KEY POINTS:
Controversial new bus lanes through Remuera and Meadowbank are to be reviewed before being completed, after community pressure on Auckland City Council.
The council's transport committee yesterday accepted a notice of motion from its chairman, Remuera resident Ken Baguley, for independent consultants to review the bus lanes project because of community concerns over its viability and its effect on local residents and businesses.
Mr Baguley stopped short of supporting a recommendation from former Hobson Bay Community Board chairman Troy Churton for the project to be put on hold until the review was completed in February.
But the review was opposed by centre-left councillors, who urged the Citizens and Ratepayers-dominated committee to "toughen up" in the interests of building better transport services.
City Vision member Graeme Easte said it took time for people to become accustomed to bus lanes, but cited the success of those on routes such as Dominion Rd in improving traffic flow.
He urged the committee to resist attempts to derail the Remuera scheme in its infancy, saying it would be inappropriate to show a lack of faith in such a key component of an integrated city-wide transport network.
Mr Churton said morning traffic queues were tailing well back from Remuera, and along St Johns Rd, since 2.5km of citybound bus lanes started operating about six weeks ago.
"It is not pretty," he said in a presentation to the committee. "I walk my kids to Meadowbank School and thousands of cars are spewing emissions because of this regime."
He wanted the committee to at least allow cars with two or more occupants to use the new lanes.
