Subscribe to RSSAvondale Park n Ride Finally?
A park and ride facility adjacent to the newish Avondale train station is back on the agenda.
Hopefully.
The Whau area Local Board, which covers the Avondale area, has been considering it.
A report to its latest meeting suggests Auckland Transport investigate the option of leasing the land next to the station for the purposes of establishing a park and ride facility.
This has been raised on AKT since the days when Avondale was being built.
Nearby residents in fact complained that the land nearby was vacant and looking ugly and there was concern KiwiRail might sell it off to a developer to built apartments.
One member of the former community board, as the station was being built, complained to AKT, a park and ride had been planned by the former council but then the idea had vanished.
“I am trying to get it all cleaned up and converted to a free Park and Ride for train users, as was promised to us from City Hall, because of the Super City nearly upon us, getting council to sort it out is nearly impossible. Very frustrating at the moment. I have not heard of any other plans etc for the area.”
Spare land adjacent to the station
The reality is that Avondale needs one. Cars are presently parked in the limited spaces of nearby narrow streets of residents, which is unfair on those households and businesses in the area.
With petrol prices rises, there needs to be provision to help and encourage motorists to take the train.
The report to the Whau board also noted It is noted that there is now limited park and ride options for residents with the construction of the Clark Street Extension removing at this stage the option of parking in New Lynn.
And while they are at it, cycle racks would be great there too. I have seen cycles chained up alongside the shelters on the platforms. There had been talk of cycle racks for the new station but they never eventuated because of apparent cost cutting in the end.
7 Comments
A park and ride would be a great idea and wouldn’t take much, also a bike rack. (need one of these at Meadowbank too please!)
One is also needed at New Lynn as well.
I think it would be far better to develop that site into apartments. Apart from being right next to a train station it also has great views being at the top of hill.
I also don’t think we should have park n rides so close town, they are good for further out locations in the city but Avondale is probably to close to town. As such one here would be full from day one with people then complaining that it isn’t big enough and wanting the council/AT to spend millions on making it bigger.
@Matt L - agreed - land right next to a railway station like this is too valuable for parking. Of course we don’t want nasty apartments - but a high quality group of mixed use buildings. Even as a temporary measure a park and ride could encourage bad habits - should be aiming for walking, cycling and busing to the station at locations like Avondale.
I work just down the road from this site and I agree this site should be converted into apartments.
Instead of setting up park and rides, AT should look at the reason why people are parking there. Perhaps AT needs to look at the bus route system in the area to find opporunities for feeder buses that can reduce the need for people to park there.
I’ve always thought for example the 211/212 bus route should be adjusted so that the Rosebank Road portion of the trip is scheduled to meet the train to allow for people living/working in the Rosebank district to transfer to/from the trains easily.
“free Park and Ride for train users” If its free how will its construction be funded? cross subsidy from other train users? Doesn’t sound to fair to non-park and ride users. I only support free park and ride lots on the edge of the network where land value is very low.
@John Dalley
Apparently there is a $4 all day lot on the site of the old New Lynn bus station.
Scott, free because ratepayers get lumbered with the cost. Just like the Advisory Board for unelected Maoris.