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Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street, Greenlane – P120 Parking and Broken Yellow Lines Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street, Greenlane – P120 Parking and Broken Yellow Lines

Proposal status: Closed

Reference number: RTV-489​

Proposal outcome

In June 2023, we proposed parking changes on Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street.

We proposed the changes in response to requests from residents to alleviate long-term parking issues. The objective was to improve parking availability on these streets with high parking demand and create a balance between the parking needs of residents, business employees, customers, and train commuters.

In an attempt to do so, we proposed restrictions for only one side of Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street.

After reviewing all the feedback we received, we have decided not to proceed with the proposed parking changes. 

Community feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge. A summary of your feedback and our responses to community questions is below.

Impact on employees or business

Concerned there will be inadequate unrestricted parking for nearby employees/businesses
Concerns regarding additional costs to workers, as they will need to pay for parking nearby. Concerned that public transport is not a viable alternative for workers who need to drive to work and would be negatively impacted by the change (including shift workers). Employees have the option of driving, frequent bus services along Great South Road, and a nearby train station. 

Concerned the restrictions could impact access to business and services in the area On most of Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street, parking is free and unrestricted. Our observations of how parking is used are of all-day parking for staff and by car dealers. 

The time restrictions we proposed would have provided business customers with more parking options, as it would have encouraged regular parking turnover, improving availability.

Impact on residents

Concerned there will be inadequate unrestricted parking for residents, particularly for residents who don't have access to off-street parking 
Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street are residential streets but intersect with Great South Road, a busy arterial road with mainly commercial activity. It is a mixed-use zone, making it challenging to balance the different needs of residents, business employees, customers, and train commuters.

Concerned with the lack of parking for people visiting residents
The proposed restrictions would have benefited visitors, as time restrictions promote parking turnover and improve availability.

P120 time limit is considered sufficient for short visits, and overnight and weekend visits would not be affected, as the restriction was Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. 

General concerns about the proposal 

Concerned that the change is unnecessary or wouldn't benefit the community
The proposed changes aimed to prevent vehicles from parking for the entire day. The time restriction was to promote parking turnover and availability. It would also reduce illegal parking by drivers blocking residential driveways. 

Concerned the intent of changes is to generate money only (such as through fines)  The proposal responded to community requests AT received within the last couple of years and aimed to address parking issues at this location. Fines are issued for non-compliance with the road user rule and to discourage inappropriate parking behaviours, such as blocking driveways.

Concerned the change will make parking more difficult, as the existing parking supply is already limited 
Our roads and streets are under increasing pressure and have to cater for a wider variety of needs. We need to manage the transport system in a way that helps Aucklanders meet their needs while recognising that we have finite space.

The parking system is a key part of the overall transport system and needs to be carefully managed so that our roads can carry as many people and goods as possible. We also need to ensure parking is available in our communities for those who need it.

Parking restriction is a proven method used for the effective management of high parking demand. 

Concerned that a reduced number of unrestricted parking spaces may encourage people to park inappropriately or illegally (including on Morrin Street and Wapole Street)
Inappropriate and illegal parking has been reported from these streets. Providing more short-stay parking would have helped reduce this type of behaviour.  

Concerned with broken yellow lines reducing available parking space
The proposed broken yellow lines (BYL) were placed on corners where vehicles were parked illegally and blocking visibility for pedestrians and other drivers. Drivers were also parking over pedestrian crossings, an illegal parking behaviour. 

In addition, BYL were proposed for the cul-de-sac of Wairakei Street, as vehicles are parking at an angle, which is illegal. 

Concerned the restrictions are unnecessary, as vehicles leave halfway through the day
Our investigations did not pick up on this trend. Instead, we observed that most drivers stayed parked all day.

Concerned it will reduce availability of nearby parking for people who visit the New Zealand Tsi Ming temple 
We are not proceeding with the parking proposal. Parking will remain as is.

Concerned it would impact non-residents who park and ride to work in the area
This is a mixed residential and commercial area, and we do not aim to prioritise park and ride. 

Suggestions to improve the proposal

Provide residents with a parking permit or exception to restrictions
We have moved to a broader approach of Residential Parking Zones (RPZ), which are primarily designed for city fringe areas such as Ponsonby and Saint Marys Bay, where several heritage properties either do not have off-street parking or have limited provision on the property.

Since most properties on Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street have off-street parking, we have no plans at this time to consider this area for an RPZ. We also take a thoughtful approach to enabling an RPZ, mainly as roads are public assets and are to be shared by all Aucklanders. 

Provide staff from local businesses with a parking permit or exception to restrictions
Auckland’s roads are public assets and are to be shared by all Aucklanders. Employees have the option of driving, frequent bus services along Great South Road, and a nearby train station. 

To ensure that parking is managed in the right way, for the benefit of all Aucklanders and the region itself, we have developed Room to Move: Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Parking Strategy 2023, to replace the 2015 AT Parking Strategy. Read more about the Strategy.

Increase parking supply in the area by:

Removing the road-narrowing gardens. Repainting the general area to provide a more efficient parking arrangement.
White limit lines, marked approximately 1 metre from either side of the vehicle crossing, are to prevent vehicles from parking too close to vehicle crossings. They also guide motorists to the appropriate place to park.  

Adding the unmarked space outside 18 Woodbine Avenue
The unmarked space outside 16/18 Woodbine Avenue was to be marked when the proposed changes were installed. As this proposal is no longer going ahead, it will have to be programmed with other work in the area.

Make both sides of the street P120, except for residents
The proposal to apply time restrictions on one side of the street was consistent with the approach that AT uses in such areas across the region. The objective was to improve parking availability on these streets with high parking demand and to create balance between different parking needs. So, the restrictions were proposed only on one side.

Provide accessible off-street parking or other alternative parking for workers
The benefits of increasing the existing public parking supply need to be weighed against the considerable consenting, capital, and operational costs that new parking facilities would incur.

AT is committed to an approach to parking management and supply that is sustainable in the long term. Our focus is on promoting the efficient use of the existing public parking resource in the first instance.

Auckland’s roads are public assets and are to be shared by all Aucklanders. Employees have the option of driving, frequent bus services along Great South Road and a nearby train station. 

Regular monitoring by parking wardens, to ensure people follow time restrictions
Enforcement of the existing parking restriction can be requested by contacting AT. If the proposal had gone ahead, we would have scheduled enforcement for the first few weeks to ensure compliance and a change in parking behaviour.

AT expects to monitor any area with parking interventions on a regular basis. 

Request for no changes to the existing broken yellow lines, especially around the car dealership and in between and outside 10 Wairakei Street due to visibility concerns
There will be no change to the BYL. The above proposal was to add BYL to the corner and the cul-de-sac, not to remove the existing.

We're proposing improvements in your area

In response to community requests, we are proposing parking changes on Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street. These changes aim to improve parking availability and support safer parking for everyone.

We are proposing to:

  • Introduce P120 (2-hour time restricted parking) on the inner side of Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street. This would apply from Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm.
  • Paint broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) around the corners of the Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street intersection and on the Wairakei street cul-de-sac.

Download the proposal drawing for Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street (PDF 469KB)

We’ve heard from the community that the unrestricted parking on Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street is used for all-day parking. We’ve investigated and found that the high demand for parking in this area makes it difficult for people to find a place to park. This has also resulted in unsafe and illegal parking in the area.

Time-restricted parking on one side of the street and broken yellow lines would: 

  • Improve short-term parking opportunities for people visiting nearby homes and shops.
  • Provide an option for people who need to park for a longer period of time.
  • Prevent people from parking around corners, making it easier for drivers to see clearly when turning in and out of the Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street intersection.

Greenlane: Safe with us

Auckland Transport cares for your safety. We want to make our roads safe for everyone, people walking and cycling, especially for our kids and senior citizens and people driving. Projects like this one around Woodbine Avenue and Wairakei Street are another step towards our goal of achieving no deaths or serious injuries on our roads. We are guided by the Vision Zero approach to transport safety, which prioritises human safety over other measures (like minor time saving).