Council considers suburban parking restrictions

THE Queenstown Lakes District Council is considering a raft of measures to crack down on parking congestion in Frankton.

The council will vote today on whether to approve increased parking restrictions in the streets around Frankton’s bus hub.

A report to councillors states the restrictions are aimed at balancing safety measures and the community’s wishes, while maintaining parking provision.

The move follows a call from the Frankton Community Association not to turn the area into the ‘‘district’s car park’’.

The introduction of Queenstown’s new bus system last November, coupled with increased parking restrictions in the CBD implemented in March, has caused more motorists to park at Frankton, near the bus hub, the council report states.

The report recommends new parking restrictions on Boyes Cres, Wilmot Ave, Douglas St, Robertson St, Lake Ave, Stewart St, and Yewlett Cres.

They include reducing parking areas, extended yellow lines, and ‘‘no parking on the verge’’ signs.

Two parking spaces at the bus hub itself will also be removed to provide an extra bus bay.

‘‘With the availability of parking in the surrounding streets and within a few hundred metres, this loss is minor,’’ the report states.

Three public parking spaces and one mobility space will remain for dropoffs and pickups.

The work will be followed up by a parking strategy in the 201819 planning year, which will initially address parking in the CBD, but will also examine parking at the Glenda Dr industrial area and in residential Frankton.

In May, community associa tion chairman Glyn Lewers said the council’s drive to reduce vehicles in the CBD had in turn pushed motorists to park in Frankton.

Mr Lewers said frustrated Frankton residents had people parking over driveways, parking on their streets for extended periods, and businesses parking vehicles on residential streets.

He urged the council not to turn Frankton into the ‘‘district’s car park’’.