20 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland 1010
Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Phone 09 355 3553
Website www.AT.govt.nz
12 March 2024
Cole Maguire
[FYI request #25788 email]
The information you requested – CAS-863373-T1Z6K1
Kia ora Cole,
Thank You for your correspondence dated 19 February 2024, requesting information about enforcement of
the Queen Street EVA lane, for the period 20.3.23 to 31.12.23.
Background to the lane
Media release from 2022-AT’s pragmatic approach for enforcing Queen Street’s new special vehicle lane
The council group team are continuing to work collaboratively to deliver the City Centre Masterplan vision,
for the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley to be a people-focused place and a low emissions area. The
construction work on the street is now complete and project information can be found here: Progress AKL:
Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project -https://progressakl.co.nz/projects/wai-horotiu-queen-street-project/
The Essential Vehicle Area (EVA) has been introduced to help direct discretionary traffic away from Queen
Street, while still supporting goods and services delivery. We ran a comprehensive education marketing
campaign from the end of June 2022 to inform users of the upcoming changes for the EVA and explain that
alternative routes are available.
The lane is resolved as a Bus and Goods Vehicle lane and
Goods Vehicle is defined by the Land Transport
(Road User Rule) 2004 section 1.6;
goods vehicle means a motor vehicle that is—
(a) designed exclusively or principally for the carriage of goods; or
(b) used for the collection or delivery of goods in the course of trade
The Parking Compliance team actively monitored the use of the EVA lane. The ongoing monitoring indicated
that the number of non-compliant vehicles were significantly higher than first anticipated. As a result, a
decision was made to introduce additional signage and increase our marketing efforts to encourage
discretionary vehicle users to take alternative routes. We also wanted to ensure that non-compliant users
have had the opportunity to receive a warning letter, prior to live infringements being issued.
The education campaign from the end of June 2022, prior to the start of the warning period included the
below:
• An educational video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zane-BdrONo). The educational video has a
sign language version and can also be viewed at www.at.govt.nz/betterwaydriving, which has been used in
all outgoing marketing and communication campaigns
• QR code on coffee cup lids at 12 local coffee places in the city centre
• 40 static and digital street furniture panels were installed in the area around the EVA lane
• Flyers were produced and distributed around the city centre, including to event venues and Heart of the
City
• Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) placed on the SH16 alerted motorists to the change. Google Maps are
providing alternative routes to drivers on their mapping tools.
A second phase of the marketing campaign ran from 27 July 2022 with radio advertising, Timesaver Traffic
messaging and targeted social media.
Additional signage and marketing, was put in place from 13 August 2022 and included:
• A large advance direction sign was installed on Queen Street on the northbound approach to Mayoral Drive.
This will direct traffic to appropriate routes using Mayoral Drive.
• Half page ad ran in the NZ Herald
On 6 September 2022, a mobile variable message sign (VMS, electronic sign) was placed at either approach
to the EVA. It was left in place until 7 October 2022.
The EVA enforcement started on 5 July 2022, with a planned warning period of 6 weeks (no live infringements
were issued during this warning period to first time offending vehicles in this lane), that only finished on 19
March 2023. During this period a vehicle that travelled incorrectly in this lane for the first time received a
warning. However, if the same vehicle travelled through this lane again for a second, third etc time, it
received a live infringement.
Live enforcement (issuing of live infringements) commenced on 20 March 2023.
It is unreasonable to expect AT to reach every single person across the entire Auckland region (to include
irregular users of these lanes).
The signage and markings in place meet all the legal requirements.
Request response
The number of infringement notices issued for driving through the Queen St EVA since it started issuing
fines only on 20 March 2023. The number of unique vehicles issued infringement notices for driving
through the Queen St EVA since 20 March 2023.
For the period in question, 71459 infringements were issued to 55713 different vehicles.
We trust this clarifies your request, but should you believe that we have not dealt with your request
appropriately, you are able to make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman in accordance with section
27(3) of the LGOIMA Act and seek an investigation and review regarding this matter.
Regards
John Strawbridge
Group Manager, Parking Services & Compliance
Page
2 of
2
