Last night, Brown issued a statement rubber-stamping the removal of the car parks and praising some minor changes AT bureaucrats have proposed to take the heat out of fierce opposition and fears by struggling businesses.
Several business owners have spoken out about the financial consequences form the loss of parking, coming on top of years of disruption from the City Rail Link, the $30 million cycleway/road improvements, and Covid.
Another retailer came forward yesterday to say she had been in business on K Rd for 23 years and is “really stressed out” about the changes.
New signs erected on K Rd, signalling longer bus lane hours. Photo / Dean Purcell
“You take away our parking, you take away our customers… I don’t know how I will survive without customer parking,” said the woman, who owns a clothing and jewellery store.
Newton Medical Centre GP Dr Andrew Wong said a lot of shops have already noticed a drop-off in businesses since AT put up signs for the changes 11 days ago, saying if the changes proceed it will be the end of K Rd.
AT metro specification manager Edward Wright yesterday confirmed parking for shoppers will be removed on Sunday to ensure 100 new bus trips a day are not caught up in traffic from a new Western Express service.
Wright issued a second apology in five days by AT for stuffing up its communication with businesses on the changes, which Karangahape Road Business Association general manager Jamey Holloway said had come as a shock to members.
K Rd businesses have endured years of disruption from work on the City Rail Link. Photo / Alex Burton
Wright said while the changes to bus and parking lanes are needed to make sure the services operate efficiently, AT will make some changes to bus lane hours until February 11 next year when longer hours come into effect. The changes to the hours of bus lanes are relatively small.
The removal of general parking will take effect on Sunday and become loading/service parking, he said.
“With the 100 additional bus services along the street, we do expect that there will be increased congestion along the street until the changes are implemented and we will continue to monitor this as the new services operate over the summer,” Wright said.
Brown said he accepted changes had to be made to parking and loading zones on K Rd as part of the new Western Express bus service to get traffic moving faster.
K Rd is the slowest road for bus trips in the city centre, according to AT.
“After a bit of pressure from me, AT has delayed the decision. The fact they have put it off until February does allow businesses time to plan ahead, and I want them to use that time to get the plan right with those businesses. I’ll be keeping an eye on progress,” said Brown, who lives in an apartment off K Rd.
Martin Glynn, the Automobile Association’s Auckland spokesman, said when AT is looking to make changes that impact people’s lives and livelihoods they need to make a case but that does not seem to have happened with K Rd.
“Taking away on-street parking is always a big deal both for businesses and their customers. It needs to be done for the right reasons and those most affected need to be told first. It’s really disappointing to hear that AT put up signs banning car parking without informing K Rd businesses first,” he said.
AT project director for the city centre Graeme Gunthorp has insisted the extra bus passengers will have a positive impact on businesses.
“There will be more people walking the streets, spending money and enjoying the ambience of cafe culture on K Rd,” he said.
Jason Robinson, who runs Army and Outdoors on K Rd, said Gunthorp sounded like he knew business “better than us”.
Robinson said a lot of businesses on K Rd are doing it really tough and some businesses will not survive.
He and other business owners are scathing of the “one-sided” consultation process for “Project K” - a street improvement series of projects for the City Rail Link, which includes a new station on K Rd.
“It’s almost like the outcome has been pre-determined and they are just finding evidence to support what they want to do. The businesses don’t feel listened to,” said Robinson.
In April this year, AT abandoned a controversial push for special powers to remove kerbside parking following a directive from the mayor and approved a new parking strategy to develop parking plans in conjunction with communities and local boards.
At the time, AT said it would adopt a more flexible and dynamic approach to roads that could see a lane being a loading zone in the morning, a bus lane for a couple of hours, and offering parking during the day - an approach welcomed by Brown but discounted by AT on K Rd.
Bernard Orsman is an Auckland-based reporter who has been covering local government and transport since 1998. He joined the Herald in 1990 and worked in the parliamentary press gallery for six years.
