Bus station with no park-and-ride drives desperate commuters to block nearby streets

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

North Shore residents are fed up with commuters’ cars clogging up their streets.

Bus commuters need a park and ride station, but Auckland Council blocks them from nearby car parks, driving them into surrounding streets and setting up a battle with local residents.

Sally Dodds is furious. She lives at the end of a shortcut to the Smales Farm bus station and nearby office complex where North Shore commuters and office workers park their cars.

Dodds says cars parked too close to driveways, too close to corners and across footpaths, mean it is sometimes difficult for residents to leave their homes and she has been unable to enter the cul-de-sac because it was blocked by cars.

Sally Dodds has been unable to get into her Auckland street because commuters have blocked the entrance to the narrow cul de sac with inconsiderate parking.

Meanwhile, hundreds of council-owned car parks closer to the bus station and office park stand empty.

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Commuters and workers can't use them because of 180-minute time restrictions.

A three hour time limit stops commuters parking in this large council-owned car park.

Auckland Transport refuses to acknowledge the need for a park and ride and refuses to accept its policy has caused a problem for the residents of streets where commuters park.

At the time it put in the time restrictions on car parks, an AT spokesperson told Stuff the surrounding streets would be monitored and AT could consider parking controls on local streets, if needed.

AF Thomas Park in Hillcrest has more than 200 car parks that are timed and empty during the work day as commuters clog residential streets instead.

This week, AT media relations manager Mark Hannan said, in the past year, the promised monitoring had not occurred.

'We have not identified any issues nor have any been brought to our attention.'

Dodds said she had phoned AT when cars had blocked the entrance to Jessmae Place and was told an enforcement officer would come out.

She waited on the side of the road for nearly an hour but no one from AT came.

North Shore ward councillor Chris Darby said no park and rides were ever intended at the 'inner stations' of Sunnynook, Smales Farm or Akoranga bus stations when the Northern Busway was built.

'The best use of ratepayer money is to locate park and rides next to bus stations where the station is on the outskirts of the city,' Darby said.

The new North Shore bus network, which comes into operation in September, will provide more connection services to the busway and North Shore Hospital, Darby said.

However, other parts of Auckland will benefit from new park and rides.

'Just from the regional fuel tax alone, $63 million over the next 10 years will be for park and ride facilities.'