Our 2014 prize for perseverance goes to Rudy from West Auckland. The award is made because of his superb campaign to defend the new Portage Rd cycle lane from cars, which saw the lane as an easy parking place.
Over a series of months Rudy reported the problem to AT’s action line and copied me at Cycle Action. He advised the only way to fix the problem was to paint yellow dashed ‘no parking’ lines. AT resisted his advice, and after some delay sent out its parking officers, who issued tickets to the offenders, but this simply brought a new crop of parked cars to occupy the lane.
We really appreciate his initiative in reporting the complaint and copying his message to Cycle Action. This allows us to stay in touch with local issues while we focus on the high level work of lobbying for more cycling $$, as well as vetting and pushing along more projects.
Rudy was super patient in repeatedly updating the situation to the action line people, noting the waste of staff time and money AT was incurring.
Reason eventually prevailed with AT – just before Xmas Rudy and the Portage Rd cycle lane got yellow dashed lines.
Rudy understands that we tend to get more co-operation when we give bouquets to our colleagues – hence he was generous, ( albeit delightfully ironic) in expressing his thanks to AT –
‘I am now the proud parent of a bright new broken yellow line and I would like to show you how much joy it has brought into my life. Last week my life was one of frustration, with un-returned phone calls, ignored e-mails and up to 20 cars parked in my cycle lane. With the birth of my new BYL, on Wednesday evening the legal carparking was FULL but my cycle lane was CLEAR, not one car!!!!!!!!! Can you believe it, who ever said that car drivers don’t respect the BYL.
One minor point, there was a few bits missing off my new baby. Outside No 183-185 Portage Rd, you have left a small opportunity for one car to park in a very dangerous position. In the photo attached you can see a BYL that stops 10M before the crossing where the cycle lane exits the footpath which is only just past the roundabout at Golf Rd. If a car parks in this position it creates a hazard at a point in the road where it narrows, has a double yellow line in the center, and is an entry, exit point for the cycle lane, in close proximity to a busy roundabout, surely a recipe for disaster! Please find photos attached of last Wednesday (cars in cycle lane), this week, a clear cycle lane with a BYL and the danger point at 183-185.
Looking forward to seeing this little problem sorted and enjoying a relaxed cycle in my new and much safer cycle lane.’
Don’t you love it! Take a bow, Rudy. You’re a star, with impressive patience, good humour and communication skills.