Bar them, says tired Ellerslie

Motorists using an Ellerslie street as a shortcut aren't doing the locals any favours. Joseph Barratt reports
It's early Saturday morning in Ellerslie, Carolyn Power is asleep in bed . . . then the trucks start rolling past. A full night's sleep is rare on Gavin St. Each day, thousands of vehicles cut through this mostly residential street to reach Penrose, or the motorway, quicker. Mrs Power lives on Gavin St and says the heavy traffic has worsened noticeably. "From about four or five in the morning, trucks are driving past. "I have a young baby but I wouldn't want to still be living here when he is older. The trucks drive quite quick up the road, too. "It is not like there are no alternatives. They can drive around and it doesn't add that much time." Tyson Anderson moved to the street two weeks ago and says he was surprised by the amount of traffic on it. "We lived right in the city before here but we moved away because of the noise and traffic," he says. "Every morning since we moved here, I have been woken up by trucks driving past." People use the Ellerslie off ramp then cut through Gavin St to go to Penrose and Mr Anderson can't really blame them. "When I was living in the area 12 years ago, I used to do the same thing. It's a good exit to get to Penrose." The problem is compounded by one end of the street being zoned industrial. Back in the days of local boroughs, heavy vehicles were banned from the street. But, as the old system changed into the city council, all the standing bylaws became void. On Gavin St, the ban was not reinstated. However, respite may be trundling towards the traffic-besieged residents. Maungakiekie Community Board is looking for solutions. The favourite option so far is to put a block in the middle of the street - separating the industrial area from the residential. Board chairwoman Bridget Graham says Auckland City Council has been asked to look at this further. "Closing the road in the middle and effectively creating two different streets would stop all the residents' problems straight away," she says. "This time, when we told [the council] they seemed to appreciate the situation, but who knows how long it will take for anything to happen? "I don't know why it has not happened years ago. But, then again, the wheels of the council turn very slowly." Auckland City Council did not respond to our questions.