KEY POINTS:
Do you live in Auckland? Do you have a question or problem you want solved? Phoebe Falconer answers your queries every Thursday.
Email "Ask Phoebe" at newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz.
Q: There are large green signs over the Southern Motorway southbound between St Marks Rd
and the Greenlane offramp. And the name on the signs? Green Lane East. Why has Transit split Greenlane into two words?
John O'Loghlen, Auckland.
What an excellent question.
In answer to a question in the Get Moving column earlier this year, Transit says that motorway offramps are always referred to by their arterial road name, in this case Green Lane East.
The name Green Lane, for the road, has been in existence for two centuries, and Transit says there will be no change.
But inconsistencies abound. Auckland City Council and Transit offer us Green Lane East and Green Lane West. However, according to both the council and Transit websites, the motorway interchange upgrade is Project Greenlane - one word.
My Wises Auckland street map, 2003 edition, has Greenlane East and Greenlane West.
The 2005 edition, and later ones, have the road as two words - Green Lane. The suburb is Greenlane, Wises has the hospital as one word, but Herald style (the way in which we address places, things and people) is to refer to the hospital as Green Lane.
The phone book suggests Greenlane Hospital as the correct spelling.
The AA Smartmap online gives Green Lane East and Green Lane West in the suburb of Greenlane.
Name signs on road, when you can find them, indicate two words, except for the sign at the intersection of The Drive.
Either way, people know where you mean, and if you address a letter (remember them?) to either Green Lane or Greenlane, it will arrive.
Q: Along Elstree Ave in Glen Innes there are two roundabouts planted with flax bushes. I rang the council to see if the flax could be trimmed, and was told this could not be done as it is insensitive to cut back flax. Is there any solution to the problem?
Jill Rudduck, Glendowie.
Apparently you cannot trim flax by cutting back the top of the leaves because it can kill the plant. The way to do it is at the base of the bush, or by removing the flower stems once they have finished their spring bloom, and this will be done.
Q: The canopy over the footpath at the Downtown carpark was removed some months ago. Will it return for summer?
John Gore, Auckland.
Yes, it should be done by Christmas.