The Howick Local Board says any changes to car parking rules in the city need to take into account factors including the “increasing crime rate” and the difficulty for people of walking long distances with heavy loads before being implemented.
The board voted at its most recent business meeting to formerly provide feedback on Auckland Transport’s (AT) controversial draft parking plan.
When the plan was publicly released earlier this year it drew anger from small business owners in some parts of the city afraid they would suffer should nearby roadside parking be removed.
It also led to questions being asked in the local community as to what east Auckland roads, if any, may lose roadside parking.
AT says the draft strategy provides the guiding principles and policies for the planning, supply and management of on-street as well as off-street parking it controls.
One possible approach it may take is tiered, meaning how it manages parking will depend on the land use and transport characteristics of each location.
Responding to increased demand for on-street parking as the city grows means in some areas residents won’t be able to rely on on-street parking to store their vehicles, it says.
The strategy also includes re-purposing kerbside space to improve safety and the movement of people, goods, and services on some of the city’s busiest and most congested roads.
While public feedback on the plan has since closed, the board’s feedback states the tiered approach to parking management will only work once viable public transport alternatives are put forward.
It says “it’s all very well” to say people can walk 800-1200 metres to access public transport, “but the reality for many is somewhat different with physical mobility constraints, heavy shopping items to take home and tight timeframes for many people who lead busy lives”.
The board also says crime and the weather need to be taken into account.
“There is increasing risk to people’s safety given the increasing crime rate, drive-by shootings, muggings and the like, which make people reluctant to be out in public for longer periods than necessary, particularly in the hours of darkness.
“A concern for many is being exposed to extreme weather conditions.
“Who wants to have to walk 1200 metres in a howling gale, searing heat or torrential rain, conditions that are becoming more and more commonplace as our climate changes?”
The board says it challenges the idea converting roadside parking into bus lanes will be good for businesses by bringing them more shoppers.
“Customers need their own vehicles to transport bulky or heavy items that can’t be taken on buses, and … do not want to have to cross roads and wait to get a bus for the return trip home once they’ve completed their shopping.
“It is fairly evident the authors of the parking strategy have never contemplated their proposals from the perspective of a business owner.”
The final plan is expected to be released later this year.
