Thanks very much,
Elise

Interesting what you say about the rail corridor. At last Saturday’s State Highway 20 extension ‘open day’ I asked at the public information tent where the railway line was going to go. He pointed to a narrow stretch of grass which he said would be for light rail – and only room for a single track.

So I wondered if even the Hillsbourgh to Mt Roskill extension may have already limited options, such as the freight line or a passenger service with decent frequency (or like you say made the rail option more expensive in the future). If NZTA are building roads in rail corridors they need to leave room for double tracked heavy rail – when I don’t see details of this in their planning I am worried that their claims of making rail provision don’t mean much.

I’ve had differing opinions from people when I have raised this question – so I wondered what you made of it all.

Here is my post from last Sunday
http://joehendren.blogspot.com/2009/05/state-highway-20-bit-sneaky.html

The waterview interchange will become a major node and commerce and industry will begin to move towards it provice a new employment centre – one which be highly accessible to all those folk in Waitakere City who currently have to get to the CBD or to Albany. People like me will drive to the Airport using the bypass instead of going over the bridge and out to Mangere.

And when I said “…the Waterview Interchange will not actually allow SH20->SH16 (or vice-versa) traffic to exit the motorway. I can’t see businesses located close to it just for the view.” His reply:

Actually interchanges do attract development even though there is no direct access to the surface road network precisely because of the view. Elevated ramps make the surrounding land visible and aids navigation and signing. So properties on either side of, and around the interchange become more valuable because they are more visible and attract commerce and industry because of the high quality accessibility to three or four major sectors of the motorway network.

Remember, there will be no access from Pt Chev/Waterview to the Waterview Connection.

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/05/liberty_scott_on_waterview.html#comments

“NZCID chief executive Stephen Selwood says the motorway will increase property values around the Waterview Connection and “provide a welcome boost to the industry at a time that we need it most”.”

Right Stephen, I can think of a million examples of high value areas that are right next to a motorway. Oh wait — no I can’t think of one.

Why do special interest groups have their outright lies published in news stories??

I’m trying to think of a better response…. ummm… nope

That’s what the gap between the two tunnels is for I guess… pity the poor suckers living around there.