AT assured 3 Cross St building owners that their K Rd service lane is no longer being narrowed by a southern side footpath; nor being constricted at Mercury Lane intersection; and no humps will be installed, so it will be accessible for the trucks and forklifts supplying the supermarket and commercial buildings. When I presented this to the AT Board with an owner, Chair Richard Leggat voiced his delight, until I pointed out that such glaring, money-wasting mistakes should never have occurred in a professional design.
Despite or in spite of the petition by 250 K Rd business owners and managers, AT is still insistent on charging the direction of Mercury Lane uphill. A misdirected email has revealed AT’s future deceptive intention to pedestrianise the top area contrary to massive feedback against it, resulting in an assurance that won’t happen. There are also changes afoot for East Street that may include a direction change and would therefore require the removal of the cycle lane.
After 4 years, K Rd finally has its public toilets. Against the wishes of 250 petitioners, it is located on Mercury Lane. Because the street is too steep for mobility impaired people there is a ramp for disabled and wheelchair access to the first toilet. The second toilet is accessed via 3 steps. The handrails do not appear to make these access safe. There will be public toilets at the CRL stations at the top and bottom of the hill within 2 years. Will AT move this toilet block then?
Ponsonby is experiencing the same loss of public toilets with the development of PoP that has closed off access to the Pompallier St public carpark.
Gael Baldock
GaelB@xtra.co.nz
