Dominion Road proposals “significant for Auckland as a whole”

A public meeting organised by the Save Dominion Road campaign this evening gave Auckland City Council transport planners the message: we don’t want a four lane highway through Eden Valley, Balmoral and Mt Roskill villages.

Around 300 people attended the meeting at the Balmoral School Hall. Speakers included the chair of the Council Transport Committee, Cr Baguley, Councillors Fryer and Donnelly, and local resident and business representatives.

Speaking on behalf of a group of concerned local residents, meeting organiser Penny Hickey said,” Dominion Road is much more than a transport route. It is home to vibrant walkable villages that other cities internationally would envy. We think that the Council’s proposal for the removal of on-street parking and construction of a four lane highway, would ruin the pedestrian environment, damage or destroy the hundreds of businesses along the road, and move parking into residential streets in which parking space is already at a premium.”

Ms Hickey said the Dominion Road proposals were significant for Auckland as a whole.

“As Aucklanders, we don’t want to see our city become a mini Los Angeles with isolated residential pockets divided by lanes of vehicles. Dominion Road is where we should draw the line, for Auckland City as a whole. Proposals to remove bus lanes and make buses share with cars and trucks carrying passengers, effectively will make it more attractive for people to bring their cars into town, and make public transport less attractive. But that is a short-term solution. We can keep adding capacity for cars by building more motorways, and removing parking from our traditional community roads, but as anyone who uses Auckland’s motorways knows, that only eases congestion for a while. That is why increasing public transport use is so important.”

“Use of public transport in Auckland is growing, and having bus lanes at peak hours has helped make that happen.”

Ms Hickey said there was general support for encouraging cyclists.

“We understand that around 38 cyclists move through Eden Valley during peak hour. At the moment, they just have to share the bus lane with a few buses. If we go to T2 and a designated cycle lane, cyclists would have to share with cars and trucks around the bus stops and in the villages, so for a third of their journey. If we just go T2 and keep parking there will be no room for a cycle lane at all which means that cyclists will have to compete with everything once more. That’s a less safe environment than what they have currently.”

Ms Hickey said the meeting was a useful first step in providing an alternative point of view to residents and business owners on the Council’s proposals.

“Our perspective is that small changes, such as a half hour extension to peak hour bus lanes to ease current congestion, and taking bus lanes through to intersections, would make a huge difference. Council traffic modelling suggests traffic on Dominion Road will decrease once State Highway 20 Waterview is completed, so making radical change is not required.”

“We urge people to give feedback to the Council on their proposals, and tell them to think again.”

ENDS

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