TRAMS FOR PONSONBY

The time has come to look again at the possibility of trams for Ponsonby. The idea is not new and was explored in Ponsonby News several years ago. Nothing has been done.

Trams in the Wynyard Quarter was an Auckland Regional Authority legacy project pushed hard by Lee. He became very frustrated with the delays and obfuscations of the bureaucrats who seemed to have a million reasons why it shouldn’t happen. It did happen, but a series of mishaps, including overpricing and road reconstructions, held the project up before it got going again. However, it has never reached Britomart, let alone ventured up Queen Street or College Hill to Ponsonby. Read more about Mike Lee’s transport proposals in his column in this issue of Ponsonby News.

There was even the bizarre suggestion that trams would not get up Queen Street or College Hill. Back in the 1950s before city fathers in their wisdom killed off trams, they went up those hills every 10 minutes or so.

Despite public opposition, trams were stopped in 1956. Not only was rolling stock sold off but the 72 kilometres of track was ripped out, as if city fathers were determined trams would never return.

At first Mike Lee was not a supporter of trams to Ponsonby, but he’s changed his mind. He says a modest start would be to set up a line from the end of Jervois Road, into and along Ponsonby Road to Karangahape Road and then to the top of Queen Street,
and return. This would be a huge tourist attraction and a link with the city centre. The line could be extended next down Queen Street to Britomart and finally up College Hill to Ponsonby and to a terminus at the end of Jervois Road.

Auckland Transport told Ponsonby News they have no plans for that, and they asserted that there were ample bus services from Ponsonby to the city. It’s not about commuters necessarily. It’s about tourists, shoppers and fun. Since when has fun been a crime? Imagine trams like they have in San Francisco - a terrific attraction.

Our local MP, Nikki Kaye is also supportive of trams to Ponsonby. She wrote to Mayor Len Brown in 2011, with copies to Auckland Transport, urging them to investigate the merits of a tram link to Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, and Karangahape Road. Kaye pointed out that trams have a modern and international appeal.

I was disappointed to read ‘the transport blog’, criticising Nikki Kaye’s idea, and to hear the party political stuff, rather than solid transport arguments. The article by Joshua Arbury, with comments from Brian Rudman, was viciously partisan. It is a good reason to oppose party politics at local body level. Ideas should be put forward on their merits, not because they are put forward by a favoured politician of a favoured party.

Whether contributors to ‘the transport blog’ like Rudman, Patrick Reynolds and others who attacked Kaye’s idea as party politics, pandering to her Auckland Central constituents, have changed their mind since 2011 is unclear. Rudman described Kaye’s view as “seizing on the sexiness of ‘heritage’ to her villa dwelling constituents”, and said her idea was “a nostalgic trip down some dead-end tram track”.

Patrick R, who I assume is Patrick Reynolds, was also blunt in his assessment of Nikki Kaye’s proposal as “a bit of PT wash”, “duplicious” and “Nikki and her party of small town bullies”.

Nikki Kaye has always been on record as supporting the inner city rail link. I was pleased to see Geoff Houtman inject some common decency into the debate, defending Nikki Kaye, and stating that she was the only politcian from any party to support trams to Ponsonby.

In conclusion, I think trams around the inner city, whatever the configuration, would be a good idea.

We need further robust consultation, without party political wrangling, to assess the viability of reinstating trams back around Auckland suburbs. Ponsonby News invites anyone who has an opinion to email us and put your case for or against.

I used to come to Auckland from my home in Whangarei for school holidays and stay with my grandmother in Royal Oak. I have fond memories of the sound of trams rattling down Manukau Road, near my grandmother’s home, in the 1950s, and of riding around Auckland on the trams, several times to the zoo - clackedy clack, clackedy clack - exciting for a kid. Trams in Ponsonby would be equally exciting, and good for business. (JOHN ELLIOTT)