By Anan Zaki, Western News, 15 January 2019

Residents growing tired of short cut-takers have petitioned the city council to close off their street.

Konini St residents submitted a 38-signature petition to the Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board, calling to restrict access to their street from the busy Riccarton Rd.

Konini St is off Riccarton Rd, opposite Shand Crescent Reserve.

A representative for the residents, Annette Pendergast, says the short cut-taking traffic was "horrendous".

She said because of the changes to traffic patterns since the February 22, 2011, earthquake, the street has become dangerous.

"Post earthquakes, traffic directions changed.Once upon a time traffic headed into the CBD," Mrs Pendergast said.

"That Clyde Rd area became really congested. We found that a lot of traffic was cutting through Konini St [to access Clyde Rd]."

Mrs Pendergast lived at Konini St for 12 years and was familiar with her former neighbours' concerns.

She now lives at nearby Wharenui Rd.

"I stay in touch with my old neighbours. When I moved there 15 years ago it was beautiful with big wide grass berms and it was a lovely quiet street."

Continuous roadworks, lack of maintenance and increased traffic has changed that, Mrs Pendergast said.

Last year, roadworks temporarily blocked the direct route from Konini St to Clyde Rd for about six months, and it made a "real difference" to residents who were frustrated about drivers taking short cuts, she said.

But after the road reopened before Christmas, the residents' temporary relief from traffice ended, she said.

City Council transport operations manager Steffan Thomas said council staff are looking at the issue.

"Staff are looking to report back to the [Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton] Community Board by the end of April," he said.

"This would only be to advise on the most appropriate option for Konini St as, at this stage, there is no funding allocated to implementing any changes," Mr Thomas said.