Crackdown on pavement parking in Akld.

[Squiggles]

I also raised the issue of zealous wardens ticketing for no WoF, rego, when they are there . He promised to "have a word" , and pointed out that if that happened it was only necessary to call Auckland City Council ,and they would check, and if true, cancel the ticket.

lol, agree thats bs, i got told it had to be in writing, and i had to supply the proof.

I've been taking pictures since the meeting, i shall snap a few more and send them asap, also have a few pics from in taupo and out napier way, where they have little MC bays and 2 spot parks in all the odd shapped bits, just like we want

[90s]

Latest update

Met with Mr Tomlinson and a Mr Tim Darby , the latter apparently being the guy who decides what parks where, yesterday

Very amicable meeting, Mr Tomlinson spinning like mad, and me spinning back. Mr Tomlinson is genuinely pro biker (he *claims* to be the dude that introduced the free parking in ACC parking buildings. I thought it long preceded him, but maybe before I just didn't pay). He rides a Triumph Speedmaster. A weekend warrior, but a rider none the less. And he gave *me* the spiel about bikes being good for the ecology, congestion busters etc. He's a pom by the way but we won't hold that against him.

He says that a review is in process now, which will provide a "lot" more motorcycle parking , especially in non CBD areas - eg Ponsonby rd, Parnell.

He was also receptive to bikers sending in suggestions of "odd bits of space suitable for motorcycle parking" : send them to tim.darby@aucklandcity.govt.nz (I cleared that with Mr Derby). So, over to you, if there's a good posy and you want it made legit, email the dude. Also if you have a strong opinion on where the "lots of new bike parks" should be.

He raised the subject of parking on the footpath: it's a "health and safety issue" apparently, cos little kiddies could burn their little handies on hot exhaust pipes. I knew someone would think of the children. He kept a straight face saying that, but , I think, with difficulty.

I pointed out that there was "footpath footpath" and "out of the way not in anyones way, only footpath because it's not road footpath", to which he mumbled.

In which connection, has anyone RECENTLY (ie since Decnmber) had a problem with footpath parking? I haven't and I've kept right on parking as I always have.

I also raised the issue of zealous wardens ticketing for no WoF, rego, when they are there . He promised to "have a word" , and pointed out that if that happened it was only necessary to call Auckland City Council ,and they would check, and if true, cancel the ticket.

I do not believe him, of course, but he was, I think, as straight a s a bureaucrat can be (I had a cheap corkscrew went like that once, after I tried to open a really tightly corked bottle of wine). And he is an ally in court so we will not alienate him. I shall however, nag, irritatingly. I'm very good at that.

Further input is invited.

Great work Ixion.
Strange that although he talks the talk, the revamp of some roads in Newmarket this month have removed the bike parking and made no provision for replacement (Morrow St). Also it is depressing this dialogue seems disconneted from the "learning quarter" Universities Travel Plan projects headed by ARTA to revise traffic strategy for Auckland and Universities as a whole. It is a long time since I have seen a new bike park in Auckland. Old parks are being closed. Old ones such as St Paul st. have an uncertain future, and are regularly used by cars over the weekend and wardens NEVER take action on the infringing cars. Overall there is a lot of talk about new initiatives but in fact there is service degradation.
I will happily post this to the Rt Hon T if you think its worth it, but otherwise feel free to add this to your list. I would like to attend any future BRONZ meeting on these issues if poss.

[Ixion]

Great work Ixion.
Strange that although he talks the talk, the revamp of some roads in Newmarket this month have removed the bike parking and made no provision for replacement (Morrow St). Also it is depressing this dialogue seems disconneted from the "learning quarter" Universities Travel Plan projects headed by ARTA to revise traffic strategy for Auckland and Universities as a whole. It is a long time since I have seen a new bike park in Auckland. Old parks are being closed. Old ones such as St Paul st. have an uncertain future, and are regularly used by cars over the weekend and wardens NEVER take action on the infringing cars. Overall there is a lot of talk about new initiatives but in fact there is service degradation.
I will happily post this to the Rt Hon T if you think its worth it, but otherwise feel free to add this to your list. I would like to attend any future BRONZ meeting on these issues if poss.

Universities Travel Plan - he gave me a name about that : Melanie Alexander at ACC. Should be melanie.alexander@aucklandcity.govt.nz. Apparently she is ACCs liason person for the project (it's not an ACC project).

I'll take Morrow St up with Tim Darby. It was a bike park ? And now isn't ?

BRONZ meet at The Danish Centre Rocksummit or uvver Penrose, third Wednesday of every month , 19:30 hrs. Down Mt Smart Road, left into Maurice Rd (?), by where the bad smell used to be, over the railway line, first right . All welcome.

[90s]

I'll take Morrow St up with Tim Darby. It was a bike park ? And now isn't ?

Yep - was a dedicated bike parking space marked out with room for about 4 bikes (not a big one). Road has been redeveloped totally and no park restored.

BRONZ meet at The Danish Centre Rocksummit or uvver Penrose, third Wednesday of every month , 19:30 hrs. Down Mt Smart Road, left into Maurice Rd (?), by where the bad smell used to be, over the railway line, first right . All welcome.

Thanks. That Weds the 20th then. If I can't make that one I'll get along sometime.

[Japtwin]

fully ridiculous; just asswipes

[klingon]

I've never been ticketed for parking on the footpath in Auckland. Was in Kerikeri over the summer break and got a ticket. grrrr.

[Sanx]

Yep - was a dedicated bike parking space marked out with room for about 4 bikes (not a big one). Road has been redeveloped totally and no park restored.

I didn't realise that bike park had gone. I had fond memories of it, down to the one time that me and a biker mate blocked in a parking warden who thought he could use it whilst he went and ticketed all the cages. He couldnt find a park, so he dumped his car in the bike park. I parked six inches in front of him - my mate parked six inches behind, and then we went to Columbus to watch his reaction when he came back.

He thought about moving the bikes, but when he saw us thought the better of it. We finished out coffees - sssslllloooowwwwllllyyyy - and then let him out.

[Badjelly]

Great work Ixion.
Strange that although he talks the talk, the revamp of some roads in Newmarket this month have removed the bike parking and made no provision for replacement (Morrow St).

This is the problem with talking with people on the council (any council). You talk to someone who sounds reasonable and promises to get things done. Then you find that other people on the council, who don't care (or maybe even know) that this guy exists, have been continuing on their merry way regardless.

Off topic, but related: The other day we were out on a walk and found a bunch of mountain bikers building this neat-looking downhill track right through the middle of a local dog exercise area. We had a friendly chat, they said they had council backing, etc. (I'm an ex-dog owner and an ex-MTBer so I can see this both ways.) Next day my wife had a friendly chat with the person in charge of dog exercise areas (possibly not the most sought-after job n council). He hadn't even heard of this thing. They build a mountain-bike track through the middle of a dog exercise area and they don't even think of mentioning it to the guy in charge of dog exercise areas!

By the way, my wife played down the problems bikes might cause dogs and played up the problems the dogs might cause bikes, expecially bikes with children on them. It's always a good idea to think of the children!

Anyway, I'm guessing that being in charge of motorcycle parking ranks only slightly ahead of being in charge of dog exercise areas on most councils. I have an image of the motorcycle parking guy sitting in a little, sparsely furnished room with the dog exercise guy, wondering why noone else ever speaks to them.

Come to think of it ... are there any dog exercise areas that could be turned into motorcycle parks?

[The Pastor]

ixion, is it derby or darby? you put darby in the email, and refer to him as derby in your posts.

[Ixion]

It's Darby. I assumed it was spelled Derby, but when I read his card I see it is tim.darby

[chrispy121]

yeah a guy in the bike shop told me about this too
all of the bikes parked in car parks and the ban lased two days before the council allowed the bikes to use the foot path again.
about 40% of commuting vehicles in Melbourne are bikes

[twotyred]

yeah a guy in the bike shop told me about this too
all of the bikes parked in car parks and the ban lased two days before the council allowed the bikes to use the foot path again.
about 40% of commuting vehicles in Melbourne are bikes

Brilliant! this is what needs to be done in Hellington!

[BevanPT]

I've been parking in this spot outside my office in High St since October last year. In the past 2 weeks I've received 2 infringement notices - the first for failing to display a parking receipt, and the second for breaching the maximum time (a bit of leeway by the parking warden).

I cornered the warden yesterday to ask what the story was - 5 months parking in the same spot with no issues until now. Apparently they've been told to crackdown on "nuisance" motorcycles. WTF!

I consider the pay and display area to start at the white lines, he reckons it starts at the signpost. I said the bloody sign's in the wrong place then.

He did say to challenge the system and write a letter. I did that in October last year for a car issue and it took the council 4 months to reply.

At a time when we should be encouraging emmission reducing, congestion reducing vehicles and the council's getting all pedantic on motorcycles. It seems a bit ridiculous to me.

[fireball]

i agree with you, the timed parked area is indeed the marked carpark and as your bike is not in a "park" using council space fuck them.
contest it and good luck mate!

[Finn]

The council needs your money to help pay for my house repairs. So thank you Bevan, you just bought me a slab of Jib.

You may think I'm joking but ACC are faced with a HUGE bill for leaky building repairs. Add to this their MASSIVE waste of ratepayers money on inefficiencies and incompetence and quite simply, they're short of cash.

It's got nothing to do with motorcycles.

Talking of waste... http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10493621 And this is to celebrate a project that cost 3 times more than it should have and it's still ugly.