Mayor seeks e-mobility clarity

Auckland mayor-elect Wayne Brown is asking Auckland Transport to work with the Auckland Council, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and all Aucklanders to clarify and communicate rules governing the use of footpaths, cycle lanes, bus lanes and roads by pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooters, skateboarders and other users.

For safety reasons, he wants the initiative underway before the new school year and, if possible, prior to Christmas and the summer holidays.

Getting rid of “unnecessary road cones and road closures” is also part of a new programme led by Brown.

He has written to Auckland Transport’s acting chair Wayne Donnelly seeking “a complete change in approach” in how the council-controlled organisation operates.

Brown says removing unnecessary road cones and road closures would involve not just AT but other public- and private-sector organisations as part of a ‘Clean Up Auckland’ initiative.

“I expect AT to take full account of the social and economic disruption of its traffic management approach, which should be risk-based and proportionate,” Brown says.

“Much stronger coordination, and scrutiny, is needed when it comes to the timing of roadworks. This will require working with utility providers including in the private sector.”

In the letter, Brown says AT have used transport policy and services as a tool to change how Aucklanders live.

“Instead, AT must seek to deeply understand how Aucklanders actually live now, how they want to live in the future, and deliver transport services that support those aspirations.

“Aucklanders do not always have the choice of using an e-bike, a bus or even a train but rely on the roading and carparking networks to make their life functional,” Brown says.

He says local boards must be more closely involved in decisions about the design and delivery of smaller-scale capital projects in their area and the provision of on-street and off-street parking.

Brown also spoke at a public meeting on October 19 called by the Future-Kumeu steering group of like-minded businesspeople to consider a new “flood-proof” Kumeu-Huapai town centre, where he mentioned the letter.

He says some things he aims to institute will have a big impact on Northwest Auckland, adding that it’s a growth area.

Brown indicated he’d like to see more freight on heavy rail, the Northern line running through the Northwest region, possibly linking with an inland port which included a proposed one at Taupaki.

He’s already said he wants Ports of Auckland land freed up for public use, perhaps by shifting port operations elsewhere.