Auckland Transport reverses Residents Parking Grey Lynn decision after being slammed by locals angry about the proposed half & half P120/unrestricted zones.
Following extensive consultation and record submissions, Auckland Transport (AT) announced its decision on the Arch Hill and Grey Lynn residential parking zone last month.
P120 shock
A surprise part of the decision related to streets that hadn’t reached the 85% parking density threshold, and for which there was insufficient support for a Residential Parking Zone (RPZ).
Those streets were to retain unrestricted parking on one side but have P120 on the other. P120 carries no ability for residents to buy permits that would exempt them from the 120-minute time limit.
Why did AT propose the half & half model?
When AT audited Arch Hill and Grey Lynn parking densities in May 2017, a number of central Grey Lynn streets were well below the required 85% parking density threshold for a Residential Parking Zone.
Because those streets formed a small pocket in the middle of the proposed residents parking zone, they could have been included with enough support during the consultation process.
Unfortunately there was enough opposition that AT didn’t feel it had a mandate to include those streets. For example, of submitters who gave an address, 50% of Dryden Street residents were opposed.
The planners at Auckland Transport recognised these streets would come under increased commuter parking pressure due to the knock-on effect once the residents parking zone was introduced in the surrounding area.
To protect parking from all-day commuter parkers and ensure visitors to residences and nearby businesses could get a park during the day, they therefore proposed the half & half solution as an interim measure.
P120 anger
But some residents were upset that the half & half solution was not an option presented to them last year. The two options presented were (a) Residential Parking Zone, and (b) status quo.
A number of disaffected residents residing in the half & half streets responded to an anonymous letter box drop. This prompted emails to AT, Waitemata Local Board chair Pippa Coom, Councillor Mike Lee, and the Grey Lynn Residents Association.
Discussions with AT
We at Grey Lynn Residents Association had already been in discussions with AT over the half & half proposal for a week and to their credit they showed a willingness to compromise. The protest submissions received added weight to our arguments.
AT’s revised decision
The planners at AT listened, took on board the community’s feedback, and backed down. They announced last Friday they would…
- “Implement the residential parking zone as soon as reasonably practicable, in fact it should be possible to bring it forward to late 2018.” We’re told they’re aiming for November.
- “Put on hold the implementation of the P120 time restrictions.”
- “Re-assess the parking situation in the remaining streets after parking patterns have normalised.”
- “Continue to work closely with stakeholders such as Grey Lynn Residents Association and Grey Lynn Business Association.”
Why did people in those streets not want a Residents Parking Zone?
- “I have lived here for over 30 years, and I can tell you that the number of cars parking in our street has hardly changed in all that time. We simply do not need your parking restrictions. People do not come from the outer suburbs and park in our street before going to work. I would find it offensive if I had to pay for a permit for a visitor, or myself, to park outside my own house.”
- “Staff rely on cars to get to work and therefore need these car parks.”
Why did other people support a Residents Parking Zone in Grey Lynn?
- “Thank you so much for doing this – I live in Grey Lynn and we have no off street parking. I never get a park anywhere near my house.”
- “Needed urgently. Parking on the south side of Richmond Road is a real issue currently thanks to the Ponsonby RPZ being in effect and there being no restrictions on the other side of the road.”
- “Fantastic, about time. I’m sick of commuters parking in Ariki Street where I live.”
Free all-day parking in these streets…
Residents, commuters and local workers will therefore continue to enjoy plenty of free, all-day parking in these streets…
- Allen Road
- Baildon Road
- Browning Street
- Castle Street
- Cockburn Street
- Dryden Street
- Edwards Road
- Elgin Street
- Firth Road
- Fisherton Street
- Francis Street
- Hakanoa Street
- Prime Road
- Sackville Street
- Schofield Street
- Selbourne Street
- Tutanekai Street
- Warnock Street
- Westmoreland Street East
- Wilton Street
The majority said ‘aye’
With 60% of the 885 submitters supporting the introduction of the Residential Parking Zone, plus support from the Waitemata Local Board, Grey Lynn Residents Association and Grey Lynn Business Association, the residents parking zone is going ahead in most streets.
Some said ‘nay’
However, as reported above, there was insufficient support from some streets that residents consider unaffected by commuter parking. The Residential Parking Zone will not extend to those streets (listed above).
Knock-on effect
Residents of St Marys Bay and Freemans Bay successfully campaigned for a residents parking zone to solve their parking problems. When it was implemented it caused an expected knock-on effect.
Ponsonby’s resulting parking problems were solved with the recent introduction of their own residents parking zone.
The knock-on effect of Ponsonby’s RPZ was that many Grey Lynn and Arch Hill streets experienced an immediate influx of commuter parking.
Residents in those streets now find it difficult to park in their own street during the day. Some circle the block looking for somewhere to park within walking distance of their own home. And customers of nearby businesses are locked out of short-term parking by all-day commuter parkers.
Some streets start filling up from as early as 6:30 AM. Motorists park then walk the last couple of kilometres to work, or catch a bus. We know of one commuter who regularly parks in Arch Hill and rides the remaining distance to work on a fold-up bicycle.
AT’s project page:
https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/grey-lynn-and-arch-hill-residential-parking-zones/
I look forward to the other side of Richmond Road becoming a RPZ
Commuters are here after 0600 dumping there cars and catching the bus or walking
Meanwhile we struggle to find a daytime park for ourselves, visitors and trades people
Turakina Street is packed with cars from 7.30am-6.00pm. People come from outer suburbs and park all day. If you don’t have off street parking, you can’t park anywhere near your own house, so if you’ve got shopping or young kids it can be a real problem. Bring on RPZs.
It was already difficult to find parking when going to the doctors in West Lynn – I was hoping the 120 restrictions would help, but once the residence zone starts for the rest of Grey Lynn it will be impossible. Guess I’m going to walking in future 🙁
My street is full in Grey Lynn but I do not begrudge commuters filling it up. Most people cannot afford our increasingly expensive inner suburbs and their commuting times are far longer than ours. Our public transport system is expensive and inefficient. I would be doing the same.
The tabloid headline isn’t totally accurate and perhaps inappropriate. Most submissions were respectful and AT listened and changed plans gracefully. The decision is not final for the duplex parking and we may need to negotiate again further down the track. Credit where it’s due should be the protocol.
Hi Christopher, you are right, most submissions last year were respectful. What the article is referring to, though, is the protest emails following the recent letterbox drop, following which the decision on duplex parking was reversed. I’m wondering whether you read through the article or perhaps just got mislead by the headline?