Get moving: City link only for vehicles

By PHOEBE FALCONER

Q. The Wellesley St East extension linking the city and the Domain has just been completed - but cyclists and pedestrians have been banned from it! It hardly helps stop traffic jams if the only thing you're allowed to use is a car. Any plans to get real and let everyone use that road? And when will pedestrians and cyclists be able to use the Harbour Bridge? - Jeremy Hall, Ponsonby

A. One of the main objectives of the Grafton Gully project, completed last year, was to provide safe and easy cross-city access for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles between the CBD, the university and the Auckland Domain/ hospital/Parnell.

The main cross-gully pedestrian thoroughfares were identified as the Grafton Rd bridge to the domain and the old Grafton Bridge to the hospital.

For this reason the Grafton Rd bridge was built with extra-wide footpaths.

The Wellesley St bridge on the other hand was designed as a major motorway interchange with a large number of on-and offramps, making it unsafe for pedestrians. This is compounded by the fact that the Symonds St underpass leading from Wellesley St to the Wellesley St bridge is also unsafe for pedestrians.

There are no plans to introduce pedestrian and cyclist access to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

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Q. What has happened to the Ranui "signature" railway station that was supposed to be operational in February? - Bryan Miller, Ranui

A. It's almost finished, Bryan. Patience, man, patience.

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Q. Why is the hospital bus stop in front of the Britomart Transport Centre the only one without a shelter? Surely the people using it are the most in need. - Peter Cross, Grey Lynn

A. Russell Turnbull of Stagecoach tells me that although there is no shelter at that particular stop, there is good shelter close by, provided by shop awnings.

The very use for which they were intended, I'd have thought. But the situation is under review, both as a stop for the 283 bus, and as a location for a shelter.

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Q. Are there plans to add extra on- and offramps to the Northern Motorway between Oteha Valley Rd and Silverdale? - Keith Williams, Silverdale

A. The designers are aware of the long stretch without relief here, particularly as motorists have been known to run out of petrol while traversing its length. Really. I mean, it's hardly the Nullabor, is it?

But an interchange at Wainui has been included in Transit's draft state highway programme covering the next 10 years. The earliest possible start date is 2007-2008 but that depends on its final priority listing.



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