Parking Review team putting in the hours

The group set up by the Council to review the implementation of the city’s new Parking Strategy has been working its way through a mountain of public comment, business reaction and research data.

Already city motorists and retailers have seen a reduction to the maximum stay areas in George and Princes Streets, and an increase in the number of designated short-stay Loading Zone spaces but now the Working Party, in a series of four three hour meetings has heard from representatives of a wider range of commercial user groups.

These include the city’s Road Transport Forum representing goods and service vehicle users, the Automobile Association and the city’s main bus operators.

In addition the Working Party has co-opted Otago Chamber of Commerce CEO, John Christie, to ensure city retailers get their sometimes conflicting views acknowledged.

Working Party chairman, Cr Syd Brown, reports that four sub-committees have been established to examine specific areas of concern.

“We identified a need to give particular regard to Loading Zones, short-term parking and request for change; to tariffs, parking buildings, off-street parking, long-term stays and innovative ideas for the most effective use of the existing parking resource; the allocation of bus stops; and an on-going oversight of parking’s impact on the city’s economy.”

The Working Party is also being guided by data from both independently conducted face-to-face central city interviews with road users and by the electronic print-out from new meters showing levels and patterns of use.

Cr Brown says “We will cross-reference an analysis of this data with the provisions of the Parking Strategy and this will allow us to make recommendations for fine-tuning where we believe that would be justified and helpful.”

The Working Party expects to receive reports from the four sub-committees by the end of October and for their recommendations to be presented to an extraordinary meeting of the full Council early in November.

“Whatever the outcome of our work we expect any further changes to the way the Parking Strategy is implemented to be in place well before the Christmas shopping period bringing relief and certainty to road users and retailers alike,” said Cr Brown.

Members of the Parking Strategy Review Working Party:

• Crs Brown (chair) Acklin, Guest, Noone
• A representative of the community, Professor Herbert Harris, a transport expert
• Conway Powell, representing the Otago Chamber of Commerce
• David Ojala, representing the University of Otago
• Sonja Dillon, representing Otago Health Board
• John Christie (co-opted) CEO, Otago Chamber of Commerce