Ask Phoebe: Mayors' chains' future up in the air

Len Brown would decide, if elected, whether he would have 'super' mayoral chains. Photo / Supplied

What will happen to the current Auckland mayoral chain, which carries the names of all past mayors? Are they planning on starting a new chain or continuing with the old one? Raja Ganeshan, Auckland.

All of the current mayors and/or councils have mayoral chains. A decision on whether there will be ceremonial chains for the incoming mayor will be a decision for him or her and the new Auckland Council.

I have once again seen mothers with toddlers and pushchairs trying to safely navigate a passage across Sandringham Rd to reach the children's playground in Gribblehurst Park. Could a pedestrian crossing be installed? With visible lollipops on each side? Or even lights?

The residential blocks between Sandringham and Dominion Rds are home to many couples with young families as well as a primary school. The nearest crossing in Sandringham Rd, a little way up the road, is a small centre island, not large enough for the baby buggies that are sometimes carrying two infants.

It is also not the option taken by the school kids as they dart across the traffic. It seems crazy that such great child facilities are so difficult to reach. Pat Quirke, Sandringham.

Karen Hay, network performance manager for Auckland City's transport assets, has been out to take a look at the problem area, and reports good news and bad. The bad news is that there are difficulties associated with installing either a zebra crossing or lights. Because Sandringham is a multi-lane road, there is the risk that while the driver of a car in one lane might see a pedestrian on a crossing, another driver in the lane alongside might not. And traffic signals are only installed in areas where there are high numbers of pedestrians.

The good news is that the pedestrian island, which is only 50m or so from the Gribblehurst bus stop, will be inspected to see if it could be widened to take baby buggies.

The traffic buildup from the lights at the intersection of Blockhouse Bay Rd and New North Rd goes back as far as New Windsor Rd both morning and evening. Part of the problem is the cars parked on Blockhouse Bay Rd. Would it be possible to have clearway signs as far back as Methuen Rd, thus allowing two lanes of traffic, both straight ahead and right-turning into New North Rd? Tony Goodwin, Avondale.

Even with the removal of on-street parking on Blockhouse Bay Rd, the road itself is too narrow to allow two lanes of traffic. To install a clearway would require widening the road, which is currently about 4.7m from kerb to centreline.

Similarly, the provision of two northbound lanes on Blockhouse Bay Rd, with one a right-turning lane into New North, would require widening Blockhouse Bay Rd and substantially changing the intersection. To accommodate any of this would require extensive land acquisition and the current Auckland City Council has no plans to take on any of this work.