Auckland Transport to look at commuter parking issues in residential streets

Half of the submissions came from CBD and fringe suburbs like Parnell, Ponsonby and Newton. Photo / NZ Herald

Auckland Transport is developing residential parking zones to address frustrated city residents losing street parking spaces to commuters and service vehicles.

The organisation will also look at implementing charges for some Park and Ride facilities, and adding additional spaces at the facilities - at which commuters can park before using public transport to get into the city.

This afternoon AT released its new parking strategy - a 40 page document addressing parking issues in the region.

In some residential parking zones - such as older suburbs with high parking demand where many properties do not have off-street parking - residents will be able to purchase parking permits and time limits will be implemented to deter commuter parking.

It is not known how much permits will cost, but they will be issued annually, the document said.

In other areas, where many homes have off street parking, time restrictions will be applied to a quarter of the street's available spaces, but no permits will be issued.

Comprehensive community consultation and engagement will be carried out to determine which areas will be affected.

AT parking services manager Russell Derecourt said there was pressure to find a solution to commuter parking issues in residential streets.

"The problem involves commuters and service vehicles parking long term and taking parking from local residents."

Mr Derecourt said AT was talking with residential groups and would, in conjunction with local boards and the community, develop a consultation programme.

Further opportunities for park and rides would also be reviewed to help address the issue of managing space on arterial roads, the document said.

In areas including Drury, Westgate, Constellation, Albany and Redvale, the addition of more than 500 parking bays was being investigated.

Between 300 and 500 extra bays may be added in areas including Pukekohe, Botany, Glen Innes, Sunnyvale, Smales Farm and Silverdale.

Pricing at more congested park and ride facilities is being investigated as a way to encourage people to use other means of accessing public transport - like walking or cycling.

Chief strategy officer Peter Clark said park and rides had extend the potential number of users for public transport and got people out of their cars but there were around 5500 park and ride spots and 80 per cent were full by 8am with parking overflowing into local streets.

More than 5500 submissions were received by AT after the organisation released a Parking Discussion Document for public consultation in May last year.

The document set out key parking issues, suggested approaches to meet the issues and sought community feedback to guide the development of the parking strategy.

Half of the submissions came from CBD and fringe suburbs like Parnell, Ponsonby and Newton and a quarter were about the overall management of demand parking.

Another 18 per cent of submissions were about parking on residential streets and on park and rides and 11 per cent were about parking on arterial roads.

The parking strategy released today will mean AT will adopt a consistent approach to parking across the region allowing community parking issues to be looked at on a case by case basis.

Read the full report here: