KEY POINTS:
Why are there only two small patches of green marking the bus lane northbound (downhill) on newly resurfaced Vincent St in Auckland City? Even more oddly, there is a rectangular patch of green towards the centre, rather than the left, at the lights outside the police station. What is that? Cars seem to stop before it, but I can't see what the marking is trying to tell us.
Peter Calder, Westmere.
The patches of green are there to remind motorists that it is a bus lane. It's a cheaper alternative to painting the whole lane green, and arguably more aesthetically pleasing.
The patch of green outside the police station extends across all four lanes there (it was a nice morning so I went for a look). It's been there for about a month, a cycling colleague tells me, and it's a cycle advance stop box, to make life safer at the end of the lanes for put-upon pedallers. It's entirely possible the council will paint pictures of bikes here so motorists know what is expected of them.
I regularly walk up Howe St to K Rd. Near the top, there is a wide stretch of footpath outside the Chubb offices. This is often blocked by the company's vehicles, so much so that it is sometimes impossible to get past without walking on the road. Do they have a permit or exemption to use the footpath as their carpark? If not, is there a way to get Chubb to desist?
Michael Stevens, Freemans Bay.
The road user rules, in particular Rule 6.14 (1), state that a driver or person in charge of a vehicle must not stop, stand or park the vehicle on a footpath or cycle lane.
A Chubb spokesman yesterday said no, they didn't have dispensation to park there, and the practice would stop forthwith. Thanks Chubb.
Where does North Shore's water supply come from?
Bill Davidson, Sandringham.
A couple of places, much the same as Auckland City's water. The Hunua dams and Waikato River supply the easterly, maritime suburbs, and water for western North Shore and Orewa/Whangaparaoa comes from the Waitakere Ranges.
On the Southern Motorway going north, just after the Wellesley St offramp, there was a huge digital screen with time and temperature. It had been there for years on the side of a building and every day I looked at it, but then it disappeared. Has it gone forever or is it just being fixed?
Sally Faulkner, Auckland.
I'm not sure of the answer to this, Sally, but I asked the city council where the sign had gone, and, lo and behold, it's back! Well done, whoever was responsible. We like things to stay the same.
