Subscribe to RSSResidents Street Parking Under Review
A new street parking policy for Auckland residents could result from a trial starting in inner city suburb St Mary’s Bay.
A month-long consultation for the residents there opened today.
At issue is the problem that more and more people are parking in the residential streets of this small suburb all day. Those people are taking advantage of the closeness of the suburb to the CBD and either catching a LINK bus or walking down College Hill or Jacob’s Ladder to get to the CBD instead of paying weekly CBD car park rates.
And parking is also being taken by those working at or visiting businesses in the areas such as the radio empire MediaWorks.
Many of the homes in the area do not have off street parking so have to park on the street and compete with those who are parking there during the day but work in the CBD.
the proposed residential parking zone would create a blanket two hour time restriction, between the hours of 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
The restrictions cover all of St Mary’s Bay, reducing the chances of pushing the problem on to neighbouring streets.
Residents would be able to purchase annual and short term permits, to enable them, or their visitors, to park on the street at all times.
If implemented, the parking zone will initially be run as a one year trial.
But Auckland Transport says that if successful, this will inform the development of a new residential parking policy for Auckland.
Auckland’s current residential parking policy has been in place since 2001 and was last amended in 2007.
You have to have sympathy for the residents of such city fringe suburbs and anything to encourage CBD workers to use pubvlic transport for more than just a short leg down Collehe Hill has to be encouraged.
Residents have been getting increasingly vocal to transport authorities and their locasl board.
Auckland Transport Parking and Enforcement Manager Eunan Cleary, says non residential commuters are increasingly opting to park in residential streets, causing a number of issues for residents including blocked driveways, lack of parking and traffic congestion in the morning and afternoon peaks.
The full details of the proposal are:
- Create a residential parking zone with a blanket two hour time restriction between the hours of 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
- All properties within the zone can purchase up to three resident permits which will be linked to vehicle registration.
- All properties can also purchase one visitor permit which will not be linked to a registration. Further short-term visitors permits will be available at a rate of $1 a day in a book of 10 one-day permits. Residents will be able to purchase up to 30 one-day parking permits a year.
- Anyone can park in the zone for two hours and permit holders are exempt from the time restriction. Any vehicle staying longer than two hours without a permit will be issued with an infringement ticket. Motorcycles/scooters are exempt and will not require permits.
- Signs will alert vehicles entering and exiting the zone and will be placed at regular intervals within the zone
- Businesses and organisations within the zone will be eligible to purchase permits at the same rate and conditions as residents’ permits
- Businesses outside of the zone will not be eligible to purchase permits
- The parking zone will replace the existing parking time restrictions that currently exist in some streets in the proposed zone but all bus stops and other restrictions will remain. For example the P10 restrictions outside StMarys College.
The annual costs:
1st Permit – linked to vehicle registration $70
2nd Permit – linked to vehicle registration $100
3rd Permit – linked to vehicle registration $150
Visitor permit (1 per property) – not linked to registration $70
Sandringham and Mt Eden residents have had to get used to a permit system because of the RWC matches.
It’ll be interesting to see which area is next and how widespread it spreads.
17 Comments
Good. Pricing parking properly is the best first step to reducing car subsidy.
Clarification Patrick; the dollar pricing is for residents - they have the opportunity to purchase up to three permits plus one visitor permit for their household. The cumulative price is $390/year for all three permits and one visitor permit. If you take out the visitor permit, the average cost is $106.60/year/car for three cars, and $85/year/car for two cars, which is the average household.
On the other hand, the pricing for commuter is basically a fine/ticket if they park longer than two hours. In this sense, the price of parking will skyrocket for commuters parking in the St Marys Bay zone.
The trial will be for a year which will give a solid years worth of data to inform any decision about the scheme.
Christopher Dempsey
Waitemata Local Board.
Hi Chris, yeah I got that; restriction is a form of cost….
It’s really interesting - we have this problem in Eden Terrace, and it’s frustrating when I get home at the end of the day/at other times - I do shift work - and the streets are crowded.
However, I wonder what the reasoning is to charge for residents to get permits. They seem reasonably pricey, and I know in my area - for example - there are many students and low-income families, as well as wealthier people.
I think perhaps 2 permits per household free would be reasonable, with extras charged (with exceptions for group households).
Alarm bells ringing, thin end of the wedge etc
“Many of the homes in the area do not have off street parking so have to park on the street and compete with those who are parking there during the day but work in the CBD.”
This is the bit that doesn’t make sense; if you have no off street parking as a resident your car is always parked outside your house, so there is no competition from “park and ride” ers. If a resident drives to work who cares if someone else parks there during the day? They’ll be gone roughly the same time you get home and you have your park back.
We have exactly the same problem in Eastern Grey Lynn but we don’t want the expense and bureaucracy of permits.
It’s really only a problem when you come home at lunch time and try to get a park. But- “bright lights, big city” that’s the way it is.
Charging people to park outside their own house is never going to be popular. It will incentivise people to try and knock out their front gardens to getoff street parking.
Seems like a Heritage killer to me…
@Geoff…
You couldn’t have hit the nail on the head with a bigger hammer!
well done!
Why Charge, Give free permits to residents, the permit has to be displayed on their windscreen, all other vehicles parked there between say 7am to 10am will be fined, this will likely stop those who have to arrive between 7am and 10am to get to work to stop parking there or make it a pay and display area expet for local residents with permits on windscreens who shouldn’t have to pay. The goal surely is to allow locals to be able to park a car!?
It’s a good and bad idea, I generally don’t find a big problem with parking in the area, the biggest problem is the traffic that flows through the area, it’s kind of unfair to the residents as well. Public transport serving that area is not that reliable as the buses that travel from Britomart get caught in traffic so you end up better off walking. I work in the area
I would have to agree with No1Auckland, I think the residents should be given a free permit…
“This is the bit that doesn’t make sense; if you have no off street parking as a resident your car is always parked outside your house, so there is no competition from “park and ride” ers. If a resident drives to work who cares if someone else parks there during the day? They’ll be gone roughly the same time you get home and you have your park back.”
This assumes that the homeowner has a schedule that exactly matches that of the commuter parking their car outside the homeowner’s place.
In respect of the permitting system, I’ll find out more. I did suggest say two free permits / household when the trial was being designed, but I can’t remember what the argument against it was.
I used to live on a street in Grafton where there was a mix of unlimited, P120 (residents permit holders exempt) and residents permit holder’s only permits.
From late morning to early afternoon it was unlikely to find any unlimited of P120 street parks empty. Most of the people parking there were happy to overstay as it was cheaper to pay any fines than pay for commercial all day parking. (we were near med school and the hospital).
No1Auckland, I don’t think the goal it to monopolize parking for the locals. I think its to get the most efficient use. You want to ban couriers, tradespeople, guests etc from parking in suburban streets that are near the city?
To those calling for free permits, the prices listed above seem extremely cheep. A car-park near my place is worth over $3000 per year. The land reserved for parking in the locations discussed is very valuable. I think it is reasonable to charge for a permit. This, for example encourages those who have off street parking not to apply for a permit, and use off-street even if it is less convenient. It also would discourages people from keeping more cars than they need.
I think your being a bit over the top Geoff, $70 a year for a carpark is hardly a reason to destroy your front yard or whatever to create an offstreet carpark?
If we gave free permits to residents, wouldnt this create a precedent for CBD dwellers also wanting free permits?
Here in Switzerland most cities have resident permits for on street parking. We all have to pay for it (about NZD 200 per year, per car). No guarantee you will have a parking spot either.
However, I had a choice to live where I do, so do the people in St.Marys. If they choose to buy a million dollar property without a carpark - so be it. That´s their choice.
I think for the tiny sums asked, and that St. Marys residents aren´t known to be low income earners, the advantages this brings them simply outweighs the tiny financial cost of the permits.
Very good constructive discussion happening here and perhaps the method to control this problem could be influenced by taking some of the points from this discussion.
“Charging people to park outside their own house is never going to be popular. It will incentivise people to try and knock out their front gardens to getoff street parking.
Seems like a Heritage killer to me…”
Except that you need planning permission to do that, and you (normally) won’t get it. Plus, I agree with others that say that something in the range of $s discussed certainly seems affordable.
On-street parking is not a right, and doesn’t belong to the locals whose house it is outside off - so while I approve of the resident’s parking permit to allow them to park their cars close by with a bit more ease, I don’t think there’s a need to go with free permits.
Residential permit parking has been in place in Wellington for a while and when I was a student living there I never felt that the annual charge was a burden or that my standard of living suffered greatly as a result.