KEY POINTS:
Your questions about Auckland's roads answered
The intersection of Balmoral and Dominion Rds is a nightmare. By the Balmoral shops, cars trying to merge cause jams at most times during the day and on the weekends. Are there any plans to remove some of the car parks or improve this intersection? Jacob Matchitt, Auckland.
I couldn't agree more; it is a horrible experience driving through here. But there is good news. As part of Auckland City Council's Dominion Rd project, bus traffic is to be diverted behind the Balmoral shops, between Balmoral Rd and Rocklands Ave. The bad news is that this will be introduced over the next eight to 10 years.
And there's more bad news: the dearth of car-park spaces to service the local businesses means that removing some is not possible. It's all about finding a balance between business, commuters and visitors, and this time commuters and visitors miss out.
In Elstree Ave, Pt England, there are two traffic islands that are planted as gardens. The vegetation has now grown so high that they pose a traffic hazard. I cannot see vehicles coming from the other direction, which creates the potential for an accident. There are many such islands, but surely the vegetation should be controlled so as not to obscure the vision of drivers, especially those with small cars. Can something be done please? D.R. Donaldson, St Heliers.
The council routinely works to a vegetation height of 400mm at critical areas of intersections. It aims to maintain the growth so that the shrubs and bushes look good but don't compromise motorists' safety. Plants are chosen for their mature height and shape, and for their speed of growth and thus the necessary pruning frequency. However, the weather being what it is, sometimes the plants grow faster than expected and then the landscaping contractors are brought in to fix things. The idea is to ensure that motorists using a roundabout or traffic island have visibility on approach and can see vehicles coming from the right. The aptly-named Elstree is now on the list.
In Nelson St, at the Victoria St intersection, the two right lanes are for turning traffic only. Some people in the second-from-right lane insist on going straight ahead, as per the previous intersections, and as the arrows used to allow. Please can the signage be improved to alert people that they cannot go straight through, or the arrows put back on the road? Anna Smith, Auckland.
Aha. The council wasn't aware of this, but its staff have been down to have a look and the straight-ahead arrow should be in place within the next two weeks. We'll be watching.