Ask Phoebe: Liverpool St's climb is toughest test for city walkers

A steep street in Mt Eden. Photo / Martin Sykes

There are some quite steep public streets in Auckland but which is the steepest, how steep is it at the steepest part, and who measures this?

Ross Stewart, Auckland.

Public opinion holds that Liverpool St in the CBD is the city's steepest street. It has an 18 per cent gradient at its steepest part. Other contenders for the title include Short St and Ayr St. Other suggestions would be welcomed. The city council keeps a record of gradients to assist in repair work.

A couple of months ago on Woodward Rd in Mt Albert a man spraying weeds passed me. The fumes were so bad that I had to cross the road. Forty minutes later when I returned the fumes were still very strong. Can you tell me what sort of spray is used and how often it is done? Leslie Lewis, Royal Oak.

The sprays most commonly used on high-priority weed species in Auckland are Roundup plus pulse, Escort plus pulse, and Versatil. Occasionally a more toxic herbicide, Pasma, is used to control paspalum species. Weeds are sprayed as often as required, but more often during the rapid growing season. Wherever possible, other methods of weed control are used.

What are the rules regarding riding bicycles on footpaths, especially in busy shop-lined streets like Devonport?

Lew McDuff, Devonport.

According to the road rules for cyclists, you are permitted to ride a bicycle on a footpath only if you are delivering newspapers or mail, or if you are riding a small wheeled recreational device that has a wheel diameter of less than 355 millimetres (such as tricycles or bicycles for small children).

This question relates mainly to the toll road north of Orewa, but also to future toll roads in general. What is the cost of collecting the $2 and $4 tolls? I saw it quoted as $1.29 in Herald. This cost, if true, to my mind is untenable. But maybe this figure was misquoted? John Butt, Auckland.

The latest figures, from July, indicate that the collection costs for each transaction range from 13c for online payments and 30c for those with prepaid accounts, to 54c at kiosks and $3.85 through the call centre. The average toll collection cost is 74c, although the Transport Agency hopes to lower this to 65c.