Community fight against the Northern Corridor downstream effects

Mark from Mairehau

Please support St Albans residents make a stand at council by being there with us. This Thursday at the public meeting, 9am Council Chambers level 2 council building Hereford St.
We need numbers to make a statement.
On Thursday 14 Feb council will be receiving/endorsing (who knows) the review of the draft plan for the downstream effects of Northern Arterial Corridor. The review by an independent traffic engineer imbedded with the council team is a 122 page comprehensive piece of work focussed almost entirely on getting cars through St Albans to town and back out again. the outcome of the review was much the same as the initial draft plan focussing on funneling cars from point A to point B and back again rather than looking at how to move people efficiently. In light of the current climate (both atmospherically and politically) the residents of St Albans, Edgeware, Mairehau, Christchurch central, and other affected areas are disappointed and disillusioned with the lack of vision and genuine engagement of the council with the community in finding better outcomes for all with the down stream effects of the new motorway.
A petition which has been circulated through the community and currently sits at around 2350 supporters. The title of the petition is
'We oppose the proposed changes to Cranford Street and the surrounding area and demand other options are explored'
It supports alternatives to more cars on the roads, public transport, park and ride, high occupancy vehicles, not the projected 90% single occupant commuter traffic passing through 5 times a week.
It supports real community engagement with clear, open and honest dialogue with the affected community, businesses, residents, schools, clubs, organistaions, etc
It supports real representation by the community board and city councilors, not the attitude of 'we didnt want it but its here now so we just have to make the roads bigger'.
We have tried to present this petition to the councilors who will vote on the final plan in the not too distant future. The first attempt, we presented it to the community board and requested it be presented to the council, as we were informed was the process when submitting a petition, the outcome was the petition (at that stage 600 signatures) was given to the independent traffic engineer and consultation team to include in the engagement documents as a footnote essentially. The petition was not presented to council by the chair of the community board during the community report, "but might have been mentioned to the council during the informal before the meeting proper".
Fast forward 8 months and now the petition has 2350 signatures and the council have said we cant directly present/submit it to the councilors as the plan it opposes is up for consultation.
We intend to go to council on Thursday morning and present it, we need the elected councilors who are going to vote on this plan to know the community will not sit by and allow this ill conceived plan with no thought for our future generations split our community in two.
Please support us make a stand at council by being there with us. This Thursday at the public meeting, 9am Council Chambers level 2 council building Hereford St.
We need numbers to make a statement.