Ask Phoebe: Car park at hospital blocks other users

The ADHB is also in the process of constructing another level above car park building A, which, when completed, is expected to alleviate the problem. Photo / NZME.

Would you please check if engineers from Auckland City and/or Auckland City Hospital have any plans to resolve the traffic problems at the light-controlled main entrance into Auckland Hospital from Park Rd, Grafton?

The main entrance, which I think is the only entrance, is regularly blocked by cars, mostly joining the queue within the hospital grounds, to access the full hospital car park buildings and, as a consequence, those trying to drive to other hospital departments, particularly to an emergency department, are unable to turn into the entrance.

In addition, cars and buses travelling in the single west to east lane on Park Rd cannot travel straight through past the hospital because of the backlog of cars waiting to turn left into the hospital. Queues of cars and buses often extend in both directions along Park Rd to and through the next nearest intersections and west to east on to Khyber Pass Rd.

As a regular day-stay patient driving into Auckland City Hospital, I'm often one of many not going into the car park building, queued up for 30-40 minutes to move about 100m along Park Rd.

Tony Williams, Mangawhai.

Auckland Transport has been working with the District Health Board to address this issue.

It arises when the car park is full, and drivers wait on the road for spaces to become available. AT has been monitoring the issue and while it is causing delays on Grafton Rd, the delays are generally up to five minutes and are not 30 to 40 minutes as far as AT staff are aware.

The ADHB has installed electronic car park signage so that when the car park is full, drivers are made aware of this so they can look for alternatives. The ADHB is also in the process of constructing another level above car park building A, which, when completed, is expected to alleviate the problem. So, there is good news, but not just yet.

I have noticed recently that pedestrians increasingly seem to treat speed bumps - particularly those marked with white diagonal stripes - as pedestrian crossings. Some of these have a sign saying "Motorists have right-of-way" but this seems to make little difference. Pedestrian-crossing markings are quite different, so is there any justification for the speed-bump use, and can it be stamped out before it is too late? Gretchen Leach, Devonport.

I think a better question is, how do you legislate for sheer stupidity? As you say, pedestrian-crossing markings are different, and those (legal) crossings are not raised, as speed bumps (or traffic-calming measures, to give them their full title) are. And again, as you say, there are signs advising that motorists have right-of-way. What's not to understand? Would changing the markings really make any difference? I think not. Thus, given the propensity for pedestrians to believe that they are inviolable, it behoves all motorists to watch out as they approach speed bumps.

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