Light rail looks like nightmare

The artist impressions of the light rail project along Dominion Rd, such as that illustrating the article by Matt Lowrie yesterday, really make me want to laugh out loud, followed by a cry of frustration.

I have to wonder if the artist has ever travelled along Dominion Rd at all. Instead of wide, nearly empty spaces on each side of the tram as depicted, there will be congested, bumper-to-bumper traffic as there is now. It will be made even worse due to delays caused by the reduced number of lanes and the need to halt traffic regularly for passengers to embark and alight from the tram.

Will there still be buses using the road? If so where would they stop without also halting the traffic?

I see that parking on the street has also been removed, which has the potential to cripple local businesses as many people will still travel by car and there is insufficient parking as it stands now.

Anyone who has spent time driving in Melbourne will be aware that it is painfully slow driving along streets that have a shared tram track, and one is constantly anxious that the need to make a righthand turn across both the track and oncoming cars may result in disaster.

The concept of light rail sounds wonderful but, having committed to spending up to $3.4 billion on the City Rail Link, I sincerely hope that the transportation authorities and council have carefully considered the wisdom of spending billions more on a parallel light rail project that may compete with the existing railway system and potentially make it less competitive. We need an integrated solution that also does not make our current road and rail situation even worse. Frank Davis, Mt Albert. running at high frequencies in dedicated lanes . . . etc. The key is “dedicated lanes”. Trams automatically run on dedicated lanes — they cannot leave the rails! Should it be dedicated Right of Way (RoW) ie no vehicles, or is it a shared RoW ie a road? On its website AT says Dominion Rd is the busiest arterial road in the country. With double tram tracks Dominion Rd will become single lane. Is it likely that all vehicles now using Dominion Rd will disappear? Also Dominion Rd has over 40 crossing or joining roads between New North Rd and Mt Albert Rd. Will these be closed to allow frequent rapid trams? The same issue arises on all Auckland’s arterial roads. It seems that in trying to solve one congestion problem, trams will create others. Commuter trams will only be successful with dedicated RoWs separate from vehicle traffic.

Derek Paterson, Sunnyhills. The recent sour grapes of Deborah Hill Cone, by her sniping at Clarke Gayford, just makes me think how sad her life must be. Such a young woman to have such bitterness and resentment in her heart that she thinks it is okay to write such vitriolic comments about anyone. It is so refreshing to see a young couple in public life so clearly in love and happy; their behaviour at the palace was exemplary. What great role models to young people, particularly Gayford himself who is going to be a hands-on fulltime father. His commitment and support of Jacinda Ardern is wonderful to see; particularly so because he comes across as such a “manly” man, no wimp is our First Man. Consequently he comes across as nobody’s fool. Is this what has got up Hill Cone’s nose? Maureen Mildon, Hamilton. I have to thank Deborah Hill Cone for highlighting something we need to talk more about in New Zealand. Online bullying, Tall Poppy Syndrome and the quest our young boys have in NZ to find men we can look up to. I find it astonishing that a Herald writer could take such a sharp and scathing aim at the life partner of New Zealand’s prime minister, just for being naturally who he is. A kind, supportive and generous person. Gayford is a role model for many people and especially young boys and men. This is a writer who has enjoyed her own spotlight for sharing her own experiences with being vulnerable and mental illness and who has even been an advocate for Mental Health NZ. Online opinions such as these have been enough to sink people I know down into deep depression and have been enough to trigger even worse outcomes for individuals and families.

We can never take for granted the power of our words, and our media, at such a dynamic and complex time in our world. An article like this seems like a cone blocking someone’s journey of reaching their full potential.

Self reflection goes a long way in a time of instant gratification. So thank you Deborah for highlighting the steep hill we have to climb, hopefully in the end we all find our congruence with thoughts, words and actions. And to Gayford, keep being you. Kia kaha, kia manawanui. As for me — “Gone fishing”.

Timoti Bramley, Rotorua. serious dangers in the current legislation on social work registration.

The bill fails in its most important basic purpose. It will not protect vulnerable individuals, families and communities from harmful and dangerous practice. Indeed, it puts them more at risk because there will be no redress for unsafe and damaging practice. We have had too many instances of harm occurring for vulnerable children and adults. Some of these have been fatal. The bill ensures that if this occurs the safety of our most vulnerable is put at risk. This Government has a chance to change that and avoid the dangers in the legislation introduced by the previous Government. They need to take that chance urgently in the interests of New Zealand’s most at risk individuals.

Michael O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Social Work Human Services and Counselling, University of Auckland. I agree with Robert MacCulloch’s assertion that there is growing inequality in NZ. ( Herald 24 April).

However, his solution to fund a change by not taxing personal income until individuals and families can provide for themselves is impractical.

When and who decides when this event takes place?

Should couples be able to keep procreating ad infinitum?

What standards would be issued for the type of housing they say they require, home appliances, furniture, transport, quality of clothing and food etc. etc.?

Perhaps just make tax laws more friendly for low income earners and beneficiaries who can’t work.

Michael Benjamin, Orakei. The National candidate for the Northcote byelection, Dan Bidois, states in his flyer sent out to the Northcote electorate that the Labour Party and Auckland Council are treating Northcote ratepayers like a piggybank to pay for things that won’t benefit Northcote. He states that, if elected, he will fight to get us our fair share of the services we deserve.

He should instead be reminding us that it was the National Government that set up the Auckland Council in a manner that was clearly going to disadvantage ratepayers living on the North Shore and all other “outlying” districts. In setting up this Super City, the National Government also denied us our legal and democratic right to have a referendum on the matter. It is quite unjust for Mr Bidois to blame the Labour Party for the present sorry state of affairs. Tony Barker, Glenfield.