Motorists, pedestrians and business owners have been complaining for years about the crossing in the north end shopping centre on SH1 between Frome and Farnham Sts, with 20 crashes up to 30 metres either side in the past five years, including nine ''rear ends'' when cars stopped for pedestrians.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has been investigating options to make the crossing safer, but Lorraine Adams, of Oamaru, has organised a petition which aims to get Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee involved.
She organised a similar petition about five years ago which resulted in traffic lights being put at the pedestrian crossing on SH1 at the top of Severn St at the Towey St-Awamoa Rd intersection in 2009. She distributed the latest petition to businesses in the north end shopping centre about a week ago, and already has about 300 signatures.
Miss Adams, who frequently drives and cycles over the north end pedestrian crossing, hopes to achieve the same success with her latest petition.
She has used it as a pedestrian, once having traffic stop on her side but five cars drive through in the far lane.
''I've seen what is happening out there [on the crossing] and it needs traffic lights. It's time something was done,'' she said.
Miss Adams acknowledged it could take some time to get traffic lights installed - it took about a year from her petition on the Severn St crossing.
In the meantime, Miss Adams feels some improvements could be made, including removing the five-minute single car park on the east side immediately north of the crossing, which obscures the view of motorists travelling south and pedestrians wanting to cross, particularly if occupied by a van or four-wheel drive vehicle.
Crash data kept by the New Zealand Transport Agency records one person receiving serious injuries.
Of the 20 crashes, nine crashes were vehicles colliding when stopped or slowed for pedestrians. Two were pedestrians on the crossing hit by vehicles, one receiving minor injuries.
