Auckland traffic-calming trial halted after vandalism and disruption

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Auckland Transport CEO Shane Ellison explains the speed limit reduction plan. (Video first published June 2020)

A road safety trial hindered by vandalism and disruptions has been called off.

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board decided to end the project on Thursday after plywood boxes were illegally moved leading to “serious safety issues”.

The boxes were put in to deter traffic from using narrow residential roads by redirecting them to larger ones in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga.

A traffic safety trial that has been unpopular in the Onehunga community has been moved out of the road.

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board chair Maria Meredith said it is disappointing to see the project come to an end under such circumstances.

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Plywood boxes that were installed to redirect traffic away from residential roads have been moved illegally on Cameron Street in Onehunga.

'There was a concerning escalation of criminal activity by a minority which has resulted in serious public safety issues, including a number of reported near-misses involving cars and pedestrians,” she said.

'In the face of threats to continue this dangerous behaviour, the board felt the only response was to call an end to the trial.'

The decision was made under the board’s urgent decision-making process after a briefing on Thursday morning.

Meredith said there was an increasing social cost falling on local board members, the teams working on the project and a widening divide within the community.

Work to reinstate the standard road layout will begin immediately and is expected to take up to four days to complete.

The local board revealed in a Facebook post this morning the project was experiencing disruptions.

'Residents of Onehunga, the Cameron Street LTN boxes have been moved illegally,” a statement read.

'AT is looking at the safety of the situation and working with contractors to address any issues. In the meantime please drive extra carefully through the area.'

Local board member Peter McGlashan took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

'Devastated by this 2day, despite democratic decision last Tues 2 continue LTN trial residents decided 2 vandalise crates overnight then 2day btw 9-930am a resident in forklift removed major modal filters breaking the law, ignoring democracy & taking law into own hands,” he wrote in a statement.

Photos in McGlashan's tweet revealed some remaining boxes had been tagged with graffiti.

“Road 4 Cars”, “We Don't Want” and “Move this please Phil” were some of the messages daubed on the boxes.

A petition opposing the trial in Onehunga has accumulated 1200 signatures, and an Auckland Transport survey of 1574 people found 75 per cent of respondents did not support the trial.

But Meredith said an online survey showed the number of people who supported the project was increasing.

The aim of the project is to redirect cars from narrow residential streets back on to main arterial roads to create safer local streets.

This is achieved by blocking certain thoroughfare streets with plywood boxes, turning them into cul-de-sacs, to stop drivers “rat running” through residential roads.

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board received $522,000 from Waka Kotahi New Zealand to fund two trials, with the Onehunga pilot beginning in March, delivered with the help of Auckland Transport.

But last week it was revealed the local board had almost exhausted its entire budget, spending $421,000 planning the two trials and setting up the physical infrastructure in Onehunga.

A further $300,000 was approved so adjustments could be made to the Onehunga pilot and the Glen Innes trial could begin.