Devonport commuters could be leaving cars at home

A North Shore City Council survey of parking around the Devonport ferry wharf has shown many all day spaces are taken up by local drivers who could be walking, cycling or catching a bus.

The parking survey, conducted between November and May, is one of several studies being conducted on the Devonport Peninsula by the council to help formulate parking policies for the area.

"According to our survey, 82 cars parked all day near the ferry wharf were registered to addresses less than 1km away - an easy 10 to 15 minute walk," North Shore City's transport planning manager, Graeme Read, says.

"Some of these cars belong to people who live in the area, who are just parked outside their houses. But others belong to people who are choosing to drive a very short distance to the wharf and park to catch the ferry, when they could easily be walking or cycling."

Many more cars were registered to addresses within 400m of a bus stop that had a ferry feeder service, the study found. Ferry feeder buses are timed to coincide with each Devonport ferry sailing.

"In total, 355 cars were registered to addresses that were either within 1km of the ferry wharf, or within 400m of a ferry feeder bus," Mr Read said.

"While everyone's circumstances are different, and some people may have to drive, we need to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and look at other options for getting to the ferry or Devonport central.

"More people walking, cycling and catching the bus means healthier people, less pollution, less traffic congestion, and easier parking for people who really need it."

The survey also found almost nine out of ten people questioned in Devonport had found a car park within two minutes, but the business community is calling for more parking to be provided.

"We found 65 per cent of the 207 people we surveyed were satisfied with the provision of parking in Devonport," Mr Read said.

"However, interviews with 110 business owners found only 49 per cent provided parking for staff or customers, and 63 per cent saw a need for additional parking."

The information gained from the parking surveys and interviews have been used to develop draft Devonport parking policies and a draft implementation plan. We will be consulting the public on the policies and plan in coming months.

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