Grey Lynn motorway to bridge next step: 2

Oh dear, oh dear... The Auckland City Council has backed the Waterview motorway option. Grey Lynn connexion to the bridge here we come!

As I said in the earlier post: Transit has a hidden agenda in pushing for the Waterview link to the Pt Chev. interchange - to get a motorway to the bridge. The Herald says:

"One councillor, Glenda Fryer, accused Transit NZ of holding a gun to the city's head by announcing to a closed workshop yesterday afternoon that there would either be a Waterview route or no route at all. The council voted 16-3 to support in principle the Waterview option...

Deputy Mayor Bruce Hucker opposed an amendment put by fellow City Vision/Labour team member Leila Boyle to delay a decision until March to allow community consultation... He said the boards of both Transit and Government funding agency Land Transport NZ had voted to link State Highway 20 to the Northwestern Motorway via Waterview."

That's right everyone, bar three people, have caved in to Transit's scare tactics. The road lobbyists and their supporters (the C&R Now bloc) couldn't care less where it goes or even how much it costs as long as it is NOW! NOW! NOW!.

This decision is based on strong-arming by Transit and non-disclosure of the real reasons they prefer the route. So they will destroy the Oakley Creek gully and then as soon as it's finished they will say a link through Western Springs/Grey Lynn/Westmere/Herne Bay is logical to build, must be built, has to be built - and the whole process of destroying the city's remaining open areas begins again. If they were honest we could plan for the whole thing now. But of course the planners know that if they tell the truth there will be opposition from all these suburbs that will be affected in the unwritten stage 2 and that might scuttle their idea. I hope the Western Bays Councillors weren't dumb enough to vote for it.