Get moving: Little-used airport route does not warrant a sign

By PHOEBE FALCONER

Q. Why is it that on the Southwestern Motorway heading south, at the sign for the Puhinui Rd exit, there is not also an airport exit sign? Motorists travelling south and looking for the airport exit sign will be well past Puhinui Rd before they realise they have gone too far. There is such a sign northbound on that motorway at Puhinui Rd. - Peter Thomson, Bucklands Beach.

A. Brian Rainford, of Transit, says it is possible to use the southbound Puhinui off-ramp to access the airport, but it's not signposted as not enough people use this route to warrant it, and signs are expensive. Transit is trying to encourage motorists to use the designated motorway route from the airport interchange. The alternative is Massey Rd, which is also signposted. There are two warning signs for the main airport route: before the airport interchange (where SH20 meets SH20a), and another two signs at the off-ramp.

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Q. At the intersection of Ponsonby and Richmond Rds there are diagonal lines to indicate that pedestrians may cross diagonally, which, with the present traffic light phasing, they do at their peril. Do the powers that be intend to change the phasing or have they forgotten to remove the lines? - S. Quirk, Auckland.

A. Woops. Yes to the latter. The lines should have been removed and they will be, in the next week.

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Q. Can you explain why the extreme left lane Kingsland-bound on New North Rd, the one that you used to be able to turn into off the link from Ian McKinnon Drive and continue on to Sandringham Rd, has been turned into a bus lane only? The clearway seemed to work well before that. When buses stop in that lane all traffic behind them has to wait as the only other lane is usually full of traffic trying to get to Kingsland or Bond St. - Viti Wilson, Sandringham.

A. Auckland City's transport planning group say they created the bus lane because previously buses often could not get into the lane to reach the first bus-stop after the Ian McKinnon exit. The bus lane has cut the travel time between the overbridge and the Sandringham Rd intersection, and as buses carry more people than cars, at least during peak hours, buses get first go.

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Q. Why are there so many manhole covers in Nelson St? They are sometimes in clusters of four or more, and drivers swerve to avoid them. - Mike Sheehan, Pt Chevalier.

A. Because underground services such as drainage, sewerage, phone and power need access for repairs and maintenance. The cluster effect is an unavoidable byproduct.



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