Auckland Transport (AT) wants to introduce several parking changes for the Ponsonby area to meet high demand for on-street parking during the day and evening.
“Around 20,000 vehicles travel along Ponsonby Road every day and many drivers are also looking to park on the road, or as close to it as possible, including during the evening,” says AT’s Andrew McGill, Group Manager of Transport Network, Planning & Policy.
“There are more than 60 businesses along Ponsonby Road that are open in the evening too, and I’m sure their owners would appreciate more parking spaces for their customers.
“Ponsonby’s narrow residential streets are also very popular parking locations, but this popularity can create problems for local residents who want to park close to their homes, many of which don’t have off street parking.
“We need to manage many competing demands for limited road space and we’re seeking your feedback on how we can better manage parking, improve safety, and support access while staying true to Ponsonby’s unique identity,” he says.
What are the main changes being proposed for Ponsonby?
- Introduce some paid parking on streets near Ponsonby Road to improve parking turnover and improve access to local businesses. Costs will remain the same for the area at $2.50 an hour for the first two hours.
- Introduce evening paid parking to ensure everyone can enjoy Ponsonby’s popular nightlife. We’re planning to extend paid parking from 6pm to 9pm on Thursdays to Saturdays in busy streets within the central part of Ponsonby.
- Extend the Resident Parking Zone (RPZ) to include Kelmarna Avenue and Buller Street, to prevent commuter parking from limiting access for residents.
Why paid parking in the evening?
“Currently, parking in Ponsonby during the evening is a bit of a free-for-all,” Andrew McGill says.
“Some residential side streets off Ponsonby Road are being clogged with people looking for a free park as they head into the many restaurants that are open.
“It’s these streets along with Ponsonby Road that we are proposing to introduce evening paid parking to. This will make parking much fairer and bring some relief to local residents who need to park on these side streets too.
“We’re also aware of many vehicles that are often parked on Friday evenings in Ponsonby and left there until Saturday or even Sunday without repercussions. The weekend is also very busy for parking, and this further takes up precious parking space for others.”
Some help for Ponsonby Road’s eateries delivery drivers
Ponsonby Road is a popular area for eateries, with thousands of meals picked up every day by Uber Eats drivers and other rideshare delivery services.
“As it stands, these drivers must take their chances for parking, often forced to stop on broken yellow lines or double-parking which can be dangerous, especially in bad weather,” Andrew McGill says.
“AT wants to introduce 10-minute pick up and drop off spaces specifically for this purpose at key locations along Ponsonby Road and make it easier to find a park for meal delivery drivers.”
E-scooter corrals to make the footpaths safer
Andrew McGill says it’s time to finally tidy up Ponsonby’s e-scooters.
“We’ve had complaints from business owners about how e-scooters are often left strewn across the footpath on Ponsonby Road, causing a hazard for the public.
“AT wants to introduce specific spaces for e-scooters to be gathered together for use on Ponsonby Road. These e-scooter corrals should end the scooter free-for-all that is currently blighting footpaths.”
Ponsonby Road is a hot spot for parking infringements
Ponsonby Road is constantly in the top three roads in Auckland for parking infringements.
AT’s Head of Transport Parking and Compliance, Rick Bidgood, says over 12,000 parking infringements have already been issued to vehicles along Ponsonby Road so far this year.
“That is a huge number. This is a space not being used as it was designed for.
“Parkers in Ponsonby are taking a risk with their choices, and we’re seeing that most people we issue parking infringements to in Ponsonby simply aren’t paying for parking at all. The standard fine for this infringement is $70. That is a lot of spare change, I am sure most people would like to see that stay in their pocket,” he says.
“We really want to encourage drivers in Ponsonby to use the AT Park app and pay for their parking by the minute. Our main focus is for fair and reasonable access to that very limited on street parking resource. Fair access for everyone.”
Rick Bidgood says while Ponsonby Road is always in the top three areas for parking infringements, nearby residential side streets are getting up there as well.
“We’re seeing hundreds of parking infringements being issued to vehicles on side streets each month such as Brown, Cowan, John, and Lincoln Streets.
“This tells us timed and paid parking spaces are not being used fairly. The spaces are being used incorrectly by a few people, many of whom don’t even bother to pay. These end up being some pretty expensive parking choices,” he says.
“Parking is not only about staying, but also about moving people and goods, fairly. Let’s be community-wise, respect that others may want to use the space as well.
“We welcome these proposed parking changes and believe they will have a meaningful effect on making parking in Ponsonby fairer and more accessible for all.”
How can you have your say on the future of Ponsonby’s parking?
AT invites you to provide feedback on the proposed changes in Ponsonby at akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Feedback is open until 1 December 2025.
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