I don't know how many commuters from the central hill suburbs and from Kaikorai Valley Rd use Stuart St and London St to get to their places of work each day, but my picking is that the numbers would be substantial.
I believe the Dunedin City Council also thinks it is a major route for commuters as well.
The council has ensured the entry into Stuart St from Kaikorai Valley Road is as smooth as can be handled, and then it is dual lane all the way down to London St, where entry is also assisted by give way signs rather than lights.
In the winter, London St is one of the main thoroughfares that is gritted or has ice treatment.
Up until recently, this flow of traffic at morning peak times was assisted by a clearway that operated on the northern side of London St between Filleul St and the intersection of George St.
A few motorists ignored the clearway, which was clearly marked, and as a result were either ticketed or towed.
The dual lanes approaching the lights at George St divided up to service the big employers of Otago University and Dunedin Hospital.
All seemed to be fine and dandy.
Enter some fresh thinking from the DCC to be introduced at the same time as the new parking strategy.
Someone decided to remove the clearway signs.
The immediate effect was to create an obstruction in this traffic flow.
A single car parked on the downhill side of London St in morning peak time now turned what was a dual lane approaching the lights to a single lane.
So I did what any sensible citizen would do and sent in a "fix it" message to the DCC and suggested that they reinstate the clearway to operate at peak times in the morning.
My message was not responded to, so I followed it up and spoke to one of the customer service staff, after which the matter was referred to a senior traffic engineer.
It was then escalated to a senior manager of the DCC, who informed me that the clearway was removed because motorists were ignoring it.
This opens up a completely new way of thinking about how to manage city parking.
I asked this senior manager several questions, such as why the clearway was there in the first place; the rationale for removing it because of disobedience; and whether this strategy is being considered for other decisions being made.
I have asked him for information that would show whether decisions were being made as a result of measurements of traffic flows/rates of congestion etc.
In total, I asked 10 quite simple, non-controversial questions.
The response was to refer my questions to yet another senior manager and use the provisions of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act to respond.
My questions, or at least nine of the 10, were answered by this senior manager in a friendly manner just inside the mandatory 20 working days required under the Act.
Commuters will no doubt be interested to know that:
1. The clearway on London St was put in place in March 2001 to provide an extra lane at peak times to stop traffic coming up to the lights at the intersection of George St backing up to Filleul St.
2. Establishment of the clearway clearly obviated this backup of traffic as the clearway operated from March 2001 to June 2009.
3. In the period of July 2008 to June 2009, a total of 361 cars were either ticketed or towed from the clearway.
4. Observations were said to have been made prior to the abolishing of the clearway and after it was abolished, but no measurements were taken and nor do any reports exist that show what these observations were and who undertook them.
5. It was decided, by whom and on what basis is entirely unclear, that the clearway would be removed.
6. It is the intention of the DCC to shift the centre line of the road to allow parking on both sides of the street, and permanent dual lanes on the northern side and a single lane on the southern or uphill side.
However, it is not clear that traffic turning from southern George St to London St will be able to undertake this turn after the centre line is shifted, nor is it clear that the width of London St is sufficient to allow this plan. The option of reinstating the clearway is not an option, it seems.
In the really big scheme of things, the London St clearway is not going to change the ways of the world.
But the process that has been followed shows a culture, a way of working, an attitude that should no longer be tolerated.
• Russell Garbutt is a Dunedin ratepayer.
