For nigh on two years, our neighbourhood (Fordyce Ave, Sunnyhills) has been battling with Auckland Transport over the most ludicrous road safety experiment ever undertaken, all in the name of “Safer Schools”.
We suspect our local primary school was chosen because the principal offered her school as a “guinea pig” for this experiment. Fordyce Ave is a relatively quiet street and over at least 30 years there has not been one accident or incident recorded involving school children.
However this Safer Schools experiment is designed to minimise and lower the risk of children being injured during the 15 minutes at either end of the school day when children are delivered to and picked up from school.
For the other 23 and a half hours of the day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, we, as residents, must endure the once pretty Fordyce Ave now looking an unsightly mess with its multiple array of reflector poles and cheap looking planter boxes adorning the street.
Auckland Transport (AT) has conducted several surveys and/or feedback initiatives over this two year period. However, the information gathered and used to evaluate the merits or otherwise of this experiment is flawed, (a) because local residents were not advised of consultation meetings whereas parents of children attending the school were or (b) if residents were advised that information arrived after the meeting had been held.
My “research” would indicate that pretty much 100 per cent of residents wish the street to be returned to its former glory and the offending paraphernalia done away with. AT is aware of this but appears to be ploughing on with its plan because it knows best with regard to what we need.
Never mind upsetting those of us who just want to get on with living a quiet life in an already accident-free environment. The final analysis will conclude that over the period of this experiment, no accidents or incidents occurred, therefore a successful experiment.
However, there were zero issues prior to this flawed experiment and. despite many hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent. there will be no improvement on that statistic. Zero is zero however you want to dice it.
Yet another case of providing an expensive solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
School/child safety is an issue for us all and, where genuine improvements can be made, they should. Were AT a private company and those involved risking their own money in evaluating these expensive programmes, would they take the same approach as currently practised?
I think not.
If the above case is extrapolated out by the multitude of similar situations that exist around the region, a fair chunk of the $290 million Auckland is short of could be found through Mayor Brown instructing Auckland Transport to exercise some common sense.
Bary Williams,
Sunnyhills
