Subscribe to RSSMt Albert Promised Cleanup
A welcomed promise today of a clean up of the Mt Albert station - but still full makeover.
The rain over the last few days have exposed how the words windswept and rainswept apply to Mt Albert’s railway train station because of its location behind the New North Rd shops.
Mt Albert's shelter was good in the rain but attracted drunk homeless people
Now that the old vandalised and dingy concrete shelter has thankfully gone, there’s not a lot of shelter from the storm for those waiting on the platform, including the many school students who use it at morning rush hour.
These look like bus stop hand me downs
Four bus stop looking shelters have been placed there instead and 2 more are on their way.
But Mt Albert desperately needs TLC and feels like the poor youngest sister from a large family, who just gets hand me downs and the family has run out of money to give her new stuff or treats.
Back in May, the council showed off future plans for Mt Albert village, including the station.
The plan includes a transport interchange involving the train station and buses on the busy New North Rd.
The plan talks of options for building over the rail line (via an air space lease) be “fully considered.”
The idea being talked about is a podium being built in the Video Ezy carpark near the corner of Carrington and New North Rds.
There would be an entrance way here
The present New North Rd carpark overlooking the station below
There would be lifts to take people down to the station.
The sketch up the council showed as the new entrance
The Carrington Rd access would remain but be made easier to get to the station than the present long footbridge to the platform.
But don’t hold your breath. That interchange won’t happen for at least 10 years and in fact there are 2 dates given - by 2030 and 2050!
Meanwhile, all that has happened is an extension to the platform and no makeover such as afforded her sisters on either side , at Avondale and Morningside.
Eden Albert Ward Councillors Cathy Casey and Glenda Fryer say they they have discussed with both ARTA and Kiwirail their vision for the future of Mt Albert Rail Station and say that if elected to the new Auckland Council, they will continue to push for progress on the development of the Mt Albert Station and the shopping with the new Auckland Transport Authority.
In the meantime, they have got some commitment to clean up the surrounding landscape.
The view from the station
Cr Cathy Casey says problems of graffiti and litter and general mess around the Mt Albert train station is in four different funding buckets and so has been quite difficult to apportion blame.
“ARTA has agreed to clean up the litter and graffiti along the paths and in the tunnels and Kiwirail will remove litter, fix broken fencing, weed out the scrub and remove the graffiti under Carrington Road overbridge.
” We will also ask the council to clean up the path to the station from the New North Road end and contact property owners who back on to the station to see if council or the community can assist them to tidy up the rear of their buildings and remove the graffiti.”
Cr Glenda Fryer says: “While Mr Albert Station deserves the makeover and promise of regular maintenance, there also needs to be a long-term plan in place for the whole rail corridor including a number for the public to call to report vandalism, graffiti and the like and an action plan to deal with it smartly.
“Auckland City Council has proved that zero tolerance for graffiti works, now Kiwiirail and ARTA need to make it a priority.”
All good steps but we should not be waiting until 2030 to get a smart looking Mt Albert station.
That should happen even if the long term vision for the village itself - and we mean real long term- involves some more radical changes.
1 Comments
Those shops facing onto New NOrth Road should be bowled and turned into a bus station and public square