Q: There is great congestion in Franklin Rd in Ponsonby each morning, and it is entirely due to the concrete protrusion outside New World. This concrete strip completely blocks the inside lane, resulting in the two lanes of traffic heading towards Victoria St having to converge. It would make more sense to have a regular pedestrian crossing outside the supermarket. Are there any plans to address this issue?
* Clare Farrant, Brian McGrigor, Auckland.
A: No, and for a very good reason, as I have previously explained in this column. Franklin Rd is only one lane going down from Ponsonby Rd, and one lane going up, so there is no "inside lane". The traffic island and nearby road markings give the impression of the road narrowing, but it actually doesn't. The purpose of the traffic island outside New World is to slow traffic down before the Victoria St intersection, where the road widens to allow two lanes, and to give safe passage for pedestrians and supermarket customers.
Q: Crowhurst St in Newmarket is the main feeder for people heading for the Gillies Ave motorway onramp from Broadway and Khyber Pass, and frequently backs up because of motorway hold-ups. It can often take 10 minutes or more just to get to Gillies Ave where the road widens. Are there any plans to free up this stretch, or to improve Newmarket's traffic flow?
* Cathy Giddens, Hillsborough.
A: The bad news is that there are no immediate plans to widen Crowhurst St. The good news? There is a council document called "Newmarket Future", available at www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/newmarket/ frameworkproject.asp, which looks at improvements to the area's traffic flow.
Q: When will that dog-leg over Bridge St from Puhinui Rd ever be bypassed? There is often a hold-up with traffic trying to turn right into Kenderdine Rd.
* John Johnson, Dannemora.
A: Manukau City Council hopes that work on the bypass, which will link Nesdale and Liverpool Avenues, will begin this summer. It all ties in with work on the SH1-SH20 link, so it's a fairly major project and long overdue.
Q: The traffic lights on the corner of Victoria, Wellesley and Halsey Sts allow for a right turn into Wellesley from Victoria, but often you don't get a green arrow if there's no traffic turning the opposite way, Victoria to Halsey. Can the phasing be fixed, or could the red arrow just go so that motorists can make their own judgment?
* J Foster, Grey Lynn.
A: The phasing will be checked, but the red arrow filtering right-turning traffic stays. This intersection is a crash black-spot, with 67 per cent of accidents involving right-turning traffic failing to give way to oncoming vehicles.
<EM>Get moving:</EM> Sorry to disappoint you but Franklin Rd is not four lanes
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