Auckland Transport had their usual vague, ‘Have You Say’, on Meola Road cycleway that didn’t reach all the users of this arterial road connecting the city to the Western Motorway, or the dog walkers.
I doubt many users of Meola Reef dog park realise that ALL on street parking is being removed soon, leaving only 10 car parks (including 2 disabled) for all dog park users!
The new pay car park across the road next to MOTAT’s Aviation Hall has been designed for the ‘Precinct’ - TAPAC, Western Springs College and MOTAT, with the tram connection to their main facility and drop off to the Zoo and Western Springs Lakeside Park. It is also likely to be full of sports field users who come from all over Auckland to play soccer.
Most importantly is the Health and Safety issue in crossing the busy road with excited dogs wanting to go ‘walkies’...it is just too far away.
The new MOTAT car park is only going to be accessible from Motions Road, and not Meola Road according to MOTAT’s website.
The sensible solution is to create more car parks at the dog walking park.
By extending the existing asphalt area to the large tree and another metre at the right hand side, the area would be big enough to double the number of car parks. Approximately, 30 car parks could be developed in the grass area to the right of the current entry. The cycleway could pass on the northern side in front and a backing behind would ensure safe merging into the road traffic.
I’ve come up with a design that could cost somewhere around $180,000. This is a guesstimate based on $180/sq m of asphalt at the ‘going rate’. The 30 off-street car parks could be gravel for more permeability and lower cost, even if that is temporary.
After all the ratepayer funds Auckland Transport have spent on trials and badly designed cycleways that have required remedy and cutting down of 20 large mature trees on Meola Road, to move the road over to southern side, the least they could do is cater for dog walkers who come from miles away to use this off-leash park!
Waitematā Local Board has ‘egg on its face’ regarding destroying 15,000 natives at Western Springs at a cost of nearly $2 million and now throwing another $121,000 for a track to be used by far fewer than the number of dog walkers using this park.
And if the rumours are true that the Tūpuna Maunga Authority are planning to ban dog walking from all 14 maunga, then this park will be even more popular and this car park critical.
If only they would adopt my idea and build this car park for dog walkers.
Gael Baldock, Community Advocate