CITY TELLS KIDS: PLAY IN ROAD

Idea: Create a community vibe in suburban streets and slow down traffic.
Method: Plant trees in the middle of the road and install play equipment on the chicanes. The mice in this experiment will be residents in Pt England, largely on Ropata Ave, Holland Ave, Waddell Ave, Anderson Ave, and including Pt England Rd, Maybury St and Pilkington Rd.
Cost: $2.8 million, $400,000 under budget.
Conclusion: The community is upset. Offstreet parking has disappeared, the streets are considered more dangerous, particularly for children.
By Joseph Barratt
It's an odd sight when we drive into Holland Ave, Pt England. Trees grow in the middle of the road with 2cm-high concrete verges around them.
Zig-zagging through the road to meet local resident Gordon Bruce, we realise there is nowhere to park without blocking the road. We have to find one of the rare spots further down the street.
``It's absolutely ridiculous,' says Mr Bruce. ``I've lived here for 25 years and never considered speed an issue. Now they do this, claiming it's to stop speeding cars.'
Auckland City Council says the measures are needed because of the disproportionately high number of accidents in the Tamaki ward.
There were 445 crashes between 2001 and 2006 in the ward and the council expects this work to ``significantly improve road safety statistics in the area'.
However, Mr Bruce says there may be problems on the main roads but Holland Ave is a side street.
``It's complete overkill. If there was an issue with speed, why couldn't they use speed bumps?'
Just around the corner from Mr Bruce's home is the United Church of Tonga and its hall. Enikedi Fonua and her husband, the Rev Melakai Fonua, are also upset by the changes.
They now have some off-street parking but nowhere near enough to take all their parishioners, says Mrs Fonua.
``They used to park on the street but now there is not enough on the street either. ``They have to drive somewhere else and walk here.'
Auckland City Councillor John Lister says the ``Living Streets' project is about creating a safe and friendly road for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and residents.
He says feedback to the council has so far been positive and overseas trials show injuries will drop by 40-60 per cent.
Mr Lister says only about 35 per cent of parking has been removed in the work that is expected to be completed by the end of next month.
``Daytime, weekend and night-time surveys were undertaken where it was observed that very little on-street parking in the area took place. We anticipate that, at worse, some may need to park a few metres away from where they would otherwise have parked.'
He says trees have been planted in the middle of the road in places that won't obstruct traffic.
``A vehicle may be able to pass by either mounting the low and wide planter lip.'
However, local residents strongly deny that parking isn't an issue.
They reckon the council has its figures wrong.
``There is almost no parking and now, when a car parks on the street, cars can't get around it,' says Holland Ave resident Patricia Rairi.
While talking to some residents, we watched cars attempting to do just that.
Drivers gave up in frustration and drove around the chicanes on the wrong side of the road.
PLAYING THE FOOL? Patricia Rairi was shocked when she was asked what play equipment she'd like on the newly built chicanes in Pt England.
``My older kids used to be able to go out and play on the road.
``It was quiet and cars could easily see them,' says the mother-of-six.
Now cars can't see them because of the trees.
``As far as I'm concerned, they have wasted millions of dollars making the street less safe.
``When people are parking on the road they are stopping cars going the right way around the trees, so then they have to park on the verges.
``Putting play equipment on the side of the road sounds even more dangerous.'
Councillor John Lister says a workshop will be held in the next few weeks to hear views on potential use of the ``community islands' which will include safe and affordable areas for play.
However, he says funding is unlikely through the traffic calming project and it ``may even be funded through community funding streams'.
joseph.barratt@theaucklander.co.nz
08 05 2009