Ask Phoebe: Falling branches meant poplars had to be axed

Why have they cut down the trees next to the southbound on-ramp at Takanini? These were beautiful deciduous trees that had been there for decades. They blocked the unsightly motorway, and provided a respite from sitting in long queues. Their destruction is a crime and I would like to know what reason could possibly justify it. Charlotte Sannazzaro, South Auckland.

Part of the answer is in your question. They did sometimes block the motorway - with falling branches.

The poplars were removed because they were dangerous. They had been planted too close together, and because of this they had become co-dependent, leaning into each other. Some around the perimeter had been forced out to angles of less that 45 degrees to the ground, which meant they had weak points. This caused branches to fall off during high winds.

The Auckland Motorway Alliance, which provides maintenance on and around the motorway network, views exotic tree species such as poplar, pine, willow and gum as undesirable, because of their rapid growth which can cause systemic weaknesses.

But all is not lost. Yes, the trees have been removed and the stumps ground out. The mulch obtained from the process will be used on site for the planting of 7700 native plants, including totara, rimu, puriri, pukatea and kahikatea. They will be planted outside the motorway clear zones, so won't cause any hazard, and will be an asset.

Is it legal to wear a motorbike helmet on a pushbike? Cycle helmets never look like they provide a lot of protection to the front of the head. Heather Auld, Auckland.

It is not illegal to wear a motorcycle helmet when you are on a bicycle.

Travelling north on Lake Rd towards the intersection and roundabout with Ocean View and Northcote Rds, there is room for two lanes until a filtering island is reached. This makes it difficult for left-turning traffic which would benefit from a separate lane. There is room for this to be achieved by reducing the width of the grass berm. Do you know if there are any plans to achieve this? Alan Wilson, Hillcrest.

Not at this stage. A project to modify this intersection, which has yet to go before the community board, involves traffic signals, similar to those on the Greville roundabouts. These would stop Lake Rd traffic and give priority to the Ocean View Rd traffic. The rationale is that a significant number of vehicles "rat-run" through local streets instead of going down Ocean View Rd. The new signals would improve capacity of the intersection and reduce the traffic on Lake Rd.

* Last year we asked for submissions on Auckland's worst roads and drew a shortlist of 10, based on physical condition and difficulties faced by drivers. We presented the relevant councils with your nominations, and they responded. We're now asking you to do it again. Email your nominations to askphoebe@nzherald.co.nz before the end of April, we'll pick the 10 worst and try to get something done about them.