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Thread: SMC Call To Arms: Further bike parking removal by Council/ARTA

  1. #1
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    Arrow SMC Call To Arms: Further bike parking removal by Council/ARTA

    DISASTER AVERTED

    • we have confirmed that there will be NO loss of parking
    • the parking will be made level, but not sealed to allow the trees some water - hopefully we wont lose any bikes to tree roots/soft ground
    • there is a good possibility that a bar can be installed to lock our bikes to
    • there will be more trees in the way - but shade isn't a bad thing when you're dressed in black leathers/codura
    • there will be a pedestrian crossing with lights above the underpass, so it should become easier/safer to park
    • the uni is putting in more parking and marking it. expect parking around the OGG carpark, probably free.


    Quote Originally Posted by Squiggles - club president View Post
    Hehe, i got called by Graham Long about it, he confirmed that the parking will stay as it is, on both sides of the road. And that if we loose some while construction is under way temp parking can be set up, but this shouldnt be a problem as the work isnt expected to start until around exam time in the second semester/end of year, when the parks wont be near capacity.

    Also asked about what the bike parks will look like when its done....
    They plan to have two curbs, a small one to go from the street to the parks, then another from the parks to the curb, with the area inbetween levelled off (cant be sealed due to the trees etc)

    Now, and here's where we could win a bit, as they havent ordered materials yet, there's a chance for small additions/modifications. I made a point of the security of bikes parked out there, and suggested a ground rail as they have down at the library. The Chance of that is apparently very good, what with the curb to be installed and ground work. I shall put it in writing to him and hopefully that will eventuate, just have to keep pushing it


    original call to arms below

    OK, so being the internet savvy engineering student I am, I thought, "I really hate calling beurocracies and trying to get an answer out of people who don't want to admit they know or don't want to admit they don't know or simply don't want me to know; why not simply look up the drawings, as they must be made publicly and readily available, and examine them myself?"

    "central transit corridor" page - has all drawings for entire project

    the relevant drawing to the main section of symonds st


    Alfred Street plans

    Now I have examined all the drawings and read a fair amount about the project, here is a summary of my analysis:
    Good:
    • The pavement will be tidied up, look nicer, and gravel should be absent.
    • Above ground pedestrian crossing introduced outside the main engineering school entrance and the gym, with lights, to hopefully stop pedestrians trying to get run over and make it safe to cross the road if you're too lazy to go under it.
    • More importantly for bikes, this will also give more clear windows in which to enter/leave bike parking safely
    • Motorbikes can use the new bus lanes, including Grafton Bridge.
    • Grafton Bridge will be strengthened and brought up to spec. - so it's less likely to fall down under the heavy traffic

    Bad:

    • It would appear from only three denotations of motorcycle parking on the "university" drawing that we are about to lose a significant portion of our bike parking in favour of gardens
    • They were told parking loss was an issue basically everywhere along the route, so kept parking on Anzac Ave. and ignored everywhere else
    • They are planting more trees... not really an issue due to absence of parking, but the current bylaws make future removal of these trees problematic, especially if they wish to re-establish or increase parking.
      "Trees have been prioritised over parking. However, some trees are being felled to provide additional road width for bus lanes. The total number of trees on the route will rise from 162 to 201."
    • No bus lanes by what bike parking is left, so no safety improvement in that respect
    • I cannot locate the bike parking on Anzac Ave. plans, assume it to be removed.
    • ALL Symonds St. parking between Grafton Rd. and Alten Rd. is to be removed
    • If there was bike parking further up Symonds St. and over Grafton bridge before, it won't be there any longer - most car parks to be removed also.

    Conclusion: this is bad, very bad - bus lanes and trees are deemed more important than motorcyclists

    Unless I have misinterpreted the drawings and "planting" actually means "parking", there may be some leeway if either we are able to "convert" the gardens to parking with their approval or "convert" the gardens to parking without their approval.

    I will still have to go confirm, but now I have seen the drawings and know where they are, there will be little allowing them to fob me off while they play dumb.


    Original post:

    I received an email today as a follow up to one sent yesterday.

    It was sent to all engineering staff and forwarded to all students, but i do not know about the rest of the university.

    Quote Originally Posted by email 10/03/08
    From: Keith Willson
    Sent: Monday, 10 March 2008 10:03 a.m.
    To: 'engineering-staff@auckland.ac.nz'
    Subject: Parking Restrictions


    The University has been advised that Auckland City council will as part of there Central Connector Project be removing 70 parking spaces on sections of Symonds Street, outside the University of Auckland. The parking space removals are in line with the project objectives of improving pedestrian safety and widening of bus lanes.

    The new parking restrictions will be in place from Tuesday 25 March 2008. To ensure a smooth transition and minimum disruption, the parking spaces will be removed over the Easter Break (21-24 March 2008).

    Motor Cycle, mobility parking and loading bays will not be affected.

    Regards

    Keith
    Quote Originally Posted by email 11/03/08, see attachment added to this post
    From: Ruth Taylor On Behalf Of Timothy Greville
    Sent: Tuesday, 11 March 2008 11:37 a.m.

    Subject: Symonds Street Parking Restrictions effective Tuesday 25 March 2008
    Importance: High


    The Auckland City Council has very recently advised that the expected removal of parking along Symonds Street in anticipation of the work to be carried out for the Central Connector is now to be effected as from Tuesday 25 March (a University holiday).

    I am sending you a specific note about this with a copy of the map showing where the parking will now be restricted. I will be sending out an all-staff email but I believe this should be signalled at both levels.

    Please would you ensure that this is given as much publicity as possible so that staff and students are aware that parking will not be permitted where there are red dotted lines shown along Symonds Street on the attached map.

    Regards

    Tim

    T P Greville, LLB

    Registrar & General Counsel
    Office of the Vice-Chancellor
    The University of Auckland


    The map attached to the second email (and this post) marks basically ALL symonds street motorcycle parking, being atleast 90% of uni motorcycle parking, for "parking removal".

    I have emailed back hoping to clarify the situation.

    We are definitely about to lose all the parking on the engineering side up by architecture, which will further overload the already full bike parks.

    It is about time the SMC got serious about bike parking. We need Alfred Street back, and/or more of symonds street further down the hill dedicated to motorcycle parking (moving up the hill is just plain inconvienient).
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Central Connector parking map.pdf  

  2. #2
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    WTF? So there's going to be no parking on Symonds St? That's the majority of bike parking spaces in the whole of university. Perhaps 75% of total parking?

    Shit, this is going to be total chaos. There's going to be bikes and scooters in the Quad. Might give them a bit of a wake-up call, though?

    Feck me, some people are stupid, aren't they.

  3. #3
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    what i find interesting is the contradiction between the first email and the second email's attachment

    i'll post up as soon as i get an answer; i doubt they could possibly be this stupid, but wouldn't be entirely surprised.

    but as i said, we still lose parking either way

    seems a bit silly that while demand continues to grow supply continues to dwindle, especially as buses hardly get held up there



    next they'll probably put in a cycle lane in spite of the number of scooters and motorbikes vastly outnumbering pedal bikes

    i see there is currently a movement to put a cycle lane across the harbour bridge - shame about the buses which carry MANY more people that still have to park on the bridge after the short trip down the northern busway

  4. #4
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    Yes, that's weird. First email, it says `motor cycle... etc... parking bays will not be affected'. The attachment for the second email shows the entire of Symonds St parking being removed?

    Are they just talking about car parking spaces?

  5. #5
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    let's hope so. with a bit of luck we will know by tomorrow night

    we will lose the parking up by architecture i do know that much

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    FUCK they are just DUMB, honestly, retarded mental idiots who don't know shit!

    Oh and yeah... That sucks . I reckon there should be some motorcycle only parking! ie over 50cc or something

    Yeah Alfred st is definitely needed ay.

  7. #7
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    ok, got an email back from the engineering staff member who forwarded the previous email

    Quote Originally Posted by email 12/03/08
    Hi Andrew,

    You would have to take the latest one into account.

    regards,
    SHIT

    Who do we email/storm into the office of to confirm this?

    we have to move fast

    and we'll need a plan of action if they do infact intend to remove 80% of motorcycle parking without replacement

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by motorbyclist View Post
    ok, got an email back from the engineering staff member who forwarded the previous email



    SHIT

    Who do we email/storm into the office of to confirm this?
    Get back to us ASAP you do get the CONFIRMATION email that they are removing all BIKE biking without replacement.

    We should start drawing up a PLANS NOW regardless of the outcome but I am going to hope that are able to supply a replacement.

    It looks like they are gonna start implementing this in a few weeks time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ragingrob View Post
    FUCK they are just DUMB, honestly, retarded mental idiots who don't know shit!
    Not at all, they are exceedingly clever. The first email is the one that gets read and understood - the second email is the one that gets only 10% of the distribution compared to the first, and then gets pulled out later and waved in everyones face after the deal is done. This is very cleverly crafted approach.

    DB

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    Wtf... So in two weeks time, we have NO designated bike parking at Uni?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!

    Like... NONE?!?!

    You're right Andrew we need to actually do something...

    How about this as an option... On the day that they are gonna start to implement it, we ALL park our bikes in the parks, and ALL the parks along Symonds, even car parks, and sit there with our bikes... Screw the lectures, hey it's a holiday anyway...

    So anyone keen to park up in these parks and all along Symonds st and get in their way as a protest for someone to sit up and notice??

    We can't let them take every park away from the biggest Uni in NZ?!?!?!


    How dumb are they, aren't they meant to promote biking in terms of petrol saving and easy parking.

  11. #11
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    Get in touch with BRONZ, there's nothing like an outside organisation poking its nose into uni business to get the uni concerned.
    Oh, and media attention. You might warrant a sad-motorcyclist photo on page four of the Herald, choose a nice photogenic girl.

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    seriously, if they think that removing a couple hundred motorcycle parking spaces is acceptable then they must be more retarded than I could ever imagine.

    If they are serious I suggest we get all the riders we can get and be a serious inconvenience. Park all along the footpath all along symonds, that way we get bikers + joe public to start complaining.

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    That is just crazy. A bike takes up less space than a car and emits (probably) less exhaust fumes than a car. Looks like they want everyone to start taking bus to work/uni. If only they make it free and improve the bus time......keep us inform on the progress think we need to do something..
    Don't just live to ride but ride to live.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Patar View Post
    seriously, if they think that removing a couple hundred motorcycle parking spaces is acceptable then they must be more retarded than I could ever imagine.

    If they are serious I suggest we get all the riders we can get and be a serious inconvenience. Park all along the footpath all along symonds, that way we get bikers + joe public to start complaining.
    Yep we could all choose a day where we all just park VERY inconveniently on footpaths etc, or on that "first" day of parking removal just all jam into the car parks so they can't do a thing.

    I don't know how or why they are doing this??!! Especially when only just a few months back we were at the council talking about the lack of parks around Uni and Auckland in general!

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    For BRONZ

    My understanding is that MOTORCYCLE parking in Symonds St is not affected (other tan maybe in the short term if they're planting a new tree r something).

    But I've got a call in to Tim Darby, who should be able to reliably clarify. Watch this space.
    Quote Originally Posted by skidmark
    This world has lost it's drive, everybody just wants to fit in the be the norm as it were.
    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Vincent
    The manufacturers go to a lot of trouble to find out what the average rider prefers, because the maker who guesses closest to the average preference gets the largest sales. But the average rider is mainly interested in silly (as opposed to useful) “goodies” to try to kid the public that he is riding a racer

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