Cycleway gobbles up car parks
Users of a popular city park are struggling to find car parks after Hamilton City Council prioritised a cycleway over off street parking.
An estimated 28 of 108 spaces on Rifle Range Rd have disappeared as contractors install an off-road cycleway linking Dinsdale and Frankton to Maeroa and Forest Lake.
But it can be a busy street due to its proximity to popular Swarbrick Park and Frankton School. Sports such as touch rugby, cricket and rugby union use the space as well as rock ‘n’ rollers and karate practitioners.
Frankton Rugby Club spokesperson Allen Grainger said vehicles are already parking around one side of the field.
“Somehow the chain had been unlocked. The council go nuts when cars are parked there as it environmentally damages the trees. In winter vehicles would get bogged down there.”
He suggested turning part of the reserve into parking, even on a temporary basis.
“We have tournaments in winter months where you can get about 1500 kids playing and there’s about 3000 people there during the day.”
The park is used by at least one sport most nights and parking at the clubrooms was limited and filled up quickly.
“I was told by the rock ’n’ roll club some of their members couldn’t find a park so just went home.”
Grainger doesn’t live in the area, but said they did not see a notification about the proposed work - so they didn’t submit to the council.
Frankton School borders the park but principal Kirsten Ratana declined to comment.
Parents and caregivers usually park outside the park to drop off and pick up their children.
St David’s and St Georges Anglican Church treasurer Chrys Thompson said she had noticed the church car park getting used by teachers more.
Overall she’s made allowances because it won’t go on forever.
Parents do park on the verge and in the car park to pick up their children from Frankton School.
“The only bitch about it is that in winter they park under the tree on the grass.”
Thompson said it’s a private car park and sport participants do park there when playing at Swarbrick Park.
“I’ve been abused around seven times this year if I ask them not to park on the grass.”
City Transport unit director Gordon Naidoo said the bike lanes will create a safer environment for children from the schools in the area to use active modes of transport, such as bikes or scooters.
Naidoo said prior to the project there were an estimated 108 on-street parking spaces on Rifle Range Rd which is an estimate as there are no marked parking bays.