Restoring Manukau Plaza and opening the connection between two major way points.

I was going through some old Manukau files that go right back to 2013 and ponder what has been since the advocacy for Manukau started. One thing that stood out in my hand drawn maps was that cars were allowed down a section of Puntey and Osterley Ways that pre 2005 were not. It stood out more than even a bus station or what will become Airport to Botany Rapid Transit.

Here is a before an after comparison of Manukau Plaza:

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As we can see pre-2005 Putney and Osterley Ways did not extend over the Plaza site. This allowed for a large public space and seamless connection to Hayman Park. Today if was still present it would allow a near seamless connection to Hayman Park and both Manukau Rail and Bus Stations.

Simply put there is no reasons for cars to be rat running through this particular part of Manukau. Westfield Mall shoppers can go back out onto Manukau Station Road or make their way down Leyton Avenue to Ronwood Avenue given the buses no longer use said Leyton Way. Denying cars thoroughfare access also reduces demand on Amersham Way further north which itself is a candidate for being a Shared Space.

Looking at the maps the sections of Putney and Osterley Ways that I wished to be closed to traffic the Osterley Way section as highlighted below is part of Manukau Plaza so that will be owned by Panuku itself. The Putney Way section is a parcel on its own is registered as part of Amersham Way so I need to see who has legal ownership – Panuku or Auckland Transport.

In any case if Panuku do own the Osterley Way portion that I am requesting to be closed it should be a straight forward procedure to have the section closed to cars.

In photo form:

I have made sure that access to the IRD car parks under the the IRD building remains open. I am also aware of future plans of urban development in the immediate proximity including hotels. Given they are car generators closing off the sections in red seen above becomes even more imperative to allow seamless connection between the mall and the stations (still need to get the rest of Putney Way as a Shared Space).

I have lodged formal request to Panuku to get this closure underway and the reestablishment of the full Manukau Plaza. Cars ratrunning through the core of Manukau simply do not belong there and the corridor is a high pedestrian and amenity given its prominence between the mall and the stations.

So let’s get the ball rolling (please) as fast as possible with the goal closing the roads as soon as possible (by March next year).