North Shore Times (New Zealand)
PARKING STRESS
My concern is that moving vehicles often find it difficult to pass parked vehicles on both sides of narrow streets in Auckland. These vehicles are parked legally and their numbers are increasing rapidly. While the use of broken yellow lines does free up the roads, it only adds to the stress of finding a parking space. May I suggest that some suitable council berms be used for parking, thus freeing up traffic flow on many of our narrow roads. In many newer suburbs angle parking is in place. However, that would not be suitable in some of the busier streets. Berms were created for future needs, mainly increase of traffic flows. That future is well upon us!
Margaret Harvey
Hillcrest
FUTURE PROOFING
For decades councils have been talking about the development of Takapuna, continuing to shortterm patch up escalating problems. The Anzac Street car park discussions have brought this to a head. ‘‘Replacement’’ parking is not a solution. It is time to avoid having to reinvent the wheel for future needs. Takapuna traffic bottlenecks and parking problems in surrounding streets must be solved.
Close Huron St and construct a multi-story building at the southern end as a wind deflector, selling air space above to fund proposals. Use the ground floor as a proper bus interchange station (accessed from Burns Avenue/ Auburn Street) moving all buses out of Lake Road, freeing it up as the main vehicle route through Takapuna. The Huron Plaza formed would make a pedestrian friendly mall and also serve as a vibrant new home for the Takapuna Sunday Market with laneways through to Shore City. Hurstmere Road is intended one way, so the section of Lake Road between Anzac Street and Northcroft Street should be cars only for easy flow north and south.
Finally, build the Takapuna Transport Hub on the old gasometer site. With no height restrictions here, construct a high rise car park to future proof transport problems with the bus interchange underneath and commercial on top levels. We might even manage trains in another couple of decades...! Angela Antony
Milford
CONSENT OVER CALM
I am lucky enough to live in a suburb that still has a remnant of bush, on a section that we have planted up with natives over the years. As I sit here, I enjoy the tranquillity of an unusually quiet week day (quite often chainsaws interrupt the calm), and think of the poor residents of Blackbridge Road, for whom the Environment Court, in its wisdom, deem that 160 truck movements a day, to offload rubble at a fill site, will only cause ‘‘minor’’ adverse effects on the lifestyle community that they bought into. I can bet that none of the judges and commissioners that granted consent for the site live anywhere near it, nor would they have granted consent had it been proposed for their back yard.
Such activities need to be undertaken in industrial/ commercial areas, and not a peaceful, rural area where natural water courses will require piping, dust monitoring systems will need to be installed, a pedestrian/ cycle/equestrian advanced warding system will need to be implemented, and fish and lizards will require capturing and relocating to make it ‘‘acceptable’’. Sarah Meikle
Birkdale
HAVE YOUR SAY
Letters should not exceed 250 words and must have full name, residential address and phone number. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or withhold any correspondence without explanation. Letters may be referred to others for right of reply before publication. Email: nsnews@snl.co.nz Mail: North Shore Times, PO Box 79, Orewa.