A councils aim to make streets safer and more liveable has been labelled as dangerous and childish by some locals.
Tipahi St in Nelsons south is part of the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Streets for People project, seeing bright artwork on the road, picnic tables, speed humps, increased signage and thin tubular bollards used as an initiative to improve safety.
But some locals say the recent additions are an eyesore and do more harm than good.
Resident Margaret Wilde said all the additional features along the road were dangerous due to being distracting.
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The artwork, which includes two bees, a butterfly and flowers on the road, was nice but not on the road, she said.
Another part of phase 2, the final step in the design roll-out, included multiple speed humps created on the street, which Wilde said was overkill.
On the 425-metre stretch of road between Kawai St South and Tukuka St, she counted five speed humps.
Fellow resident Sue Booth said the new paintings on the road were a bit childish, while another local said the painted asphalt was a hazard.
He said as a driver, he noticed how slippery the white paint was on the raised speed bumps, and the colourful painted road could have the same effect in frosts and wet conditions.
Two Tipahi St residents living on the bend near the artwork said the mash of colours, signage and bollards made the whole area look terrible.
The colourful flowers and insects on the road are a pointer to the pollinator park close by but some residents are against the new additions to the road.
It is ridiculous, one of the women said. She said the money would have been better spent on bus shelters for Tipahi St.
She said the speed humps were making drivers angry as she noticed traffic speeding up more than usual between the speed humps.
I dont hate what they have done but it is impractical.
A Nelson Facebook group posted about the streets new artwork and most of more than 180 comments were against the painting, calling it a stupid idea, waste of money and ridiculous.
Nelson City Council/Supplied
In the same neighbourhood, four-way stops have been implemented as part of the Streets for People project to slow vehicle speeds, reduce traffic volumes and improve safety.
Some comments said the art would draw children into the road.
Nelson City Council data collected on the streets reveals vehicle numbers have decreased by 15 to 30 per cent along a few of the targeted streets and speed has decreased along one of the three streets, used as a rat race to avoid the main street during peak traffic.
During the planning stage, Nelson Intermediate, about 300 metres away from the art in Tipahi St, was consulted. Principal Diane Webb said a lot of things implemented had been due todirect feedback from the schools students.
The changes have been incredible for the kids safety. We are really supportive of it.
A pollinator park has been established between Tipahi St and the Railway Reserve, with improved access between the two.
Webb said the street paintings were to alert people that is where the insects are.
Nelson City Council infrastructure group manager Alec Louverdis said the additions to the road were part of a nationwide trial during the innovative Streets for People project and there would be data collecting to understand future options for change.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency subsidised 90 per cent of the trial costs, which saw the council contribute $77,000 to the changes, Louverdis said.
We know that this kind of trial can be contentious but most of the feedback we have received from residents has been overwhelmingly positive.’
He said the project had allowed Nelson South residents to reclaim their roads, as the results are showing safer speeds and less rat-running through traffic in the area.