Traffic managers monitor congestion

By GEOFF CUMMING

From his central city office, Graeme Raynel commands a bird's-eye view of the city's choked arteries.

Using his computer, the Auckland City Council traffic signals manager adjusts a camera mounted on the Sky Tower to zoom in on congestion hotspots up to 5km away.

A wall of screens shows the ebb and flow of vehicles and gives a clear picture of any trouble.

Ask Mr Raynel for a rundown on where congestion is bad and he chronicles all the main roads across the city. It is still possible to avoid delays on Auckland's roading network, depending on where and when you travel. But the "windows" in which Aucklanders can move around freely are closing, peak times lengthening.

Transit NZ figures show that, despite extra lanes and extensions, vehicle speeds on the motorways are generally falling, increasing trip times.

The southbound lanes of State Highway 1 during the morning peak comprise the slowest section on the motorway system and have since 1992.

On Upper Harbour Drive, the average speed of eastbound traffic in the morning peak fell from 68 km/h in 1992 to 34 km/h in 1998.

Manukau City's infrastructure manager, Chris Freke, says intersections are the big curse, with Great South Rd-Wiri Station Rd rated the worst in New Zealand.

Waitakere's roading and traffic manager, Roger Ward, says the city "hangs" on the Northwestern Motorway. Queues are worst before 7 am on major feeders such as Lincoln and Te Atatu Rds as commuters try to dodge motorway jams.

Similarly on the North Shore, Northern Motorway feeders such as Onewa Rd and Esmonde Rd are an endurance test for the entire morning peak. Day-long congestion spots include Lake Rd, Wairau Rd and the Takapuna town centre.

Watching it all unfold, Mr Raynel says the city's arterial routes give drivers a multitude of options - but they are all stretched to the limit.

He names the five worst roads on the isthmus as Great North Rd, Remuera Rd, Kepa Rd, Gillies Ave and Dominion Rd.

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