turn followed by through and left-turn traffic, with no right-turn filtering allowed. This causes very inefficient right-turns as only one or two cars (or none!) can turn right before a straight-through car blocks the right-turn lane, wasting the rest of the right-turn phase. When, later on, straight-ahead cars get a green, those in the right-hand lane get held up by right-turn cars facing a red right-turn light, and then have to merge left, further disrupting flow. It is also very dangerous for bikes waiting to turn right in the right-lane cycle advance box as drivers may rear-end them while proceeding straight through. It is suggested that the phasing be changed to allow left-turns, straight-through, and right-turns simultaneously, then forbid right turns (with a red right-arrow light) to allow southbound traffic to proceed. This is the case for east-west traffic on Mount Albert Road, anyway, which seems to flow much better, given such a small intersection. (resend after original email bounced.)