20 Viaduct Harbour Avenue Auckland 1010
Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Ph 09 355 3553
Fax 09 355 3550
25 January 2024
Dave Body
Kia ora Dave,
The information you requested - CAS-829945-W6L4D8
Thank you for the request for information received dated 6 December 2023 regarding the Queen
Street Essential Vehicle Area.
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.
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 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 al 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.
aucklandtransport.govt.nz
Additional signage and marketing, was put in place from 13 August 2022 and included:
• A large advance direction sign was instal ed 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. After this date no
more warning notices were issued for an offence committed in the EVA lane.
It is unreasonable to expect AT to reach every single person across the entire Auckland region (to
include irregular users of these lanes).
For the period 5 July 2022 to 5 March 2023, 102 966 warnings were issued.
For the period 5 July 2022-30 November 2023 80 890 live infringements have been issued.
The fee value attached to the offence Unauthorised use of Special Vehicle Lane is $150.
Please find attached reports attached (Appendices A-C) to the signage installed for this restriction.
The signage and markings in place meet al the legal requirements.
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.
Yours sincerely
John Strawbridge
Group Manager, Parking Services & Compliance
