KEY POINTS:
The Queenstown Rd off-ramp from Hugh Watt Drive has a set of traffic lights about halfway up. I assumed that when the lights changed to green I was clear to turn right into Queenstown Rd at the top. Wrong! It seems that those lights bear no relation to the actual traffic situation at the intersection. If that is so, why are they there? And why can't they be removed as they create a serious hazard? Toone Elzink, Auckland.
The lights are a temporary measure to create gaps for motorists at times of high traffic flow.
But there are large give-way signs at the top of the ramp to show that there is still a need to watch for traffic coming from the right off the roundabout. Similar sets of traffic lights can be found at other sites around the city.
When the Mt Roskill project is finished, hopefully by the end of this year, the placement of these lights will be reviewed to see if they're still needed.
At the Albert/Wyndham St intersection, the lane markings, which desperately need repainting by the way, show that there is no right turn from Albert to go east down Wyndham. Why is there no corresponding `no right turn' sign on the traffic light pole? Chris Randal, Auckland.
Look again, Chris. The sign is there, I saw it yesterday, as it's right outside the Herald building.
Meola Rd is a main alternative route into the CBD from the west. During rush hour, traffic is heavy, especially since the playing field development was completed. The parking on both sides of the road means that cars literally cannot fit past each other in both directions. I've already seen one serious crash and several near misses. Could the seaward side be made no parking? Gerard Reid, Auckland.
Undaunted by the prospect of heavy traffic, council staff went out to Meola Rd to take a look.
They found that the road is wide enough for two-way traffic flow with parallel-parked cars on both sides.
The council's concern with removing parking is that it can lead to increased speeds and traffic volumes, which creates a safety issue with people visiting the park. The road narrowing by parked vehicles means that traffic is slower and more careful. Traffic-calming, it's called.
The council admits that parking and accessibility is limited while events are on in the park, but parking restrictions such as time limits or no parking strips just move the problem further up the road.
Tuesday's item about motorcycles and road lanes generated considerable email traffic. Two correspondents write that if a motorcycle can overtake a vehicle on the right and remain within the lane, it may do so. However, if the motorbike crosses the lane marker, it would then be overtaking vehicles in that lane on the left, which is illegal.
