KEY POINTS:
Why is the Auckland City Council and/or the YMCA reducing the hours of operation for the Tepid Baths, while the Newmarket Olympic Pool remains open for much longer? I thought both organisations were promoting health and fitness in this time of growing obesity. Cutting the hours seems a strange way of doing this. The members and users of the Tepid Baths have not been given any reasons, but there is a rumour that they wish to close the baths and sell the building. Chris Grant, Auckland.
The hours of operation of the Tepid Baths have not been reduced. The pools are still open from 6am-9pm on weekdays and 7am-7pm at weekends. This does not differ too much from the Olympic Pools, which are open from 5.45am-10pm on weekdays and 7am-8pm at weekends.
There may have been rumoured reduction in hours at the Tepid Baths, but the council and YMCA Auckland reviewed the operation and decided to continue with the status quo.
And there are no plans to close the baths and sell the building. The building and its use as a swimming pool have Category A heritage protection, and any plans for the facility must be developed within these constraints.
Having said that, the building is 94 years old, and there are some structural issues, as you might expect. But there is no likelihood of the building falling down just yet, and any upgrade probably wouldn't happen until after the Rugby World Cup in 2011.
What and where are the regulations about cycle advance boxes? David Connor, Auckland.
Good question. I couldn't find any either. It seems that cycle advance stop boxes don't have legal status in themselves, at least in Auckland City. However, if a car is stopped over an advance box, then it must have gone past the intersection limit line, which is where vehicles are meant to wait for the signals to change. This type of "moving vehicle" offence is enforced by the police.
Bouquet #1: A cycling colleague arrived hot and bothered in the office on Tuesday and reported that her smooth ride on the northwestern cycle path at the end of Haslett St had been disrupted by a huge hole.
Workmen advised said cyclist that she would have to detour through the back streets of Eden Terrace to continue her trip. She told me, I told the council, and with commendable alacrity it sent staff to investigate.
It turns out that there are sewer separation works going on, but arrangements should have been made for a practical alternative cycling route, and there should have been some consultation.
The matter was resolved within 24 hours. Well done, council.
Bouquet #2: The NZ Transport Agency or its representatives have put a decent patch on Councillor Graeme Easte's pothole at the end of the Northwestern Motorway in the time they said they would. Good work, NZTA.
Clarification: The exceptions to vehicles parking on footpaths, listed in Ask Phoebe last week, apply only in the Auckland City Council area and not other councils either regionally or nationally.
* Which is the worst road (street, crescent, lane, terrace, place, close etc) in the Auckland region, and why? Poor surface, poor signage, poor access? Or worse? Email your suggestions to askphoebe@nzherald.co.nz before the end of this month. We'll pick the 10 worst and try to get something done about them.
